Modern medicine is based on the concept of battle. We are fighting bacteria and fighting for life. As soon as we feel pain or discomfort, we immediately try to prevent it and look for some way to soothe what we are going through. We feel that we must change our illness or problems, and overcome them with our expertise.
This orientation leads to a never-ending battle with everything that comes our way. After overcoming one disease or problem, another one appears. We live in a state of constant uncertainty where there is little room for peace of mind.
Healing from within brings with it inner peace. It arises from a different orientation to all life experiences. We are taught to stop, pay attention and respect everything that comes our way. It's like refocusing the camera and taking in our experiences through a different lens.
There is usually a deep feeling that pain is wrong and must be removed at all costs. Pain is not bad. Pain arises from a lack of balance and contains a lot of information. It brings with it many messages. When we see our pain as a messenger and learn to respect and listen to it, healing begins in all possible ways.
The first step in healing from within is to learn to see pain as an ally, to learn to "dialogue" with it. For most of us, it seems almost unthinkable.
First, it requires a complete turnaround. Instead of tensing up and preparing for battle, we learn how to stop and understand that there is a lesson to be learned. When we do this, we find that the pain or problem often comes with a gift in its hands.
Illness often comes when we feel defeated. Maybe we don't want to fight anymore. Some people get sick when they are too exhausted. Illness is the only way they can give themselves permission to stop, rest, and make much-needed changes in their lives. Every disease has its own story. The same is true for psychological or personal problems that grow stronger and require our attention.
When someone is in physical pain and suddenly understands what is bothering them, the physical pain often goes away. For complete recovery to occur, it may be necessary to make changes in a person's overall life. Cancer can be suppressed for many years and then come back. When it reappears, we have to ask, “Why not? What's going on in my complete life?"
"We become sick and start acting in an abominable way,"
Louis Jourard:
We are all experts at brushing things under the rug. Then the carpet starts to bunch up in the corners and we feel like we're peeling off. During illness, the body rebels. It is challenging for us to pay attention to anything unattended. Maybe we pushed ourselves too long. Now our body is poisoned. Stop and listen to me, she begs me. When we learn how to listen and how respond, a whole new life begins. Then pain and illness become opportunities for fundamental change.
We learn to listen:
We usually only listen to a part of ourselves. The rest is rejected. But no matter what we reject, sooner or later we have to stand up against it and face it head-on.
Rejecting something over and over never makes it go away. It will come back again and again just for you to accept it. Everything needs to be loved and accepted, including our sickness and pain. The best way is to make friends with pain. Combat intensifies it. If we relax into it for a moment and explore it, there are many possibilities. Natural healing is always available in all situations, but it can be interrupted by struggle and fear. When we let go and allow ourselves to speak to the pain and listen to what it is telling us, incredible changes can happen.
To do this, we simply close our eyes, stop fighting, and ask our pain, what is it telling us, what does it need from us right now? Then we get very quiet and listen deeply. The answer may not come immediately. Patience is needed. As we do this process over and over, the fear diminishes and we begin to hear.
The answers come in different ways. Some hear the answers inside. Others see images, some have dreams. We learn to be open to whatever comes, and in that openness, we learn.
Exercises:
Look at your disease or problem now. Imagine it inside and give it some shape. how does it look for you? Describe or draw. Now take a deeper look at what the image means. What does this picture tell you about yourself and the life you lead? Listen carefully.
Next, ask the image any questions you may have and let it answer you. (Ask what he wants from you and what he needs to be gone). See if you can give him what he needs.
This attitude is called friendship with pain. When we do this, illness does not become something foreign and scary. We will better understand what the real causes are.
For example, if we've been sad for too long and haven't cried enough, our bodies may start crying for us because of the illness we're going through. If we feel that life has no meaning, our bodies may begin to show this by shrinking and dying. If we have held difficult postures, our bodies will bear them. Persistent negative attitudes become wounds to our whole selves.
Our attitudes are the messages we give to our bodies. Although we may not realize it, if we feel that life is a dirty battle, we are telling our bodies to tense up with shame all day. Once we begin the crucial work of taking responsibility and changing our attitudes, our whole body can begin to experience constant lightness instead of nausea. We need to look at the basic attitudes we live with and ask ourselves, are they beneficial to our health, or do they contain the very seeds of pain?
To heal from within, it is essential to master these long-term patterns, see them, and change them into attitudes and patterns that are productive for well-being. Health comes from learning to say yes to all of our experiences and being willing to experience them as they are. Wellness comes from the balance and harmony of all parts of ourselves.
When we are well, we feel whole, accepting, and in harmony with ourselves and the world in which we live. Like a stream of fresh water, this state of being flows day after day of constant refreshment and healing.
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