Episode 14 – “Rhythms of Healing: Daily Practices That Hold You”

Episode 14 – “Rhythms of Healing: Daily Practices That Hold You” 

Rigid routines often collapse under trauma, leaving you feeling like a failure. Instead of another perfectionistic “habit challenge,” this episode offers trauma‑aware, grace‑filled rhythms that can actually hold you: simple daily connections with God, your body, and safe people. Rev. Stormyee shows how even a few minutes of honest prayer, one glass of water, or a weekly check‑in can become anchors. You’ll design your own “bare minimum rhythm” that fits your real capacity and season. 

Primary Scriptures for this episode (feel free to pause and look them up): 

• Matthew 11:28–30 – “Come to Me…and I will give you rest.”
• Psalm 1:1–3 – Like a tree planted by streams of water.
• Mark 1:35 – Jesus withdrawing to pray.
• Lamentations 3:22–23 – New mercies every morning.
• Colossians 3:16–17 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

In our next episode, we’ll talk about narrative healing—how to tell your story in ways that honor the truth, protect your heart, and make space for God’s redemptive thread without rushing to a neat ending.

Until then, may you sense that even the smallest daily act of care matters—and that you are held by a God who is more faithful than any routine.

With fierce love and unshakeable faith,
I’m Rev. Stormyee, and this is Wholeness.
 
 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:25

Welcome to wholeness with Reverend Stormy Edmondson. A space for healing, faith, and kingdom purpose. I'm Reverend Stormy Edmondson, ordained minister, Christian Life Coach, and your companion on the journey from trauma to triumph. Here we talk about the real themes. Healing from pain, renewing the mind, building holy boundaries, growing in faith, and walking boldly in the calling God has placed on your life. Whether you're in a season of survival, restoration, or thriving, this is your reminder that God sees you, God is with you, and your story is not over. So take a deep breath, settle your heart, and listen for what the Lord wants to speak to you today. You are welcome here. You are seen, and you are being restored here. Daily practices that hold you. Matthew chapter 11, verse 28 through 30. Come to me and I will give you rest. Like a tree planted by streams of water. Mark one thirty-five. Jesus withdrawing to pray. Lamentations chapter three verses twenty-two through twenty-three. New mercies every morning. Colossians chapter three verses sixteen through seventeen. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. In episode 13, we talked about relearning joy and play, tasting small, safe moments of delight in a life that's been defined by survival. Today we're going to talk about something very practical and very spiritual. Rhythms and routines that support your healing. This episode is called Rhythms of Healing: Daily Practices That Hold You. We're going to explore why trauma makes consistency and routine hard, how gentle rhythms can actually hold you when life feels chaotic. A simple way to design a realistic daily or weekly rhythm that honors your season. If you've ever thought, I know I need good habits, but I can't seem to stick to them, then this is for you. Let's take a moment to pray. Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus. You see how many times we've tried to build routines and then felt like we failed. You also see how much our bodies and hearts need steadiness. Would you help us today create rhythms that are kind, sustainable, and rooted in your grace, not perfection? Amen. Take a deep breath. You are not here to build a rigid schedule. You're here to explore what might support you. Segment one. Why routines are hard after trauma? Trauma often creates unpredictability. You didn't know what mood someone would be in, when the next explosion would happen, or when you'd feel safe. Hypervigilance, always scanning the environment for danger. Internal chaos, racing thoughts, strong emotions, or numbness. And in that context, being present in your body may have felt dangerous. Planning for the future may have felt pointless. Resting might have felt irresponsible. So of course, keeping routines like sleep, meals, prayer, movement can be difficult now. You may swing between rigid control and total chaos. You may feel like you fail at consistency and then shame yourself. Please hear this. Your difficulties with routines is not laziness or lack of love for God, but it's connected to what your nervous system has been through. The good news is that gentler, trauma-aware rhythms can actually help your body feel safer over time. Jesus himself practiced rhythms. In Mark one, thirty five, very early in the morning Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. In Luke chapter five, verse sixteen, it says Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Very early and often show us a pattern, not an accident. His rhythms included times of public ministry and pouring out, regular times of withdrawal, rest and prayer, returning to people from a place of connection with the Father. Jesus also honored physical needs. He rested, he ate and drank, nourished himself. He slept in a boat during a storm. His body actually trusted the Father enough to rest. Our rhythms don't need to look exactly like his, but the principle stands. Daily and weekly patterns of turning toward God, tending to your body, and making room for rest are not extras. They're part of how we live as humans who are loved. Take a few moments to listen as if Jesus is speaking directly to the part of you that feels like you either have to do routines perfectly or not at all. My beloved, I see the ways you've tried to fix your life with rigid plans and strict schedules. I see how when you couldn't keep them perfectly, you turned all that frustration inward. I'm not asking you for perfection. I'm inviting you into companionship. One moment with me is not wasted just because you didn't do all the things. One walk, one glass of water, one honest prayer counts. I do not measure your worth by how consistent your habits are. I give you rhythms as gifts, not as a test. Let's build something together that fits your capacity and not your shame. Let those words soak into your inner planner and not your inner critic. To keep this simple, think of three pillars. One with God, spiritual and emotional connection. Two, with your body, physical care and regulation. Safe connection and support. You don't need ten practices in each. Even one tiny practice in each pillar can begin anchoring your days. One with God. This might look like five to ten minutes of honest prayer in the morning or evening. Reading a short passage of a scripture and asking, Jesus, what do you want me to know today? Listening to worship or an audio Bible when you get ready. Writing one line a day in a journal. Today I felt and I need from you. Honesty over perfection. You don't need an hour-long quiet time to be loved. Two with your body. This might look like drinking water first thing in the morning. Taking two to three breath breaks during the day. A short walk. Stretching or gentle movement a few times a week. Trying to keep a basic sleep window most nights. Small, repeatable acts that tell your body you are cared for. 3. With others. This might look like checking in with a trusted friend once a week. Attending a church or community space where you feel safe. Sending an I'm thinking of you text when you feel isolated. Intentional low pressure contact that counters isolation. Segment five. Building a gentle daily rhythm. Let's sketch out what a gentle healing day might look like. This is an illustration, not a prescription. Morning, even 10 to 20 minutes. Drink a glass of water, take a three to five slow breaths, whisper a simple prayer. Jesus, be with me in this day. Read a short scripture or daily reading, or speak one identity statement. In Christ, I am beloved. Pause for one to two minutes. Notice your body. Am I tense? Hungry, thirsty, overwhelmed? If possible, respond with one small kindness. Stretch, snack, step outside, take a few breaths. In the evening, reflect briefly. What was hard today? Where did I see even a tiny bit of grace? Offer yourself compassion. Given what I'm going through, it makes sense that I felt have a short prayer. Jesus said, I give you what I can't carry, help me to rest. You might add a weekly rhythm therapy day, church, a group day, Sabbath day, a no obligation night, where you intentionally rest or do something enjoyable. Again, this is not a checklist you must complete to be acceptable. It's a menu of possibilities. Segment six exercise. I call this my non-negotiables because in Christ's eyes, I'm non-negotiable. We're going to design a bare minimum rhythm with the smallest daily practices that would still feel supportive. Ask yourself, with God, if everything else fell apart, what is one tiny way I'd like to connect with God most days? Examples. One honest sentence before bed. One verse on a sticky note. A two-minute gratitude list once a day. With your body, what is one small act of care that feels doable most days? Examples, drinking water, taking a three-breath pause, stepping out for two minutes, ten minutes of movement to care for the temple God gifted me. With others, what is one small connection point I can try to keep? Examples, checking in with friends once a week. Going to one regular group support or therapy or church class, responding to messages from safe people, even briefly. Write down, on most days, I will try to connect with God by care for my body by touch base with others by underline try. This is a goal, not a law. When a day goes off the rails, we will come back to one of these. Just one. Segment seven. Reflection questions and homework. Here are some questions to sit with this week. How have I related to routines in the past? I've been rigid, avoidant, inconsistent, shame-driven. What time of day feels most realistic for me to have a brief check-in with God? What is one small change that would make my body feel even 5% more cared for? For homework, choose one of the following. Option one, write your bare minimum rhythm. Using the exercise above, write out your simple day with God, with the body, with others' practices. And put it somewhere visible. Let it be a guide and not a judge. Option two, choose one new tiny habit. Choose one new habit to focus on for the next three weeks. A glass of water by your bed, a two-minute evening prayer. Celebrate each day that you do it instead of beating yourself up for the days that you don't. Over time you will find that you're consistently doing these things. Option three, do a weekly rhythm check-in. Therapy, church, a call, a walk, circle or schedule it. Jesus, help me protect this small anchor this week. So that I am making myself a non-negotiable. Segment 8. Closing and preview. Friends, rhythms are not about proving you're spiritual or strong. They're about giving your heart, body, and mind a little structure to lean on when everything else feels shaky. You don't have to overhaul your life. You can start with the smallest possible yes. God is not watching with a stopwatch to see if you get checked every box. He's walking with you, inviting you into sustainable patterns of connection, care, and rest. Let's pray. Jesus, thank you for the fact that you live with rhythms of work, rest and prayer and community. You know what it means to be human and limited. For every listener who feels intimidated by routines or condemned by past failures, I ask, loosen the grip of perfectionism. Highlight just one or two gentle practices that would support their healing. Help them to see any step toward connection with you, their body or others as a victory and not a small thing. Teach them to receive rhythms as a gift, not a burden. And when they miss a day, remind them that your mercies are new every morning. In your heavenly name, Jesus. We pray. Amen. In our next episode, we'll talk about narrative healing. How to tell your story in ways that honor the truth, protect your heart, and make space for God's redemptive thread without rushing to a neat ending. Until then, may you sense that even the smallest daily act of care matters, and that you are held by a God who is more faithful than any routine. With fierce love and unshakable faith, I'm Reverend Stormy, and this is wholeness.