 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
||
| The Only Way Out is Through | |
| The Only Way Out Is Through By Dr. Barry S. Weinberg |
|
|
In our anticipation of the light of day, we must first pass through the dark of night. In our longing for the beauty and warmth of spring, we must first traverse the cold of winter. Accordingly, as we grow towards health and ease, we often experience dis-ease and pain. Do we shun the night? Do we curse the winter? Of course not. So why do we curse our pain? Pain serves a very important and vital function: Pain alerts us to a part of our self that has become separate, forgotten, shamed or harmed. The word "health" comes from the old English word hal or whole. Health is the state of being whole. Dis-ease is the state of being separate. When something is a part...it is apart. If you are to be healthy - whole - you must acknowledge every aspect of your self, no matter how uncomfortable, painful, ugly, or embarrassing. When you experience pain, a part of you is alerting you that it is separate from the whole. The common approach to deal with the hurt part is to further separate - alienate - it by removing its voice through medications, therapies or other "numbing" practices. In the long term, this creates further separation and ultimately, dis-ease and death. To experience complete healing, you must acknowledge your hurt parts. How do you do this? By totally and completely being with it. Place your attention there. Surrender to it. Breathe into it. Move it. Allow yourself to feel it completely, in spite of the discomfort you may feel. By placing your full attention on the hurt part, you let it know that it is part of the whole. You are remembering the part...that is, re-member-ing it. With this attention, miracles happen. The pain begins to subside. Its voice has been heard. It has once again become a part of the whole. It is healed. I do this with my patients, and it works manificently. When a patient expresses to me that they have a headache or their back and neck hurts, rather than treating the symptom...(or tell them that I am sorry but I do not treat symptoms)... I tell them, "Great, a part of you that is separate and hurt is letting you know that it is there. Let's welcome it back." I then tell them to put their full attention on the part. I ask them to allow themselves to be with whatever is present and breathe into the area. I send them home with the same instructions. They always return the next visit telling me how much better they feel. Healing is not about feeling better...it is about being able to better feel! The only reason pain goes on and on and on, is that the voice of the part is not being heard...so it yells louder and louder and louder, until either it is listened to or it is silenced. In healing, avoidance, denial and neglect never work. In healing, there must be acknowledgement, attention, and acceptance, eventually leading to appreciation, at-one-ment, and awe. Always remember, you can never have a happy ending with a miserable journey. Since the only way out is through...you might as well enjoy the ride. |