Healing From Within

"We become sick because we act
In sickening ways."
Louis Jourard

Modern medicine is based upon the notion of battle. We battle germs and fight for life. As soon as we feel pain or discomfort, we immediately try to change it. We feel we must conquer

This way of being leads to a never-ending struggle. After one illness or problem is conquered, another arises. Usually we expect the doctor to take control and make us well. We relinquish our part in the illness, deny the fact that it is up to us to stop, listen, and discover the lessons the illness has to teach us.

Healing from within brings inner peace with it. It arises from a different orientation towards all the experiences of life. We are taught to stop, pay attention, to respect what is happening ? to see our pain as a messenger. It is as if we were re-focusing a camera, receiving our experience through a different lens.

Pointer 1 See Your Pain As A Messenger Bringing Important News

Dialoguing With Your Pain

Usually there is a deep sense that when pain arises it is because something is wrong. This is a misunderstanding. Pain arises from lack of balance. It contains much needed information, brings many messages along with it. When we see our pain as a messenger and learn how to really listen to it, healing begins in all kinds of ways.

Some would suggest there is no difference between our physical pain, our illness and the emotional, mental or spiritual suffering we are going through.

Illness often comes when we feel defeated and may not want to struggle or live anymore. Some become ill when they are overly exhausted, which is a way of telling themselves it is time to make changes in their lives. Looking at one aspect of our suffering, we are also inevitably, looking at the next. All aspects are interconnected.

In some cases, for full healing to take place, a person may have to make deep changes in his life. It is important to stop and wonder specifically what the pain is saying to you, to dialogue with the pain, ask fundamental questions of it: "What do you want from me? Why are you here now?"

No matter what we are feeling there is only one pain and it manifests itself in various ways. If we do not address it in one mode, often it will come in another. It can come physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

In whatever form this pain arises, it is extremely empowering to turn directly to our suffering and interact with it. This requires turning around. Instead of tensing up, we learn how to pause and understand there is a lesson here we have to learn. As we do this, we often discover that the pain comes holding a gift in its hands.

Pointer 2 Pain Often Comes Holding A Gift In Its Hands

Each Illness Has Its Own Story

Illness often comes when we feel defeated. We may not wish to struggle anymore. Some people become ill when they are overly exhausted. The illness is the only way they can give themselves permission to stop, rest, and make much needed changes in their lives. Each illness has it's own story. The same is true with psychological or emotional symptoms that grow strong, demanding our attention.

When someone is in physical pain and suddenly understands what is troubling them emotionally, the physical pain often startlingly subsides. For full healing to take place it may be essential to make changes in one's total life. Cancer can be suppressed for many years, and then it returns. When it reappears we must ask, "Why now? What is going on in my total life?"

Sitting In The Middle Of Trouble

During the practice of Zen, students engaged in zazen (Zen meditation), sometimes sit for many hours on the cushion without moving. Sometimes incredible pain arises.

As they continue to do this practice, they gradually become stronger than the pain. They learn to see that most of the pain simply comes from resistance to what's going on. It comes from refusing this very moment.

When we stop fighting, we experience joy. Once we start fighting again, we are cramped into agony.

Pointer 3

The Best Way Out Is The Way In

The Best Way Out

"The best way out is the way in."

Eido Roshi

The best way out is to make friends with the pain. Fighting intensifies it. If we can relax into it for a little while and explore, many new possibilities arise.

Natural healing is always available in all situations, but it can be cut off by fighting and by fear. When we let go and enter the flow of what's going on at the moment, we became available to our greater source of energy, guidance and help.

Brenda Shoshanna, Ph.D, is a psychologist, speaker and well known author who is a long term Zen practitioner. This article is from her new book Living By Zen, (Timeless Truths For Everyday Life) http://www.livingbyzen.com The relationship expert on i.village, she is also the author of of Zen Miracles (Finding Peace In An Insane World,) Zen And The Art Of Falling In Love, (Simon and Schuster) and many other books. You may contact her at topspeaker@yahoo.com. Her personal website is.http://www..brendashoshanna.com

---

Powered by Feedzilla

Contact Us Today For Ad Information...

Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Cheap Domain Names

How You Can Unite Meditation, Divine Essence, And Personal Tenacity to Serve Your Highest Purpose

1. Meditation:Meditation is a sacred practice. Shamans, gurus, priests, medicine... Read More

Meditate with Mindful Breathing

Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.... Read More

A One Minute Meditation

Maybe learning to meditate intimidates you, and in any case... Read More

Stevia 100% Natural Herbal Sweetener

Artificial sweeteners are developed in organic chemistry labs. Stevia grows... Read More

Relaxation Magic - Hypnosis, Meditation, Visualization

Hypnosis, meditation and visualization are three similar processes for accessing... Read More

Practicing Staying Present to the Now

Transformational Counseling is about assisting others to transform their life.... Read More

Bhagavad Gita Commentary

Most of us have heard the story of the centipede... Read More

Meditation: How to Enter a Deep State of Relaxation

There are many methods of meditation that can lead to... Read More

Can Cognitive Fitness Be a Workout for Your Brain?

There is growing interest to exercise your brain using something... Read More

Secrets of Meditation For Better Health

Meditation can improve your health, increase energy levels and maximize... Read More

Lighthearted Meditation: Playing With Mindfulness

I often meet people who say things like, "I've been... Read More

Druids and Meditation

It's pretty obvious that the ancient Druids used several forms... Read More

Active Meditation For Surges In Energy Levels!

When I first started learning about deep breathing exercises and... Read More

Basic Meditation Exercises

(Authors Note: Before reading this you should see my other... Read More

How To Meditate?

We are surrounded by negative forces like jealousy, hatred, fear,... Read More

Tips for Better Meditation

Meditation students often come to me and ask what they... Read More

A Look at Meditation

I've counseled many people from every background and led workshops... Read More

Stress: Guilty As Charged

How To Defend YourselfDo you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed?... Read More

The Art Of Meditation: How Easy Is It?

Meditation is a form of relaxing and a method to... Read More

Embrace Fear and Let Go

Before I started meditating several years ago with CDs using... Read More

Mindfulness and Eating: Divine Desk Dining

Are you stuck eating lunch at your desk again?Lucky you.You... Read More

A Hypnosis Cd - Getting the Most from Them

You should treat the use of a hypnosis cd just... Read More

Understanding Meditation

Meditation has been around for many thousands of years. It... Read More

Full Body Awareness

Now that you're comfortable working with your breath it's time... Read More

Meditation also Gave Me Something else

Some of the greatest benefits for me have been my... Read More