UNIVERSE WITHIN by Gwen Randall-Young

Healing takes courage and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it. – Tori Amos

I have always believed the body has an amazing ability to heal itself. It is designed to bring itself back into balance and fight off external threats. If we do not maintain it properly, these facilities may become compromised.
Another factor that affects our capacity for self-healing is the power our culture has ascribed to the medical profession. Long before there were “doctors,” as we know them, tribal people had a sense of what was wrong when someone was ill. Drawing upon their own intuition and the wisdom of the group, they were adept at knowing which natural remedies could help.
Many people have either tuned out, or were never tuned in to begin with, to their own intuitive connection with their bodies. If something goes wrong, a person’s first instinct often leads them to consult a doctor to see what she has to say. They then typically assume the doctor is correct and follow the advice given. Fortunately, the doctor is often right and the advice is sound. But far too often, the doctor cannot be certain, and healing is a matter of trial and error. Too many people end up taking medications they do not really need, and sometimes, that, alone, creates additional problems.
Regardless of whether a doctor’s diagnosis is right or wrong, there is still the problem of our having abdicated our role in our own healing. This is counterproductive and even dangerous, particularly if we have a serious illness. We need to feel a sense of power over our illness and to have the ability to use our body and mind to make ourselves better.
It is natural to fear illness and to feel vulnerable when we are sick. This is particularly true if we have received a disturbing diagnosis. I am reminded of what Dr. Bernie Siegel wrote in his book, Love, Medicine and Miracles, “You can give me a diagnosis, but not a prognosis.” In other words, you can tell me what I have, but you cannot tell me how long I have to live or how far my healing will progress.
The body/mind system is intricately connected and very complex. Much research has been done into how our thoughts, and the prayers or healing thoughts of others on our behalf, can affect our healing. If we think the worst and assume we will not get better, it has a profound effect on all of our inner healing systems. Keep thinking those thoughts and they become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the mind thinks that not getting better is a foregone conclusion and that nothing will help, soon enough, the body just gives up.
If, instead, we empower ourselves by believing the body is designed to heal itself, and feel a strong sense of our own power to heal, our immune system grows stronger, we have a more positive outlook and we are more likely to try many things to help ourselves.
Dr. Siegel notes that the people most likely to recover from an illness are those who try as many different things as possible to support their healing. The options may include traditional medicine, alternative therapies, support groups, dietary changes, vitamins, visualization, hypnosis, prayer and a multitude of other strategies. Even if a doctor does provide a negative prognosis, she will never say there is a 100 percent chance you will not recover. Even if it were 90 percent, it is still better to visualize yourself among the 10 percent who are likely to get well, and then do everything you can to support that belief.
Remember; whatever the diagnosis, there are always individuals who beat the odds. Strive to be one of them.

Gwen Randall-Young is a psychotherapist in private practice and the author of Growing Into Soul: The Next Step in Human Evolution. For articles and information about her books and personal growth/hypnosis CDs, visit www.gwen.ca