The Wise Healer Within

                All illness, dis-ease, comes from seeking relief from the suffering inherent in life, in sources other than the innate healing power which we have within us. The nature of addiction to substances is in essence, the same mechanism at work as in all illnesses- the turning away from our inner wisdom towards false outward sources of fulfillment. This isn’t to say that healing does not involve outward forms of change and therapeutic action-but rather we should start with the Source of our wisdom, joy and healing.

                If we do not look first to the spiritual and emotional components of our illnesses and try to heal them only with physical means such as medications, changing chemistry within our bodies and brains, without  concomitant changes in our mind, then we are changing cars, but not the driver or the destination. With the rise of Newtonian science, we have developed the erroneous model of the mind and body as being body driven by some mysterious forces which can be ignored. In fact, we should be looking to the mind first in all illness and then if physical therapies are helpful towards the healing, these practices can be taken as co-concurring with the spiritual and emotional changes.

                For example, many people in contemporary society suffer from depression and anxiety. If you go to a mechanistic counsellor , psychiatrist or psychologist, they will probably start by telling you (not asking you) that your brain chemistry is unbalanced. This is the point where you smile and say ‘No sh*t, Sherlock!” But these narrow minded professionals will not ask the essential and simple question “Why?” Why do you think you are depressed? Many of these professionals profess that the etiology of mental health problems is not important and should not be asked. That is like wrapping up a broken bone, giving large amounts of pain killer and sending the patient home without  asking-why is the bone protruding ? Because it is broken, it needs to be re-set , immobilised for a time and then gradually strengthened. Etiology in any healing art is essential to the development of an effective intervention plan.

                We have so called evidence based practices of mechanistic therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy, but I keep meeting people who are back in their addiction or mental health concerns, who are desperately trying this model…again and again. So from a purely scientific point of view, those people for whom CBT and other mechanistic practices don’t work-should be looking at other options. If the experiment consistently fails then new methods should be employed. Pure science!

                To skillfully ask the ‘why’ question, often takes some help from a holistic practitioner. Often when we begin to explore why we are feeling frightened, depressed, angry, we get caught up in the obsessive mind traps that have developed either to protect us or to maintain the status quo because we fear change. So if you are desiring to heal yourself of any mental illness, look first to the inner wise guide within. If the professionals who are working with you, are not leading you towards your own growth and fulfillment, then maybe it’s time to fire them. And courageously start the journey which the illness is asking you to begin.

Try This!

1.       Take the most important concern in your life right now-physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. Touch into the discomfort it is causing you. Do you have a body sense of this issue in your life? An image, words or a simple sentence. Don’t get lost in the ‘story’ of your problem, just state it as objectively as possible, as if you were a very wise, holistic physician who is diagnosing a patient. For example, lately I’ve been feeling really down, blue, not quite depressed but certainly I don’t have the same mojo for life that I used to.

2.       Now follow back with the question, why? Take the first answer that comes to mind. E.g. I’m feeling useless and blocked with my work. I feel out of place and unhappy at work and that spills over into all the other parts of my life also.

3.       Follow back and back. You might see images  in different parts of your body. E.g. When I locate my low feelings, I sense them in my heart. Its feels so painful and sad when I touch in there. But when I do, I see a dark castle, with a barricaded town on top of a hill.

4.       Work with these images which are arising from a deep body sense of who you are, by imagining the opposite of the feelings, images or words that are coming from the blocked parts. E.g. If I could break down the walls around this castle, perhaps some side gates could open. Not the front entrance because that makes me feel too anxious right now. But some little side gates, where a few people could come in, guards could stand at this gate and check everyone who tries to enter.

5.       Work with these images in a way that reminds you of your therapy towards healing. Embody your insights (sight into your inner being) into a daily action. E.g I am going to put a little wooden door way in my shrine to remind me that I am allowing more of life, people and opportunities to come into my life. I will stand infront of my shrine every morning before I go to work and really feel a little doorway into my heart opening.

6.       Stay with the work until you start to see changes in your life. E.g. Today a manager offered me a training package and at first I thought-what’s the point? But then I remembered the door way which I have committed to, and after a moment I went back to her and told her I wanted to take it. I don’t know where it will go, but it can only help to lead me away from this work which is no longer useful for me.

7.       Record your changes. Give thanks to your own wise self and to all other beings who supported you along the way. E.g. I invited my manager to go with me for coffee this morning. She seemed a little surprised because I’ve been uncommunicative lately. I bought her a Chai Latte which I know is her favorite and thanked her for the offer. For the rest of the day, I noticed that she was different towards me, more smiles and relaxed. My own feeling of being down has lessen. I’ve almost forgotten how I used to feel sad all the time.