Introduction: A New World
We are creating a new world every day. Every single day so much change occurs in our world – from climate change to technological evolution, and of course the evolution of us humans. A new time calls for a new way to see the world. We are here to evolve!
Acknowledging our current state of existence, clearly we require some re-evaluation. This includes the state of our bodies and minds, our communities and our planet. This does not mean we have to trade anything in or upgrade any material item. It simply means...
if you haven’t been willing to try on a different perspective – now is the time to test the waters.
Our physical health holds obvious importance, and at the time of this writing – coronavirus in full global pandemic – that importance is becoming even more prioritized. Modern science has its approaches that are important and sometimes crucial to rescuing our health. However, while the notion of addressing the root cause of any unhealthy state instead of the symptoms is becoming increasingly widespread, one thing that many people still have yet to try is to discover within.
If you’re one of those people – maybe a skeptic, or a rationalist, or maybe its scary to think about or simply unfamiliar – I’ll bet you’re thinking, “Great, another blogger trying to save the world with some hippy-dippy s#*t, telling me that it’s all in my head.” Well, you’re partly right. But I don’t think it’s all specifically in your head. Illness, disease and injury are all very real things that can affect daily life.
I am here to tell you that, whether chronic or acute, these issues are trying to tell you something!
Sometimes it takes a little digging, and sometimes what you discover is just the tip of the iceberg.
So why do any digging at all? Why should we as humans take the opportunity illness or injury have to offer?
Because: for a reason unique to you, this opportunity has presented itself.
Did you know that illness could be seen as a positive thing?
We often have a negative inner dialogue when it comes to anything that stops us from living out our “plan.” We plan to go on vacation but injure our knee. We plan to celebrate our birthday with friends but get the flu. We plan on working out 3 times a week but the air pollution is bad and our asthma acts up. There’s a natural and, in our culture, almost expected, “Ah, man” response. Ensue complaints, pain, frustration, grumpiness and tension…
(A little side note: any thought you have eventually comes back to you vibrationally as an experience).
Illness, injury and dis-ease (henceforth to be collectively called “dis-ease” for ease of reading and writing) do not need to be viewed as negative. Just as we have night and day, asleep and awake, inhale and exhale, we also have states of homeostasis in our bodies as well as states of change. In this blog, you’ll learn new ways to understand the psychosomatic process of dis-ease and new ways to navigate.
Illness is Transformation
I first heard the hyphenated term “dis-ease” in what is now essentially my health bible – a book called 14 Day Herbal Cleansing by Laurel Vukovic, published in 1997. It refers to the fact that any ailment is, at its root, caused by a lack of harmony, or ease.
To understand this idea, we have to acknowledge that, whether we want to or not, we are here evolving. Just like everything else on this magical planet, we grow and change (hopefully for the better!). Specifically, our minds change. Each interaction, each little drop of stimulation our senses receive, gets processed (or sometimes doesn’t) so that we can understand the world better, relate to the world better, adapt to the world better, and be happier and more fulfilled.
Things like meditation, journaling, contemplation and therapy are all helpful for processing the sensory overload we’re often bombarded with – from things we see on the media to relationships to things we notice while driving…
if we do not take the time to actively participate in processing new information and stimuli, it gets backed up, and dis-ease often follows...
resolution rarely truly attainable with symptom-addressing medicines. This dis – ease could culminate as something as simple and common as stress or hypertension, acne or constipation. If we are not taking time to recalibrate, something of chronic nature usually appears.
I’ve noticed that even when we do take time to process the outer events of our lives and evolve our character or beliefs accordingly, there often is a shift in the body as well. Sometimes our minds open, beliefs change, and our bodies follow right away and we feel a pleasant release. Other times, the body changes more slowly than the mind and sometimes needs a more pointed release.
This is how I usually view dis-ease within myself. Whether it’s an illness or injury, I think of my body as going through a quantum shift. And during this shift, the old physical cells of my body that correspond to the old outdated mindset must be purged in one way or another. If I cut myself while cooking, I think of it as a type of blood letting.
As if the energy of the old mindset, or the past pain I’ve been processing or whatever mental/emotional/spiritual change I’ve made, has congealed in those blood cells, and the cut is my body releasing that energy.
I love to sing, and whenever I get a chest cold that stops me from singing, I think of it as my voice maturing, or adapting. Evolving. A friend of mine once offered the viewpoint that mosquito bites are nature’s acupuncturists! Injury – when physical tissue is uprooted and regrown, or illness – when our inner tissues become inflamed – that heating process, that evolutionary process, is a piece of a total human evolution.
The mind and body are not just connected. They are both equal aspects to a whole human experience. They operate as one unit. It makes perfect sense to me that if the human mind is evolving, the human body will follow. Any distortion between mind and body, any lack of fluency or harmony, will arise as dis-ease. Therefore, dis-ease does not need to be seen as a burden or punishment. Rather, it can be seen as an opportunity (with a little introspection) to become more whole; more at peace with oneself and the world.
How this translates to Best Practices while sick or injured
So what can we do to implement and test out this theory? You are the scientist; your Self, the lab. First off, when you are ready to address an ailment, take some time to rest, pause and heal. Take a day (at least!) to step back and look at the recent changes you’ve made in your life. Figuratively stepped on too many toes and realized it, now you broke your toe physically? Acknowledge it.
Reflect on the part of your body that is injured or unwell. What makes it significant to you? Is it a repeated occurrence?
Is there a belief or mindset attached to that place or pain in your body? How is its process of injury/healing related to the emotional/mental/spiritual processes going on in your body and mind?
Another one of my favorite things to do when I am healing is to use herbs and drink tea! Herbs and plants have perfected the balance between being and feeling. They absorb solar rays from our sun and the cosmos at large and have been cultivated by humans for millennia to help you heal. Often what heals the body ailment will heal the mental/emotional as well. Ingesting herbs gives our bodies a physical boost, and herbs also inspire certain types of thoughts. Licorice root, for example, is believed to impart joy, according to David Frawley’s The Yoga of Herbs. It also soothes and heals the lungs, a primary energetic site for fear and grief. The act and art of making tea is also a nice activity when you’re not well but want to do something besides binge on Netflix and auto-scroll social media.
Finally, do your best to own it. Don’t complain. Don’t project. Don’t get grumpy with the people around you. Ask for help when you need it, but do your best to take care of yourself and put your energy, attention and time into yourself.
Conclusion: Understanding
This idea of illness as being perceived as a positive opportunity may be very new and very strange or even off putting. It’s ok. Try the idea on like a new pair of sunglasses – a new lens to see through. If you do get sick or become injured, or are ready to look deeper into a chronic illness, think about how this experience is an opportunity to become a better person – who is that person?
It’s also good to note that this idea can be applied to any area of life that feels out of balance, uncomfortable or trigger-ful.
This current quarantine-time the whole world is experiencing is a perfect opportunity to practice this. How is this making me a better person? What is the lesson here? Write your findings! Journaling is a great way to process information that arises through this inner investigation, and a great way to reflect on how much you’ve grown.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments!
Happy Healing!
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