In the last post we discussed the relationship between Healing and Medicine, what these terms really mean and ultimately whether healing is actually the goal in a true and complete practice of medicine. The discussion was mostly theoretical and, while compelling, did not really tell us how to practically address moving from a state of healing and focus on the past, to freedom and evolution and the creation of our own future.
There are as many ways to do this as there are people alive but humans do share many common patterns of behaviour, themes of struggle, and physical manifestation of stress. The good news about this is that we can apply some common principles to treatment methods that may be catalytic for the transformation of most humans. Of course, working one-on-one with a practitioner means that the literal application of techniques used will be unique and tailored to each patient, but we needn't get too complicated in our approach in order to open the field for real and lasting change to take place.
The approach is actually very simple. In essence, we are not trying to force anything to change, we are simply working at removing what is not true. Falsehoods appear in both physical and psychological forms. In the mind, it is beliefs we took on from our parents, the culture we grew up in, our schools and society, and external sources in general. These are beliefs which have not been thoroughly examined and which create limitations and inhibit us for pursuing what is meaningful to us. It may also appear as emotions that would be normal, healthy responses to happenings in life, but which do not resolve and move through us, persisting on and on.
In our body this manifests as stagnation which will show up as pain and reduced function in organs and physiological processes that don't resolve with conventional treatment methods, or seem to improve and resurface repeatedly.
If a patient has identified that they just don't feel right in their life, that there is something more that is being asked of them, or that they just can't get better from ongoing illness no matter how many treatment modalities they pursue, they may just find their way into an office or filling out an enquiry form for the type of practice that I'm discussing here. They may still believe they are looking for another pill, herb or workshop that will reduce their anxiety, help them sleep, and give them more energy, but deep down in their unconscious they are being asked to pivot into much larger transformation of who they are and how they are in the world.
Much can be addressed through the more western psychological route first if the practitioner can help identify the right questions to pose and land the statements that will unsettled the looping thoughts and beliefs currently running the show. While it's important to reveal themes and patterns that stem from our early life conditioning, it is more imperative to find out what it is the patient actually wants, and what they are truly called to do here- despite all of the loss and consequences that surely come from taking such a risk.
In other patients, the mind is not quite ready to have an honest conversation, or the physical stagnation creates so much discomfort that it must be addressed first. This is when acupuncture and herbal medicine are extremely useful. They don't require battling through the barriers of belief and denial and will bypass the mental faculties right to the areas where years of fear and negative experiences have been repressed and are accumulating, impeding on the healthy flow and integration within the body, and the Self. These areas can literally be broken up, dissolved, moved along, finally opening up communication between organs, and between our own conscious and unconscious selves. The patient begins to be rushed with renewed blood and oxygen, with insight, with what is True. The stagnant falsehoods are better moved along, transported and excreted. We didn't necessarily add in any magic tonic or potion, but simply assisted in ridding the body and mind of what it isn't. And the truer state is revealed. They can begin to tune in with more clarity, to answer the big questions honestly, and to identify where fear and anxiety and showing up in such sneaky and compelling ways.
This is when the patient moves out of their very personal story of healing, their constant resolution of the past- and begins the process of greater evolution. They are free from the falsehoods and can pursue what is good and true for them. They can start developing a less fear-based relationship with ambiguity, moving from the certainty of the past into the necessary unknown of creating a meaningful future for themselves. The beauty is that this can be done even in the face of extreme chronic illness or injury. In fact, these ailments can be catalysts themselves to pursue freedom at any cost.
If you're getting the knock at the door, it can only be ignored for so long.