To practice self-induced healing is only possible when we listen to the messages our bodies give us. Once we hear our bodies, we must also imagine the desired outcome.

Our bodies communicate with us to let us know when we are out of balance. This is your body’s way of trying to restore your internal balance. If your body responds in situations because of past mistakes, you need to 1) acknowledge the message your body is sending; 2) accept your emotions; 3) forgive yourself and others of past mistakes; 4) be aware of the choices you are making.

We can use the GIFT method to help let go of past experiences and mistakes:
G – gratitude: this teaches us to change our perception of present events
I – imagination & intention: shows we are ready to change and allows us to create a different desired outcome in our present situation
F – forgive: we must forgive and accept ourselves and others in order to move forward
T – trust: we must trust and believe that what we want to happen will happen, which trains our bodies to respond in a new way.

By imagining a world of positive possibilities, we will perceive that world to be true.

Our minds are powerful things. You have the ability to heal yourself on many levels because your body believes what your mind tells it. Understanding this gives us a lot of possibility – and responsibility – in changing our lives for the better.

Children play to learn and grow. They are experts in having fun because they believe anything is possible through using their imaginations. We all have the ability to play, but we often don’t exercise our imaginations in our daily adult lives.

Think about a book you’ve read or a movie you’ve seen. We can get drawn into the stories, and our bodies respond to the scenes as if we were really there. This is an example of our imagination changing our body chemistry in response to imaginary situations. We can elicit this same reaction in our bodies when we change our mindset or perception of a negative event in our lives.

We tend to let past experiences affect our present and future choices and responses. Many times we have trained ourselves to repeat past mistakes because our perception of reality is actually a misperception. Once we are able to view our past mistakes as misperceptions, we are able to learn from them and forgive ourselves (and others) of blame. This allows us to experience new things with an open and positive mindset. By changing how we think, we are able to induce healing for ourselves.

Next week: how to put self-induced healing into practice

Forgiveness requires individual changes at many levels. Research in the Harvard Health Publication indicates that forgiveness is powerful. The publication reports that forgiving others and oneself can bring about 5 changes for a healthier and happier life.
(source:  http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/power_of_forgiveness)

Forgiveness brings:

• Reduction of stress
• More positive attitude
• Stronger relationships
• Ease of pain & chronic illness
• Greater happiness

These are significant changes you can make to your life! While you may not be able to imagine discussing forgiveness as a method of healing with your traditional medicine provider, forgiveness is a method of healing that I foster in my practice. Forgiveness is a means of resolution that can create a very positive outcome in your life!

Healing occurs when we are in the correct relationship with ourselves. In other words, we are able to heal when all levels of our human system - our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves - are all in balance.

Imbalance within ourselves comes from many sources. Most commonly, the stress of relationships, family, work, and expectations we have of ourselves can cause imbalances in our relationship with ourselves. It is easy to become entangled in negative thought patterns - we may replay situations over and over again in our minds in attempt to imagine different outcomes, or we may perpetuate the victimization we feel in various circumstances.

Carrying strong negative feelings, such as anger and resentment, causes physical symptoms and diseases. Harboring negative thoughts benefits no one! In order to move from imbalance to balance within ourselves, we must let go of old grudges, anger, frustrations, and hurtful incidents. Letting go means forgiving.

Forgiveness is not:

• Pretending everything is fine
• Repressing anger or hurt feelings
• Necessarily reconciling or having contact with the offender
• Something you can be pressured to do
• Forgetting. You can learn to remember the past without dwelling on the emotions!

There is evidence that forgiveness can lead to a healthier and happier life. Dr. P. Pietrini, MD, PhD. is chair of biochemistry at the University of Pisa, Italy. He used an MRI to observe different parts of the brain. Parts of the brain were activated when subjects contemplated forgiveness that were not activated with thoughts of revenge and retaliation. This is physical evidence that our thoughts cause physical changes in the body.

Traditional medicine may help you cope with the physical symptoms of imbalance within yourself. As a Holistic Nurse, I will work with the whole person - your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realms - in order to help you make positive changes, take control of your life, and find balance within yourself.