Modern approaches to holistic healing often include the integration of two or three disciplines. For example, Chinese Medicine and traditional Western allopathic medicine may be used in conjunction. Or not only the body, but also the mind and spirit can be addressed. This is a good first step. But true holistic healing is something much deeper. It lies far beyond the grasp of any set of modalities, disciplines, or perspectives. It has more to do with the state of awareness of the practitioner.
I remember once when a man came to me suffering from lower back pain. He had been to a myriad of healers, including allopathic M.D.’s, psychotherapists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, chiropractors, Ayurvedic physicians – even hands-on energy healers and psychics. No one helped him. I took one look at him and his problem seemed obvious to me. His pelvis was tipped in a way that made it clear that a couple of muscles were tight. I asked him to lie down on the table and I reached into his abdominal area and touched those muscles. They were like steel bands. I gradually worked with them until they felt more normal and healthy. He stood up from the table and his pain was gone. He was amazed.
Instead of having a handful of memorized techniques and approaches from different disciplines, I simply viewed my client innocently from within myself. As a result, his difficulty was self-evident. The problem was that the practitioners he had been to were trying to fit him into their box. If their “holistic” models did not directly address his problem, they were unable to see it. They had tried everything from pain killers to rebuilding chakras, but the level upon which his difficulty needed to be addressed eluded them.
The important point here is that no number of models will ever address all of the possible scenarios and realities. Deep within every individual is a vast reservoir that holds not only all known realities, scenarios, models, and techniques, but even more importantly, the infinite number that are currently unknown. By tapping into that place within, the proper approach is accessed. This is called creativity. There is far too little of it in the world today.
It is not uncommon for an individual to come up with a creative thought and spend the rest of their life in service of it. This is often the case with particular healing modalities. The next great step in human evolution is for every moment to be a creative one. In the case of healing, known modalities are employed, not by virtue of indoctrination, but because the practitioner sees from within himself that it is a modality suiting this particular client at this particular time.
This approach is not something that can be taught in a conventional manner. It is developed by increasing the awareness of the individual. Much of that work involves freeing the practitioner from their current indoctrination and identity with their modalities of choice. It is not that those modalities are of no value, it is merely that the practitioner must be able to see beyond their limitations. Once that is attained, the true meaning of holistic healing is known. It lies far beyond current notions. What seems wise, profound, and even remarkable then becomes a simple matter of common sense.
Common sense comes in degrees. Greater levels of common sense viewed through the eyes of those who do not have it, make no sense. Common sense is not a black and white thing. It’s not that you have it or you don’t. Again, it comes in degrees. Whatever level of common sense you currently have, know that it can be developed further. Degrees of common sense higher than the norm are called wisdom.
© Michael Mamas, 7/06
