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What is Healing?
In my work over the years as an occupational therapist, I have had to repeatedly rework and adjust my concept of "healing". My formal schooling groomed me to be logical; focusing on concrete and systematic signs of health, recovery, and healing. The answers to health were taught to be clear, evidence based, and focusing almost soley on the mechanical wonders of the physical body. Healing, as I was taught, was to be equated with a lack of illness or disease. Interestingly, for years I didn't seriously question the contributions of emotional well-being, loving social supports, and spiritual resources on a person's ability to heal. I faithfully followed my medical model teachings, and developed my strategies for working with someone who had had a stroke versus a spinal cord injury versus a hip fracture. This made my treatment more expedient and focused, but it was consistently focused on my agenda and allowed me to view the patient as a disease or symptom rather than a human being.

I found that although I was becoming a more "impressive" or "seasoned" therapist, I knew so little about my clients. It didn't make sense to me that a person with a C4 spinal cord injury, destined to a life in a wheelchair and requiring full care for the most basic of tasks - with no chance of "healing" - could be gracious, loving, and joyful in most of his moments. Equally as puzzling was the stroke patient whom I worked with who had the full physical capability in his hand and arm to resume his passion of drumming, yet angrily refused to drum because things weren't "exactly the same as they were before" he had his stroke.

It is my belief that each of us contribute to the health and well-being of each and every person we come in contact with. As we become aware of and begin to release our own patterns of fear, pain, and unforgivenesses, we can then more gracefully sit with another as he or she walks through their own "dark night of the soul" with open ears and heart. I have shifted my focus from attending only to the physical reports and medical data to including the persons state of mind, inner knowings, level of peacefulness, forgiveness, and even gratitude. I have found that this allows me to connect with the clients who cross my path in a more meaningful manner and for me to grow and change as I walk through the fears that they may mirror in me. This allows for the possibility of Healing to occur in those whom may have the most "dismal" of physical conditions, and allows the relationship between the "helper" and "patient" to become a recipricol and mutually enriching experience for all parties involved.

I often end my yoga classes with this loving kindness prayer as a beautiful reminder of our inter-connectedness and inter-dependence:
May we be at peace
May we know the beauty of our own true nature
May our hearts remain open, and
May we be healed-

Namaste,

Diana

 

 

 

 

Want more information? Email diana@dancingsunyoga.com