"You ought not to attempt to cure the eyes
without the head, or the head without the body.
So neither ought you attempt to cure the body without the soul.
For the part cannot be well unless the whole is well
and therefore if the head and body are to be well
you must begin by curing the soul."
Plato wrote this wonderful wisdom 2,300 years ago so it's nothing new that we need to treat our soul and spirit as well as treating physical ailments! However, many of us seem to have forgotten this philosophy in our quest for genetic perfection, endless immediate gratification, pain relief with drugs and quick fixes.
You can't have a quick fix. We hardly ever develop 'sudden' illnesses and rarely have instant cures. If we try to treat a body part that has pain, doesn't work well or is diseased, by focusing on it directly , ignoring the fact that humans are a delicate balance of mind, body , heart and soul, we will only ever have temporary success.
As physical therapy students we learned that if we could identify the physical cause of a problem , we could treat it and probably fix it, without knowing or acknowledging any other aspects of their humanity. Obviously, we had to learn people skills and how to handle emotions (theirs and ours) , but we didn't really find that out until after we graduated. There just wasn't enough time to teach us everything.
Twenty years on , I know that most aches and pains, diseases and disorders are an indicator that something is out of balance in that person's life - their soul or spirit is not at peace; something is wrong with their relationship with God, themselves or others; they are unhappy with their jobs; they are angry and hostile. And that the physical symptoms are just a manifestation of that emotional, heart or soul disturbance.
Pay attention to what is out of balance and set about trying to restore that balance. Quickly! Before it’s too late. Reconnect those relationships, they may save your life.
Many traditional practitioners may poo poo this concept - but only if they are deaf and blind! What is bedside manner? What makes a great GP? The ability to listen; to understand; to empathise; to identify the real problem (which rarely needs drugs) and occasionally to offer advice. Sometimes bedside manner alone was enough to start the path to wellness.
We KNOW that social support, love, and caring are critical to combat EVERY disease process known to humans. Virtually every disease (including heart disease) is less likely to occur if a person has someone who loves or cares for them.
Belief in what is wrong with you is often more important than the actual disease process. Beware of believing carte blanche what a practitioner tells you - examine your own inner physician before you accept what anyone else tells you what's wrong with you.
You often know better than they do. It's just you may not know where to look for the answers, or which questions to ask yourself. If you decide you will become well, and you address the real causes of the problem , you probably will.
Conversely, if you decide and are convinced that you are ill, you probably will be even if you weren't! How do you think 'pointing the bone' works in so called 'primitive' cultures? Through absolute belief that if a witchdoctor or other person in authority casts a spell on you , you will die.
So be careful what you believe about yourself - whether these beliefs come from you or someone else.
Choose to believe you are well - or becoming well - and if you know you are not, make the changes to create a state of wellness. For the cynics out there looking for an easy way out, just believing that you will be well as you continue a pointless life of no meaning or purpose, misery , appalling eating and drinking habits , unhappy relationships and no exercise, will help you despite yourself! But not that much!
You can't be really well unless you address all the aspects and needs of your heart , spirit and soul as well as your body , as Plato says; because if you don't , you will only be treating the symptoms. And the source of the problems goes unnoticed. Reconnect with that source and watch your life transform!
Zoot zoot to you all!
