Who
Gets Well: The Old Story
by Barbara D. Allan
Author of Conquering Arthritis
This newsletter is the third in a series on the whys
and hows of emotional, mental, and spiritual healing.
Over the years, I have spoken with many people who
either have, or once had, arthritis. One of the most
striking things about those who are able to completely
heal themselves is that they have integrated emotional,
mental, and spiritual healing with their attention to
their physical bodies. This has reinforced my own knowing
that, with an illness as difficult as arthritis, it
is generally mandatory to address the body but that
alone isn't enough.
This week's newsletter explores how changing your mind
can heal your body.
The Importance of Dropping the
Old Story
The stories we tell ourselves affect our bodies. Change
your story and you can change your life. Last December
I had my left ear to the phone during a three way phone
conversion when some ugly things were said between the
other two people. I clearly remember saying to myself,
'I don't want to hear any more of this.' By the next
day, I had an ear infection and could not hear anything
out of that ear.
I eventually went to the doctor who prescribed a 10
day course of antibiotics. They didn't help. The pain,
pressure, and hearing loss continued.
Finally, more than two weeks later I was recounting
the event to one of my teachers and realized what I
had done. As a remedy I choose to go home and immediately
put myself into a forgiveness ceremony. As I forgave
myself for having made that choice not to hear, I felt
an immediate shift within the blocked ear. Within ½
hour it had drained and I could hear again.
Forgiveness
What stories do you tell yourself that might be contributing
to your arthritis? In a difficult moment, perhaps you
told yourself something like 'I can't stand this' or
'I quit.'
The problem comes from the body taking things literally.
If it hears 'I can't stand' it may take you literally
and make it difficult to stand. If it hears 'I quit'
it may create a condition that will force you to quit.
The more emotionally charged the situation,
the more drastically the body responds.
To heal from arthritis, you need to release the emotional
charge holding the old story in place and drop the old
limiting story.
How do you do that? Go back in your mind to the moments
in which you made the problematic declarations. Be particularly
sensitive to the time periods immediately before, during
or after you developed arthritis and to any periods
when your arthritis suddenly became worse. What was
going on then? What stories were you telling yourself?
What declarations did you make?
If the declaration was 'I can't stand this,' then imagine
yourself standing up, standing strong, standing tall.
Don't worry about changing anyone else. Just concentrate
on how to hold your space or, if necessary, how to walk
away from an unacceptable situation
still firmly in possession of yourself and your ability
to stand.
Then forgive yourself for dealing with the situation
by abandoning yourself, instead of standing firmly within
your own power. Allow yourself to feel any emotions
that come up. Allow yourself to cry if you need to.
Allow yourself to make a new, more empowering choice
now. Lock this new choice in by imaging yourself in
the old situation, but this time in your power.
Next: New
Choices
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