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Illness is simply a result of imbalance so the healing process (a<br />
reversal) only really begins when an attempt to restore balance is<br />
made. Masking symptoms with drugs is not true healing.<br />
The Healing Process<br />
When we are sick our only real<br />
concern is to get better fast, but<br />
more important than this should<br />
be learning what the illness is teaching<br />
us. If we can discover the cause of the<br />
illness, whether it be environmental,<br />
dietary, exhaustion, stress or emotional,<br />
then we can discover what is necessary<br />
to do in order to fix the problem and<br />
recover and prevent the illness ever<br />
returning. So, illness is a valuable and<br />
necessary lesson in life, giving us the<br />
chance to stop and reflect and find the<br />
solution to the problem ourselves.<br />
When we become sick our<br />
bodies begin to work to restore the<br />
balance. It is what they are designed<br />
to do. However, when we rely on<br />
medicines, not only does the<br />
body ’s own natural immune<br />
system become lazy and shut<br />
down, but with the symptoms<br />
concealed and life back to normal,<br />
the lesson has not been learned<br />
as the source of the problem was<br />
not confronted.<br />
For the body to recover, it<br />
needs to rebuild and restore its<br />
Qi reserves to combat the<br />
pathogens. Depleted and/or<br />
stagnant Qi leads to a condition in<br />
the first place, so the body must<br />
exchange negative Qi for fresh. In<br />
addition to adequate rest (avoiding<br />
stress) and using food as medicine,<br />
breathing fresh air and using movement<br />
are necessary to increase the flow of fresh<br />
Qi and blood which, in turn, promotes<br />
the healing function.<br />
The body, like a plant, flourishes<br />
under the right conditions. When a<br />
plant’s green leaves wither and become<br />
brown, yellow or spotted, if you move<br />
the plant in time to another location or<br />
replant it in a different pot, it can be<br />
nursed back to health. If a person’s<br />
sickness is caused by deep-seated<br />
unhappiness with work, environment or<br />
relationship, then these conditions must<br />
be changed. Self-medicating or taking<br />
prescriptions to suppress symptoms is<br />
often preferred over changing the<br />
situation, which means dealing with the<br />
unknown which for some is the greatest<br />
fear (“better the devil you know”).<br />
page 18 Qi Magazine Apr/May/June 2007<br />
More people today, however, are<br />
opting to play an active role in their own<br />
healing, seeking alternatives to the sideeffects<br />
of drugs. <strong>Qigong</strong> appeals as it is<br />
part of Chinese Medicine and can often<br />
help provide positive and noticable<br />
effects in a relatively short period of time.<br />
However, in cases of the seriously<br />
sick or terminally ill, there is a natural<br />
tendency for the individual to feel<br />
desperate which creates<br />
impatience and doubt (confused thinking)<br />
with regards to ‘alternative’ therapies,<br />
including <strong>Qigong</strong>. But healing demands<br />
patience and steadfastness. There is no<br />
such thing as a miracle overnight cure.<br />
Since all illness begins small and takes<br />
time to develop, the body must be<br />
allowed to recover a little every day, and<br />
find its own way back to balance. This is<br />
the natural way, and the only way! When<br />
there is no immediate improvement or<br />
if there appears to be a regression,<br />
sufferers tend to become disheartened,<br />
lose direction and give up. During the<br />
healing process there will be good days<br />
and occasionally bad days when Qi (and<br />
spirit) plummets before it<br />
comes back stronger, in the<br />
same way you need to go<br />
down in order to jump up.<br />
Desperation also forces the infirm<br />
to try many therapies at the same time,<br />
for fear of ‘putting all their eggs in one<br />
basket’. Covering one’s bets by following<br />
too many differing treatments can, in fact,<br />
overload the body and cause the Qi to<br />
become confused, disordered and<br />
wasted. It seems paradoxical to relax<br />
when critically ill but it’s imperative<br />
to take it easy and let go of the<br />
stress and anxiety created by the<br />
illness. When the mind is<br />
overworked or anxious, Qi is<br />
squandered instead of<br />
cultivated and so the body<br />
cannot heal satisfactorily as it<br />
remains in a constant state<br />
of unease and tension.<br />
The root of many<br />
illnesses is found within the<br />
heart and mind so this is<br />
where the healing must<br />
begin. Constant feelings of<br />
shame, guilt and hatred (or<br />
self-hatred) can lead to<br />
depression, anxiety and<br />
anger, which disrupt the Qi<br />
of the internal organs. This<br />
can affect the immune<br />
system and eventually<br />
manifests as a physical<br />
symptom.<br />
Actually, every human<br />
being on the planet has some form<br />
of healing to work on, whether<br />
overcoming a physical sickness and injury<br />
or an emotional/spiritual crisis. This is all<br />
karma. The healing process begins when<br />
we make a conscientious effort to<br />
improve our situation and face the<br />
problem head on.<br />
Change (breaking conditioned<br />
patterns of thoughts and behaviour) must<br />
be embraced, pain accepted as part of<br />
the healing process. Patience must be<br />
exercised, and balance, rest and exercise<br />
with breathing maintained for the true<br />
healing potential of the body to be<br />
realised<br />
by Adam Wallace.<br />
adam@qimagazine.com
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