"Whatever is good for me is good for everyone else."
-My new mantra
Yesterday I went to see my friend, Genevieve, for an energy clearing session. I felt much lighter afterwards.
I have learned over the years that many people who are not healers in some capacity expect that any health professional can take care of all their own health needs, i.e., if a health professional "really knows" what they are doing, they should not need anyone else's help. If someone were to have that assumption, they might wonder why I would need an energy clearing. After all, I do chakra balancing and energy healing for other people. Couldn't I just do it for myself too?
The answer to that question lies in pathology, the process by which disease occurs in the body. In the West, we are accustomed to separating the mind and the body. We think of psychiatric medicine as being separate from physical medicine. In Ayurvedic models of illness, the mind and the body are not separate. After all, the brain lives in the body and runs all of its functions. What happens in the mind affects the body, and what happens in the body affects the mind. Therefore, whenever we have an imbalance of any kind, both mind and body are involved.
Further, the mind cannot perceive itself. No matter how hard we try, we cannot be completely objective about our own condition. In order to get accurate and objective treatment for imbalances of any kind, it is important to involve someone outside of ourselves. There is a lot of self-healing that can take place, but we cannot perceive ourselves in the way that another health practitioner can. For complete healing to take place, we need someone who can observe us and tell us the things that we ourselves are incapable of seeing. Quite often, another practitioner can tell us the things that are difficult to hear but need to be said.
Without being unprofessional, I can at least reveal that I am facing a huge crossroads in my life at this point. My practice has grown rapidly over the last two years, to a point where I am feeling overwhelmed. This is a wonderful problem to have, but still one that needs addressing urgently. Whenever we begin to feel heavy and burned out, it is important to take stock of what really matters to us. We need to let go of things that can be let go, and put our energies into the endeavors that will serve our best and highest good. In my work with Genevieve, we were able to clear blockages that had been preventing me from clearly seeing the directions I need to take moving forward with my career. I can now clearly envision my path forward, which will allow me to continue providing high quality care in a personal and affordable manner. Above all, it is important to me that I stay true to my vision. Part of my vision is to avoid taking the position of the "expert" by creating levels of distance between myself and my patients. Levels of distance include having a receptionist and not scheduling appointments myself. My vision also includes providing one-on-one education that empowers individuals to take charge of their own health. Staying true to my vision has been increasingly difficult to do as my practice has grown so quickly.
I believe that health practitioners of any kind, mainstream or "alternative", should continually strive for personal growth and model health and balance for their patients/clients. I believe that it takes great courage and strength to take stock of where I am and where I need to go, and to do so with absolute conviction that I will make the changes that need to be made...however radical they may be. I am facing this emotional cleansing process with total openness for receiving the lessons the universe has for me.
All of this brings me back to my mantra: "Whatever is good for me is good for everyone else."
This mantra came up in my clearing session yesterday and epitomizes the changes I need to make in my Ayurvedic practice. I need to take care of myself so that I can be my best self for healing others. If I am continually extending office hours and causing chaos for my family and myself, that is not beneficial. Maybe at the time one person will be happy that I stayed late to see them, but in the long run it creates strain on me. If I am not living a balanced life, I cannot provide the best service possible for my patients. So be prepared, everyone: 2014 is going to bring changes, but they will be more beneficial for all of us.
Much love,
Michelle
-My new mantra
Yesterday I went to see my friend, Genevieve, for an energy clearing session. I felt much lighter afterwards.
I have learned over the years that many people who are not healers in some capacity expect that any health professional can take care of all their own health needs, i.e., if a health professional "really knows" what they are doing, they should not need anyone else's help. If someone were to have that assumption, they might wonder why I would need an energy clearing. After all, I do chakra balancing and energy healing for other people. Couldn't I just do it for myself too?
The answer to that question lies in pathology, the process by which disease occurs in the body. In the West, we are accustomed to separating the mind and the body. We think of psychiatric medicine as being separate from physical medicine. In Ayurvedic models of illness, the mind and the body are not separate. After all, the brain lives in the body and runs all of its functions. What happens in the mind affects the body, and what happens in the body affects the mind. Therefore, whenever we have an imbalance of any kind, both mind and body are involved.
Further, the mind cannot perceive itself. No matter how hard we try, we cannot be completely objective about our own condition. In order to get accurate and objective treatment for imbalances of any kind, it is important to involve someone outside of ourselves. There is a lot of self-healing that can take place, but we cannot perceive ourselves in the way that another health practitioner can. For complete healing to take place, we need someone who can observe us and tell us the things that we ourselves are incapable of seeing. Quite often, another practitioner can tell us the things that are difficult to hear but need to be said.
Without being unprofessional, I can at least reveal that I am facing a huge crossroads in my life at this point. My practice has grown rapidly over the last two years, to a point where I am feeling overwhelmed. This is a wonderful problem to have, but still one that needs addressing urgently. Whenever we begin to feel heavy and burned out, it is important to take stock of what really matters to us. We need to let go of things that can be let go, and put our energies into the endeavors that will serve our best and highest good. In my work with Genevieve, we were able to clear blockages that had been preventing me from clearly seeing the directions I need to take moving forward with my career. I can now clearly envision my path forward, which will allow me to continue providing high quality care in a personal and affordable manner. Above all, it is important to me that I stay true to my vision. Part of my vision is to avoid taking the position of the "expert" by creating levels of distance between myself and my patients. Levels of distance include having a receptionist and not scheduling appointments myself. My vision also includes providing one-on-one education that empowers individuals to take charge of their own health. Staying true to my vision has been increasingly difficult to do as my practice has grown so quickly.
I believe that health practitioners of any kind, mainstream or "alternative", should continually strive for personal growth and model health and balance for their patients/clients. I believe that it takes great courage and strength to take stock of where I am and where I need to go, and to do so with absolute conviction that I will make the changes that need to be made...however radical they may be. I am facing this emotional cleansing process with total openness for receiving the lessons the universe has for me.
All of this brings me back to my mantra: "Whatever is good for me is good for everyone else."
This mantra came up in my clearing session yesterday and epitomizes the changes I need to make in my Ayurvedic practice. I need to take care of myself so that I can be my best self for healing others. If I am continually extending office hours and causing chaos for my family and myself, that is not beneficial. Maybe at the time one person will be happy that I stayed late to see them, but in the long run it creates strain on me. If I am not living a balanced life, I cannot provide the best service possible for my patients. So be prepared, everyone: 2014 is going to bring changes, but they will be more beneficial for all of us.
Much love,
Michelle