Integration: The Key to Evolved Living

"There's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."

- Morpheus, The Matrix

In today's world more and more people are becoming aware of the necessity and beauty of personal growth and self- awareness. We are getting more comfortable being uncomfortable; facing our shadows and validating our wounded inner children with love and understanding. But as we become more aware of these patterns it's important to remember that awareness is not all you need. Action and change to current behaviors are immensely important to our soul's growth. Enter the power of integration.

Integration is the act of bringing together smaller components into a single system that functions as one. To integrate is to combine parts to reach a greater whole. We can do this externally (like bringing together friends who have never met before to expand our chosen family) or internally (like when we learn a new skill and start applying it to our daily life). Our focus here is on internal integration, specifically to move us ahead on our path of evolution.

I first encountered the concept of integration when I started on my path of psychedelic healing. With each experience it became crucial that I take the insights and lessons I learned and apply them to my life rather than just basking in the rush of a peak experience and new knowledge. This was probably the most important thing I could have done for myself during that time in my life and I was able to create an environment that I was finally happy to be living in. I can't say that it was always easy, but it was worth it.

When we do inner work and become aware of patterns and traumas that hold us down, it can be easy to be lazy about what we do with that knowledge. We might know that we need to make a change or apply a new perspective but we just don't want to put in the effort. it's easy to get too comfortable in our current ways and fear the changes that might follow the application of certain knowledge. Alternatively, sometimes we simply don't know what to do with what we learn about ourselves! Not knowing can be the trickiest part but there are plenty of tools out there that can help you figure it all out. There are many helpful tools for this kind of process such as are therapy, parts work, coaching, and certain kinds of meditation.

The basic process of integrating for personal growth is: Insight/Realization -> Acceptance of New Truth -> Application of New Truth Into Daily Life.

For example, let's say in a meditation you realize that your bad habit of not knowing your own worth has led you to make choices that have hindered your progress to a very important goal. You could choose to ignore this truth and keep living as you always have or you can sit with it for a moment and accept the truth of it. It might come with some grief at missed opportunities but now you can go forward with that knowledge and make changes accordingly. Now you can look for tools to help you realize your self- worth and heal any wounding that exists for you in that area of your life. You can step into a new version of yourself that is more confident and who makes choices because they know they deserve the best.

Going a little deeper into the process we can also integrate aspects of ourselves that create conflict within us. Maybe one part of you wants the typical life with a spouse and kids and a nice house. But another part despises the thought of being tied down and longs to live a life of wild abandon on the open road. Integrative work can allow you to honor and express both of these parts of you in healthy ways that make you feel joyful for being alive.

At the end of the day the process of integration will feel different for each person and for each new situation they encounter. One day it may feel like gentle acceptance of something that occurred in childhood. Another day it may look like cutting ties with a person we no longer feel good keeping in our lives. Sometimes it will be a feeling of completion. It can even be adopting or abandoning habits, behaviors, and patterns. Whatever your process is and however you get there, it is important to come from a place of great compassion for yourself without a judgmental attitude about whatever comes up.

Integration is one of the tools I believe is required to advance in any area of life. As you begin you move forward on your path I'm sure you'll feel the same.