This week's practice was another mental training exercise called Meeting Aesclepius. It is geared toward locating the inner healer inside all of us. We were asked to picture a person who is very wise and stabilize their image in your mind. I immediately thought of His Holiness The Dalai Lama so I stuck with his image. I can't think of anyone to better teach us about loving-kindness, mental training, or meditation.
We are asked to focus on all of their characteristics and they are to become your focal point. An image of white light entering this person's mind is next pictured to be entering your mind as well. After every direction you are given a minute or so to remain with this new image. Next. a beam of light from their throat and into yours. Finally from their heart and into yours.
You are ultimately asked to let the image of this person dissolve into a bright white light, enter, and begin to permeate your entire being. This is supposed to represent your inner healer. Everything good about this person is now inside every cell of your own body and has the potential to heal your entire being. We not only have the potential to heal our own body, mind, and spirit, but also have the ability to offer these gifts to the world and help others.
This practice felt very empowering. It made me realize that our health is truly in our own hands, or in our minds to be exact. This is a great practice to go back to when we need reminding of the power we have inside of us.
It is somewhat true that one cannot lead another where one has not gone himself. However, we are constantly on our own journey and this is an ongoing practice. We are always changing and modifying our practice to fit our needs at the moment. That being said, I don't feel you need to be a wise and all-knowing healer to help others find their way. I plan on sharing what I do know for myself with my patients and explaining that they will ultimately lead their own path and guide themselves through the power of the mind.
It is certainly important for the physician to holistically develop their own health. This doesn't mean that they can draw a road map for somebody else to follow their exact route, but it is important to gain their trust that you do have the ability to help guide them down their own path to human flourishing though integral health.
Danny
Hi Danny,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that you don’t have to be a healer to help people. I think that just having experience or have the same thing happen to you can help guide someone else in their life or in their experiences. I feel that someone shouldn’t tell me how to live my life or criticize my life when theirs is a mess or worse than mine. I think people like to tell others what to do because they can’t fix their own lives. My favorite example would be someone telling me how to raise my children when they don’t have any of their own. I know I have a lot of work to do with my own life, before I can help someone with theirs. Good blog!
Nicki
Hi Danny,
ReplyDeleteThe Dalai Lama is a great inspirational image to focus on.
I enjoyed reading your blog. It sounds like the mediation exercise was very beneficial for you. I enjoyed it as well. I agree that the exercise was very empowering. It is truly a great gift knowing we can utilize this power to better our mind, body and spirit at any time.
I also feel that you can help your clients/patients in the sense that you can set the foundation of the importance of the power of the mind; however, allow them to map their own way.
:-)