As I said in an earlier blog “Healing versus cure, I think when you are open to healing, it doesn’t matter which therapy that you choose, they will all work. Healing is an inside job, which any therapy can support, but not effect on it’s own.
There is growing acceptance of the mind-body link, but I will add the spiritual dimension as well and think of mind, body and spirit as all being connected. Spirit can provide some difficulty as not everyone can identify as being a “spiritual” person. But I remember some-one who described themselves as spiritual with no religious or esoteric belief. Their sense of spirituality came from the joy of watching a sunset. So I think spirit is wide in terms of how it can be experienced. For some it is practising a religion, or some other type of belief whether that be new age or psychic work, but for others it is a deep appreciation for something that is tangible with their five senses, but still beyond themselves, their physical bodies and machinations of their minds.
As mind, body and spirit are interconnected, if we can appreciate that interconnection and not seek to separate them, then it does not matter which level we start at. Whichever level we practise at, will feed into the others. For me healing is not linear, it goes backwards and forwards and round. And at different pinch points in my life I have started at different levels.
What I put next is based on my own experiences and for illustration and is not intended as medical advice.
How can each level work?
Spiritual
For me this has been Reiki, meditation, occasionally prayer and spending time with nature. All involve a certain level of letting go and seeing beyond whatever it is that is bothering me. There is something bigger picture about this. Answers don’t always come immediately, but when we are prepared to stand still they will come when we are ready. There is little that is tangible about these approaches and all require some faith in that which we cannot see.
But when we can become still, the steady stream of sometimes quite unhelpful thoughts can stop, or that very least we can become an observer of them and be able to become more objective. In that place the spiritual approach can help the mind begin to heal and also the body. There is evidence that meditation can have physical benefits such as a reduction in blood pressure and can improve the thickness of the grey matter in our brains, which is the stuff we think with. The deep relaxation of Reiki can also have physical benefits. How often do we just allow ourselves to lie completely still and let go for an hour outside of sleep?
When we become more aware and still, we can be the watcher within, more sensitive to our body’s cues and what it needs, what we need at any given time.
There are many ways we can connect with our spiritual side, whether that is joining a meditation group, having a Reiki treatment or getting out in nature. For others it might be getting in touch with their creativity, and looking at therapeutic arts and crafts. There are lots of ways.
Body
Whatever we aim to do in this life, our bodies are the vehicles that take us through, and maybe need more care and respect than many of us give them. Stress and trauma are often stored in the body. The body doesn’t lie. No matter what I try and tell myself, my body will tell the truth.
I am currently reading the work of Gabor Mate, and he provides compelling evidence that our bodies do not exist in isolation of our minds or of our environment. To heal we need to appreciate the interconnectedness. Eating well and exercising will definitely help, but done alone may not take us over the line. I remember back in the trying to conceive days going on all sorts of fertility diets and having a gnawing sense that doing so was like buying the bricks, but not actually building the house. In other words, eating right was a start, but more was needed.
Working with the body can provide information that we might not be consciously aware of, or trying to ignore. The tight and knotted bits when we’re on the massage table, telling the story that maybe we have been hunched at our desks for too long, or maybe we didn’t stretch out enough after exercise. Where is it tight, where are we holding on?
I have an amazing Alexander technique teacher who I have been seeing for many years. Every treatment involves some time lying on the bench in a state of allowing. It’s very insightful when my body yields and when it refuses.
I also find yoga very helpful for re-inhabiting the body. Not only does it help with suppleness and strength, but if we can go beyond this it is an hour or so where we can really be present in our bodies, and indeed yoga means union, union of the mind, body and spirit.
Mind
This is the toughest one for me. The mind can be a great tool when used well, but it can wreak havoc when it’s given too much of a free rein. I think it is through the mind that we are aware of things and interact with the world, so we need a mind. It is the way we consciously experience life. The ongoing challenge is using the mind wisely. We all have different approaches here. For me it is working on the spiritual level and getting in touch with my body that I keep my mind in check. I don’t always succeed, and sadness about the past and fear for the future can hijack my efforts. The best medicine I have so far is to work to be present. I can’t remember who said it to give credit, but it feels right… healing takes place in the present, the present moment will heal you if you allow it. That involves a certain amount of letting go, which isn’t always easy, but we can always try. Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now” provides a lot of insight into how the mind can be used more wisely by focussing on the present moment.
I’m going to finish this blog with a concept from Gabor Mate’s “The myth of normal “ – when we are in pain we look for a prescription , something to take or do that will alleviate our pain, and possibly cure us. A prescription is something outside of ourselves, usually decreed by some-one else who we view as wiser and knowing better. Don’t get me wrong, prescriptions definitely have their place and are sometimes very necessary, but to heal and become whole requires a transformation inside of ourselves, something another person cannot do on our behalf. Others can be supportive and assist us in this, but ultimately we do the work ourselves.
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