Holistic Health Newsletter

Fall 2004

After many years in this business, it has been my experience time and again that healing occurs on three basic levels: The physical, the energetic, and the spiritual. For true healing to take place, ideally all three should be addressed. And to the degree that any one is left incompletely handled, the potential for recurrence will continue to exist in some form. The following is a summary explanation of each level, with some suggestions for practical application.

Physical Level

The obvious first level to be addressed is the physical. In the circumstance of physical illness or injury, reality dictates that we get stitched up, bones set, bleeding stopped, or infection under control. This is the emergency stuff and this is where our modern, allopathic (symptom suppressing) medical system shines. We could refer to it as

emergency medicineand not be wrong.

But once the immediate crisis is handled (should your departure from wellness go that far), we need to make sure the body has what it needs to take over its natural function of self-healing. The body is always trying to achieve homeostasis; the exact and proper balance as dictated by its DNA. If we give it what it needs, it will do just that. The proper nutrients in the form of food, fresh juices, herbs, and high quality supplements are all demonstrated to go a long way toward fast forwarding the healing process. A good example of this is the liver, which during any stress to the body does its utmost to keep hormones balanced, digestion and enzyme production continuing, and detoxification moving along. Some of what it needs for this is iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, sulfur, and zinc -all in adequate supply. Conversely, if it is not supplied with what it needs, it limps along doing a less that optimal job, quite simply because it is under fueled. So adequate nutrition, and maybe some therapeutic doses of herbs and/or vitamins are in order when the body is healing.

Another modality not to be taken lightly is chiropractic. Making sure all your central nervous system connections are properly aligned and connected can make or break the healing process. This is not just applicable to accidents either. Infections, the flu, immunity issues, all are improved with proper alignment. And when you are not properly aligned, you are always somewhat at risk until the problem is handled. (With cold and flu season upon us, this is a good time to get adjusted as part of your immune strengthening program.)

Energetic Level

Next to consider is the energetic level. Here we are dealing with the subtle energy pathways (meridians) and the mental/emotional influences on it. This would also encompass what is often called the mind/body connection. Blockages on this level are just as real as blockages in the central nervous system and they must be addressed for true healing to occur. Once the immediate emergency situation has been safely dealt with, and the necessary fuels provided, we can begin to address the

power lines to re-establishing homeostasis in the area and throughout the body. This will result in the body taking all the steps it just naturally knows how to take. The energetic body is the one an acupuncturist deals with, and though seeing an acupuncturist is usually helpful, it is not always necessary. The energy, or chi, moves through all parts and organs of the body via pathways known as meridians. Clearing these pathways removes blockages regardless of their sources, including those resulting from mental or emotional involvements. EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique- is a form of energy psychology that I use in my practice. It can work wonders in the mind/body area, and its limits are still being explored. It’s been demonstrated to be effective even with such tough nutsas cancers, obesity, diabetes, and periodontal disease. Alone, or with acupuncture, it can be used to speed healing by maximizing the flow of chi to any area of the body and removing any blockages.

Two other effective energetic tools are flower essences and homeopathy. With flower essences, you use a tincture of various flowers, made according to specific procedures which preserve the unique energetic charge of each flower. The decision of what to use with whom and under what circumstances is made after an in depth investigation as to the unique traits of the individual being helped. The matching of traits, flower and person, is where the art and education come in. To succeed on a regular basis it takes knowledge and practice. Bach Rescue Remedy is probably the most famous flower essence, and I can personally endorse its effectiveness.

A similar tool, but much better known, is homeopathy. It also works on the level of energetic charge, and is based on the theory that

like cures like. A professional homeopath also does an in depth interview and then, based on their extensive education and expertise, recommends a remedy.

In my practice I very successfully use EFT to handle the energetic level and teach it to all clients willing to learn. But I have effectively used and am a very big fan of acupuncture, homeopathy, and flower essences, and will refer people to others more expert in these fields when the situation warrants.

Now, if you are looking for something you can do to develop this aspect of yourself by yourself, I’ve seen many happy practitioners of Tai Chi and Qigong improve their health and well being through their practice of these energetic exercises. Learning either would go along way to making you more causative in creating your own good health, or in healing any departure from it.

Spiritual Level

Closely related to the energetic level, but definitely a separate category, is the spiritual aspect of healing. We are not our undesirable condition or our thoughts about it, we are the experiencer of it. On this level, we acknowledge the reality that we are in our given condition and accept it. But ideally we do not

identify with it. Every moment is the culmination of everything that came before. But we exist outside of the moment and when we realize this, we can get out of the way of our own healing and let the moment(s) pass more easily. When we fail to do this, and we identify with our condition, especially an illness or injury, we resist it, or fight against it, and consequently may cause it to linger. Many times this is accompanied by an unconscious desire to use our condition in someway: to blame, make wrong, get sympathy/love, or maybe escape some situation we don’t consider there to be a reputable way out of. Dealing with the spiritual aspect means assuming responsibility for and owning our condition, no matter the temporal circumstances ostensibly seen to have causedit. (Was it that pesky germ? – or was it your predisposition to being ill?)

There are a variety of ways to approach this level, but the most time honored has to be meditation. I find it very fruitful to combine EFT with meditation. But whatever path resonates best with you is the one you should be on. Whatever you choose, it is my opinion that this should be an ongoing pursuit for all of us: a practice that leads us out of our usually mind dominated state to one wherein we can experience who we really are, outside of and minus the continuous

mind chatter that we often mistake for our true self. Just as we exercise our physical body, when we exercise this awareness, of who we are outside of mind and body, it will strengthen and grow and give us the most powerful tool for health and healing that we have at our disposal. With practice and increased awareness, we can also then learn to spot when we become spiritually predisposedto accident, illness, or injury, and short circuit that process.

So there you have it: Three areas to address in the event of any departure from an ideal state of wellness. Ignore any one, and you will to some degree be inhibiting your own healing. Address all three on a regular basis and you’ll go along way to ensuring a continuous run of good health.

I wanted to remind you of these three factors especially now, as we enter the season of sniffles and worse. The flu shot people are gearing up and I guess this is just my way of contributing to keeping the universe balanced.

Be Well,
Jean Franklin PhD