Holistic Practices for Integration: Part 2
Holistic Practices for Integration: Part 2
Part II: Integration Tools Continued…
As you reflect on the first set of integration tools, take a moment to notice what truly met you. Which practices felt nourishing, grounding, or unexpectedly supportive? Which ones do you feel naturally drawn to continue as part of your rhythm, not because you should, but because they genuinely resonate?
Integration is about listening closely to what wants to stay and deepen. As you move into this next list of integration practices, I invite you again to choose just one or two that you feel most pulled toward. Let these practices be gentle and sustainable, something you can build into your daily life over time.
Movement
Conscious movement helps you integrate the deeper spiritual and emotional depths of your journey deep into your body. Consider trying yoga, Tai Chi, ecstatic dance, rock climbing, skiing, or exercise through primal movement patterns.
One of my favourite activities I have found most useful is going on a 3-5 hour hike. One of my favourite spots, if you are local, is up the Rocky Mountains at Chautauqua Park, where I love to sit at the base of these massive ancient sandstone monoliths tilted skyward like a natural stone temple. This place, between meadow and mountain — where emotional processing, deep release, and insight integration naturally occur.
Bottom line…it’s imperative that we move our bodies! It IS how we integrate.
Flower Essences
Edward Bach — a British physician, bacteriologist, and mystic believed that -
Emotional and spiritual disharmony is the root of physical illness.
These potent little gems, 38 in total in his repertoire, work on the deepest patterns of our being. Rather than treating symptoms, Bach remedies work on the inner emotional states that create imbalance. The liquid plant preparations made from fresh flower blossoms imprint water with their energetic properties. These vibrational remedies specifically address mental/emotional patterns that may be affecting your overall wellness. To get you started, check out this link, which includes a robust list of healing herbs and flower essences.
You can also book a session with me where we can specifically tailor a Flower essence remedy for you that will help integrate your journey as well as continue to support deeper unlying patterns. They are fast and potent.
Ritual & Altar Practice
Creating a simple altar or ritual space at home gives your experience a place outside of just memory. This might include objects from nature, candles, meaningful symbols, or items that remind you of your intention and wisdom that emerged during your ceremony.
Many times before a journey, I will bring folks on a stroll around the property, and we will find pieces of nature that represent parts of their intention. Perhaps a stick with a Y represents their desire for a new path, or a pine cone tarepresents a lost lover. Perhaps a beautiful stone represents the desire for more strength.
If we did this for your ceremony, put these items on your home altar and have them anchor you into the memory and the felt sense of that day. You may revisit them daily as a continued practice of what you want to call in to your life.
Creative Expression
Art bypasses the intellect and gives voice to what cannot yet be spoken. Drawing, painting, poetry, music, collage, or even free-form movement can help translate non-verbal insights into embodied understanding. You don’t need to be “good” at art for it to be effective. This is about expression, not performance.
Often, after group journeys, I will offer paints and encourage people to make mandalas, which are circular designs that represent wholeness, balance, and the interconnected nature of life. Typically, these are very formulaic and precise, but for this purpose, we want to hold them abstractly and loosely with zero judgment on one's artistic ability. You could also try this at home!
Your relationships
Notice how your insights begin to show up in relationships with partners, friends, family, coworkers, and strangers. Integration lives in how we listen, speak, own our power, set boundaries, and show up when we’re triggered or stretched. Rather than trying to “apply” your insights, allow them to reveal themselves through your lived experience.
For example, the next time you and your husband get into a disagreement around him not completing a chore you asked him to do, for example, notice how you relate to him differently. Perhaps your subtle delivery is more gentle, you speak up for your needs more, or you’re able to forgive him more quickly. Then notice how he responds and how your entire dynamic within the relationship begins to shift over time.
Relationships are one of our greatest teachers. How can you consciously shift?! Who do you want to be?
Music
Music is one of the most direct pathways back into the body and the heart. Sound bypasses the mind and speaks straight to the nervous system, helping you reconnect with the emotions, insights, and energetic states you touched during ceremony. When used intentionally, music can gently re-open the doorway to remembrance without needing to “figure anything out.”
For integration, choose songs that evoke presence, safety, reverence, or aliveness, and listen with your full attention. Let the music move you: breathe with it, stretch, sway, or even dance. If there was a particularly powerful song during your medicine journey, ask Shane for the ceremony playlist and work with that song daily. You could do this by dancing in your living room to start your day, placing a hand on your heart, and letting your body remember what it already knows. Over time, this practice helps anchor the wisdom of the ceremony into daily life, making integration something you live, not just reflect on. I am leaving some playlists below for inspiration…
I hope you enjoyed this brief overview of holistic practices that I use personally for integration. Keep in mind, sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is ask for extra support. Working with a trusted guide, therapist, or integration coach can help you contextualize your experience, navigate challenges, and stay aligned with your intentions. Please connect if I can offer you extra support throughout your process.
Let’s also continue to build community!
