The Joy of Being in Your Own Energy
Photo by Baehaki Hariri
"In solitude, I feel the freedom to be as I am, to see myself without filters or expectations. It is here I can breathe, forgive, create, and dream." ~ Alice Walker
One of the most common fears I've encountered in my work with clients is the fear of being alone. This deeply human fear takes many forms, but its presence is constant and real. It quietly drives us into relationships, spaces, and activities that may not align with what we truly want—what our higher selves crave, what makes us feel safe, whole, and well. When this fear takes the wheel, we often find ourselves in situations that drain our energy, clutter our minds, and pull us away from our truth.
Through my own personal healing journey one that initiated me into confronting what I, too, feared most: being alone—I've discovered that the practice of solitude can be a powerful antidote. Over time, this practice helps us not just face our fears, but transform them.
The Sacred Practice of Solitude
Solitude is a practice of self-reverence, an intentional affirmation of your divinity and the importance of spending quality time with yourself. It's about tuning into the voice within that often gets drowned out by the noise of everyday life. Solitude whispers: "I am worth getting to know. I am worth spending time with."
The most important foundation of wholeness is knowing who you are, and solitude offers this magic. It supports your ability to embody and possess your innate power. In solitude, you consciously pull yourself out of survival mode, the constant doing, chasing, achieving and engage in stillness and slowness. You create space to sit with yourself away from distractions and noise, focusing instead on your own unfolding.
In this sacred space, profound questions emerge: What do I truly want and desire? What brings me joy? Who am I when no one is watching? What do I believe in? Who do I choose to have in my life? These questions illuminate the path to your authentic self.
The Journey Through Discomfort to Discovery
At first, I found the practice of solitude to be painful and unnerving. The silence echoed with all I had been avoiding. But within this discomfort, I discovered something unexpected: clarity, truth, empowerment, and creativity blossomed like wildflowers after rain. Through solitude, I learned to move through fear, to sit with discomfort, and to uncover the deep wisdom and strength that had been within me all along. Solitude revealed the beauty of quiet and the richness of listening deeply to my own spirit.
Solitude transforms aloneness from something to dread into something to embrace a metamorphosis as profound as a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. When we need guidance in this practice, we can turn to nature as our most patient teacher. The new moon's darkness, winter's restful stillness, the steadfast presence of ancient trees all offer lessons in the power of being in one's own energy.
These natural cycles invite us into a sacred space of reflection and introspection. They teach us that dormancy is not death but preparation; silence is not emptiness but fullness waiting to be discovered. All are guides to stillness and the joy of being in our own energy, asking us to embrace quiet and trust the alchemy of deep listening.
Solitude isn't just a reprieve from chaos; it's a practice that roots us in ourselves. It steadies us, giving us the freedom to discern how we spend our energy, reclaim our joy, and remain grounded amidst the noise of the world. Especially in these times of uncertainty and chaos, cultivating the practice of solitude is not just a gift—it's a necessity for survival and thriving.
An Invitation to Solitude
I invite you to explore the magic of solitude—a sacred practice to deepen your relationship with yourself. Step into quiet intimacy, listen with intention, and nurture your inner world with these practical steps:
Start Small: Spend 10–15 minutes a day without distractions—no devices, no television. Sit with yourself, journal, or engage in a mindful activity that brings you into presence.
Reframe Your Mindset: See solitude not as a lack of connection but as a gift you give yourself—a time to replenish and reconnect with your essence.
Create Rituals: Transform solitude into a sacred practice with meditation, journaling, yoga, or nature walks. Let these rituals anchor you to the present moment.
Practice Self-Compassion: It's normal to feel discomfort or fear initially—be gentle with yourself as you ease into this practice. The discomfort is part of the journey back to yourself.
Venture into Nature: Walk through the winter forest. Observe its bare branches, its quiet dormancy, its rest. Let the stillness enter you, guide you, and teach you the wisdom of cycles.
Create Intentional Moments: Find pockets in your day to be fully present with yourself. Journaling, painting, or simply sitting in stillness can help ground you in your own presence.
If you are ready to embrace the practice and magic of solitude and dive deeper into yourself to explore what drives you, what holds you back, what roots you into who you are, then I invite you to begin with the "Who Are You?" journal, a companion for your journey inward.
Explore the magic of solitude with the Who Are You? workbook. Purchase here
Ready to go deeper into who you are?
If you're ready to transform your relationship with yourself and create the conditions that support your healing, I offer guidance through:
1:1 Prosperity Guidance - Personalized support as you remember your wholeness and create the structures that honor your truth.
Prosperity Clarity Session - A single session to explore what healing means for you and the care you deserve as you transform your relationship with yourself.
"Who Are You?" 6-Week Group Program - Beginning January 2026. Journey with others who are also returning home to themselves, integrating all parts, and remembering they were never broken.
About the Author:
Joy Long is a mother, writer, healing artist, ecotherapist and prosperity guide devoted to remembering wholeness in a world shaped by fragmentation. She is the founder of Whole with Joy, a healing movement rooted in embodiment, Earth wisdom, and joy.
Joy’s journey has moved through community mental health, private practice, ecotherapy, movement, ritual, and creative expression. It has also been shaped by years of travel and learning across the African diaspora, the Americas, and other land-based cultures, where the wisdom of place, the centrality of rhythm and movement, and ancestral ways of knowing deepened her understanding of what it means to live in right relationship with self, community, and Earth. Motherhood, ancestral memory, and a lifelong relationship with nature continue to shape both her work and her way of being.
Rooted in earth-based spirituality, somatic healing, attachment healing, and Black feminist and eco-womanist traditions, Joy creates spaces for people to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the living world. Through individual prosperity work, organizational wellness consulting, and community healing offerings, her work invites a remembering: that prosperity is not something we earn, but something we embody when we return home to who we are together, with dignity, pleasure, and power.