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The
Healing Process
by Bruce Bibee
One of
the prerequisites to warriorship is knowledge
of the healing process and the skill to use it. |
Over the last few issues of Alaska Wellness, I've avoided the topic
of the healing process by alluding to it in passing. Mostly, I've
avoided it because the healing process is viewed differently between
mainstream folks and alternative folks. I've avoided kicking sacred
cows ever since I realized that the fun I had kicking those cows had a
substantial price. As I feel either the mainstream nor the alternative
views of the healing process are fully accurate, I will not risk
kicking their respective sacred cows because my view is different.
However, let's begin with some common ground. If I get a cut on my
arm and I don't attend to it, I will end up with an infected cut arm.
Eventually, I'll be unable to use my arm without pain, and will
probably begin self-medicating to deal with the pain, as well as
compensating by using my other arm more.
The same basic pattern occurs with emotional, psychological or
sexual trauma. If the trauma is not dealt with immediately, it becomes
infected. There is a difference, however, when the injured person
comes to a counselor. The counselor may remark, "Of course you're
an addict and you're compensating the ways that you are. Your 'arm' is
infected." The answer is, typically, "No it's not!"
Denial is the added element in dealing with emotional trauma.
The process of healing the injured arm is to: 1) cut open the
wounded area; 2) drain off the infection; 3) cleanse the wound; 4)
stitch it up; 5) bandage it; and 6) let the natural healing process
begin.
The corollary to this for emotional healing is to: 1) open up the
topic of the wounding; 2) get out all the feelings associated to it;
3) have a safe person receive this information; 4) allow the safe
person to stitch the wound closed by saying the words that need saying
(it's not your fault, etc.); 5) allow the safe person to provide the
"mothering" that makes it "all better;" and 6) let
the natural healing process begin.
It should be obvious by now that there are sacred cows that get
kicked by the pattern described above. Mainstream folks are denied
their diagnostic categories, and the alternative folks are denied the
label of "healer."
Bottom line: healing is a divine intervention. Our part is merely
to make sure that the necessary preconditions to healing occur. True
"healers" know this, whether they come from the mainstream
or the alternative therapies.
All this is important for the spiritual warrior. Why? Because one
cannot take the journey to enlightenment and fight the many battles
necessary if one has a broken leg. One of the prerequisites to
warriorship, therefore, is knowledge of the healing process and the
skill to use it.
A friend
of mine has described the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual,
Fourth Edition (DSM IV) as "Western
medical science’s version of the Tarot
-- except it doesn’t have any good cards." |
Emotional healing has three unique characteristics: awareness,
process, and integration. These can be subdivided into three types of
awarenesses, processes, and integration activities: body, emotion and
mind. So, there are body memories (awareness), emotional memories, and
picture memories; there are processes for "digesting" the
body, emotional, and mental awarenesses; and there are integration
strategies specific to each as well. Sorting all this out is what
makes the healing process such a daunting endeavor – especially
because these nine different activities tend to overlap and blend
together.
For example, in sexual abuse recovery, the chronology tends to be
this: dreams oftentimes announce that the unconscious is getting ready
to release memory of the abuse for processing; panic attacks alert
that the memory is now just below the surface; "meltdowns"
(which are out-of-context emotional discharges) indicate that the
emotional content is bleeding through into consciousness;
"flashbacks" (a partial reliving of the traumatic event)
bring the cognitive element; and the body goes into post-traumatic
shock.
It is now time to lance the boil and cut through the protective
coating surrounding the memory and release all its contents – body
memories, emotional charges, and honor the pictures that tell the
story. It is not time to "treat" each of the symptoms as
discreet problems themselves. Medicating against panic attacks merely
interrupts the natural flow of healing. Concentrating on the dreams by
seeking their archetypal relevance is pointless. Damping down the
flashbacks or meltdowns is a prescription for depression. And so on.
Again, what complicates this is that each of us has a unique
"signature" in how we actually do our healing. The above
pattern is a generality, and I've never worked with anyone that did it
exactly that way. Additionally, men tend to do healing in a linear
manner, putting the blinders on and going for it; whereas women tend
to do it more as a gestational process that ends in gestalts or
shifts. It is interesting that the mainstream folks are beginning to
explore alternative therapies in search of a "cure" to
post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD), the DSM IV definition for deep
healing needs. Energy Psychology (Gallo, 1999) is an interesting
survey of therapies that have successfully completed clinical trials.
A variety of bodywork techniques have shown immediate and
long-standing relief from the broad range of situations that can
produce PTSD (e.g., rape, incest, battle fatigue, etc.)
The scientific method is now validating what many of us in the
recovery industry have known to be true for years – humans are open
systems. We must digest the life experiences we have had. If we don't
because the experience is too much for us at the time, we end up
wounded. When we are ready, that woundedness will surface for healing
and the successful integration of that experience will occur. It is
just that simple.
Bruce Bibee is a Master of Kung-Fu San Soo. He also holds a
Master of Transpersonal Psychology and works as an abuse recovery
counselor.
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Creating
Your Healing Toolbox
by Kathleen Gibson
…in a
universe full of abundance, there is help available
if we only allow ourselves to slow down, tune in and ask
for what we need. |
In this time of rapid change, it would benefit us to gather
together some healing tools to assist our transition into the next
millenium. Imagine creating a toolbox full of wonderful healing gifts
and information to assist us: tools that support us in health, growth,
and staying focused on our truth. With such a toolbox, we’ll be able
to reach for the perfect tool when struggling through difficulties
that may arise.
There seems to be so much to learn and do to prepare for these
times of great transformation. Healing our bodies, heart and spirit
may be foremost on our minds as we welcome in the new era. We have
been given much to do – if we just knew where to look!
Remember: in a universe full of abundance, there is help available
if we only allow ourselves to slow down, tune in and ask for what we
need.
Do you see that shiny stone on the ground? It probably has quartz
in it. Quartz crystal is the most abundant mineral on our planet and
is one of my favorite tools. Due to the geometric design, it can focus
light and energy. Quartz also vibrates at a fixed rate and can store,
receive and transmit information. That's what makes it so important in
communications, computers, watches, and our own healing. Crystals can
benefit all things made up of light, energy and matter because of
their unique qualities. Quartz acts like a radio tuner and can assist
us to both tune in and stay tuned to the source of our being.
Crystals are marvelous healing tools and are useful in bodywork
because of the polarizing, and balancing effects they produce. Their
focusing abilities can enhance our physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual bodies. Like a magnet, some crystals can detect imbalances
in the energy field and aid in clearing them. Crystals come in a
rainbow of colors and each type vibrates to a different frequency.
When correlated with similar chakra (energy) centers, they can assist
in balancing each center as well as the whole.
Crystals are often used in meditation. Just sitting and gazing into
these beautiful creations allows us to slow our thoughts, ground,
center, and appreciate the grandeur of the world around us. Put one
next to your heart and you will feel renewed. Crystals are attuned to
us, have evolved with us and gladly offer themselves as tools to us.
We only need to ask.
Do you see that beautiful flower next to the crystal? It is such a
glorious shade of sunset pink. Do you smell its lovely fragrance?
Because the sensory process is directly connected with the brain, the
sense of smell has a powerful and immediate effect. It can give us an
emotional response as well as evoke memories, spark intuition and
affect our mental, physical and spiritual health.
Flowers have been used and appreciated by humanity for eons. They
too can effectively be utilized as a healing tool through essential
oils. These oils produce balancing, relaxing, and stimulating effects
that can be used for general health and emotional support. Many are
endowed with antiseptic, antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-fungal,
anti-inflammatory, and a myriad of other healing qualities. Plants and
flowers can also be utilized in herbal remedies, teas and a variety of
other ways. So, take time to stop and smell the roses – it may
surprise you that such a phenomenal tool exists right under your nose!
When was the last time you had a massage? This amazing gift of
touch can free energy blocks, aid circulation, relieve muscle tension,
reduce pain, increase metabolism and immunity and so much more. There
are many types of massage and bodywork, including Acupuncture,
Acupressure, Chiropractic, energy work, Polarity, Reiki, Reflexolgy,
and Shiatsu just to name a few. Massage is an extraordinary tool for
relaxing and relieving stresses, thereby creating a more balanced
system.
Your personal healing toolbox may include many other unique healing
modalities. Movement and stretching through the ancient art of Yoga,
Tai Chi, Qigong, exercise and dance are very beneficial for mind, body
and spirit. They assist in releasing tension and increasing
flexibility. For our spirituality, there is meditation and prayer to
help us stay more connected with Source.
How about Feng Shui to balance the energy in our homes and offices?
Organic food and supplements are available for natural and nutritional
choices for our bodies.
Astrology, channeling, Tarot reading and psychic counseling may
provide insight and clarity of direction. There are classes, groups
and therapy for support in relationships, communication and increased
self-awareness. Books, publications and computers (including of course
the World Wide Web!) offer a wide variety of information and
assistance that may aid in our search for tools.
There are literally thousands of healing tools just waiting for us!
So, take time to consider the lilies, to dream and embrace the
abundance being offered to you. Ask questions, make choices, take
action, and listen to your inner guidance about the most appropriate
tools for your use.
With the new millenium fast approaching, I’m going to be busy
filling my toolbox. What’s in yours?
Kathleen D. Gibson is a licensed massage therapist with a
practice in Anchorage. She uses a variety of healing tools in her
work. For appointments call (907) 279-3016 or e-mail kdgibson1@
alaska.com
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Shoot
the Magic Bullet
by Jackie Kosednar
Drugs
are like plugging a hole in the dam with your finger.
Sooner or later you run out of fingers. |
Living in the Age of Information, we are constantly bombarded with
bits of information. The trouble with information, however, is that it
can be false or true. The world is full of false information, false
theories and false ways of being. Much information is simply backwards
or out of context.
Most people don't challenge incoming information to discover if it
is true or false. Our mind is open to suggestion. We are
information-accepting beings because information excites the brain.
Much of the time we believe what we read or hear. Why? Because
everyone else believes it. We are social creatures. Not questioning
the reality of what we believe, we conclude that if everyone else
believes it, then it must be true.
When the "war on cancer" started over 30 years ago, the
heroes of science began searching for the "magic bullet" - a
drug that would kill cancer. Inspired by the media, most everyone got
on the bandwagon and supported this search, believing there really was
a magic bullet.
The medical profession and scientific community have been looking
for that bullet for a long time. They have developed many poisons that
they hope will do the job. The trouble is that their magic bullets
aren't magic at all; indeed, the magic bullets often kill the person
the scientists seek to save.
What we all need to know is that drugs are toxic. Drugs work
against nature, as they are designed to suppress and destroy. In
truth, science abandoned the magic bullet scenario early on in their
"war." Realizing that one drug alone couldn't kill cancer,
they began to develop drug protocols - combinations of drugs. How many
magic bullets could be put into a person or child before he or she was
irreparably damaged or died? Scientists also factored into the
equation the side effects of drugs, and developed more drugs to
suppress bodily damage from the initial drugs. Even though medical
society abandoned the magic bullet theory, the media hyped the search
and the magic bullet became a part of the way we deal with our bodies.
Magic bullet mentality is very closely related to the instant
gratification mentality that we have developed by agreement as a
society. We want it fast and we want it now! Television commercials
make expert use of this conditioning. Magic bullet promises sell
products and drugs. Even the most popular heath supplements and
multilevel health products are sold with the magic bullet/instant fix
mentality.
Unfortunately, this mentality works against us. We want any sign of
illness to be gone now; we want to feel better immediately. We still
want the magic bullet and we expect our doctors to provide it. We have
created a society in which we don't allow ourselves time off work for
healing - be it merely feeling under the weather or suffering with
chronic conditions. Antibiotics are widely prescribed to get people
back to work or kids back to school fast. This mentality contributes
to making the drug industry the second largest industry in the world.
Medicine is big business. Why? Because it will give you what you want
when you want it - though most often at the expense of your body.
Our current health care system most often offers two options in
treatment: drugs or surgery. All medical treatments boil down to one
or the other.
Drugs don't really heal the body. Rather, drugs merely suppress our
symptoms, which in turn make disease conditions multiply in the body.
Drugs rob us of our health. Multiple diseases mean multiple drugs. I
recently met a woman who was on 12 different medications, none of
which were working anymore. Medicine had no options for her and she
was mystified. She never noticed that the doctors didn't really heal
her body - they medicated it. Drugs are like plugging a hole in the
dam with your finger. Sooner or later you run out of fingers.
The old medical system is one of those backwards social systems
based on the war mentality so prevalent in this world. Drugs and
surgery invade, divide and conquer. Unfortunately, you can't
traumatize and conquer a body and expect it to work correctly. And you
really can't fool Mother Nature. To heal a body, you need to work with
nature, not against her. The magic bullet is just that - a bullet, and
all bullets destroy.
Bodies can be healed. They are self-healing mechanisms. Holistic
health offers thousands of effective treatments. Every alternative
health care practitioner is trying to retrain people out of the magic
bullet/instant gratification mentality. The way to heal a body is to
build health, not destroy illness. Alternative therapies assist the
body by balancing and correcting it, by feeding it natural substances
that enhance its own healing power. Over time, through bodywork and
nutrition, bodies can become powerfully healthy.
Don't expect any alternative healer to heal you in one session.
That's like going to the doctor for the magic bullet. You may have to
do ten acupuncture sessions to correct a condition; you may need to
take herbs, vitamin supplements too. Anyone with a serious health
problem should immediately look at his or her nutrition and stress
level. Choose healing sessions that focus around those issues.
Holistic professionals empower clients to create their own health
protocols. Allow yourself to investigate a variety of therapies and
healers. Believing just one individual or therapy can cure you is
regressing to the magic bullet mentality.
I know of many people who have successfully conquered their health
problems through alternative methods. From working with cancer to
fibromyalgia, people are healing themselves and employing others to
help them. More people than ever before are healing all kinds of
disease through seeking information, educating themselves and
employing trained professionals to help.
The truth is that in our society health costs money. Again, the
medical healthcare system is backwards, for it incorporates 'health
care insurance' as its method of payment. It guarantees that we will
have no debt from the sickness we create through bad health habits.
Our healthcare debts are paid for when our health fails. It should be
called disease insurance instead of health insurance!
True health care insurance - insurance against sickness - would pay
for alternative care treatments so that we would never become sick in
the first place. Imbalances would be corrected before the body
crashed. Prevention would be strongly encouraged. People would take
better care of themselves if they knew they had to pay for their own
cure to their disease!
We have to pay for our health one way or another. We may pay for it
in good foods and yoga class, or in vitamin supplements and trips to
the gym. When we are having a tough time in life, we may want to see
our massage therapist, hypnotherapist or visit an energy medicine
practitioner along with our chiropractor to preserve our health.
It's time to rethink our health care system and review our social
health care beliefs. We need to understand that health has great value
in the quality of our life. Without our health, we cannot be happy. We
need to move away from thinking that insurance will take care of our
disease, that the doctor will fix our problems. In case you haven't
noticed, there is a lot the doctor can't fix! It's time to take back
our health into our own hands.
Jackie Kosednar is a psycho-spiritual therapist, personal
growth trainer, and the publisher of Alaska Wellness Magazine.
She is also the author of the book "One Miracle After
Another." See: www.healingtoby.com
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