Healing the Physical Body
with Holistic Awareness

By Elizabeth Erenberger

When the body cries out, experiencing injury or illness which demand our attention; we are being offered an opportunity to heal ourselves on many levels. If we have the means, we often go straight to the medical doctor with our ailments, seeking immediate relief.  Patients and practitioners alike are often quick to mask the issue with pharmaceuticals, inevitably prolonging the symptoms and healing process.

As we study and integrate the philosophies and practices of metaphysics into our lives, we begin to see the importance of addressing the deeper more psychological and spiritual aspects of our inner workings alongside our medical treatments. We begin to see that the body-mind is not made up of separate parts, creating pain or dysfunction for no particular reason. We are reminded that it is the integration of systems, the interconnectedness of the whole which is so specific to human health, happiness and well-being.

I once had my acupuncturist tell me that she often suggests to her clients that it is not self-serving to interpret chronic symptoms as just a product of old age. She is speaking to the theory that when our bodies cry out, there is a message for us. She is speaking to the theory that any part of ourselves neglected, or abandoned will eventually atrophy or become flaccid and vulnerable. Many people accept old age as a time of giving up on the physical body. Metaphysics asks us to understand the deep inner workings of our body as a holistic being. We begin to unfold the network which connects the sub-conscious to the conscious, the intangible to the tangible. We begin to understand our own power to initiate, influence, and support our own healing process.

Trauma, grief, anger and fear are all very natural human emotions we are sure to experience throughout our colorful lifetimes. However, if we are left to sort through our own emotions feeling unsupported, these feelings can become stuck or stagnant within the bodies postures, systems, meridians or chakras. Often when we open ourselves to receiving holistic healing work, practitioners can detect places where the “energy” has stopped moving or may be moving sluggishly. Energy moves through the body in many ways and we do see from modern research and ancient modalities alike, that different systems can be traced to certain emotions. For example, grief is often manifested in our lungs and respiratory system while anger shows up in our digestion or as irritable bowels. As we open to this interpretation we begin to understand the importance of not stuffing down or ignoring our emotions. Cancers, viruses and infections take on new meaning.

Blood flow, digestion, breath, skin health and the nervous system are all things we often take for granted until it all goes wrong. When symptoms find their way to the surface, it is time to double the self-care and tune into the deeper self. When injury occurs it is extra important that we slow down and give our bodies the attention and rest they need to heal gracefully.

Drinking extra water, engaging in self-massage or other physical therapy, revisiting proper nutrition habits and getting plenty of rest will help to ensure a timely healing and rehabilitation. As students and teachers of the benefits of metaphysics we have a responsibility to our own spiritual evolution and healing process. Our bodies are sacred vessels which deserve our love and appreciation. By honoring the signals our bodies provide us we begin to build a dialog about what is truly beyond our control, and that which is within our means. We begin to feel empowered and realize our inate ability to affect our own health and healing.