Common Ground Part 1
Your health is your most important asset. The absence of aches and pains or illnesses does not determine health. For you to be truly healthy, your body will cause you discomfort at times. This is because your body is your benchmark for the state of your health. When any part of your system begins to show signs of imbalance, your physical body will exhibit the signals to raise your awareness that something is amiss. It may be that you are unaware of the signals or, once aware, feel confused about the intrinsic messages. If you grew up in Western society, you most likely were not exposed to the information you need to understand what your body is trying to tell you.
While it is never too late to learn, your system is complicated. Although some aspects are common to all of us, you will also have unique qualities within your being where you function differently from others. Additionally, in today’s world, many factors now affect your health that never did before. Current environmental, food, financial, and social issues are complex and present health obstacles that we face daily. Regardless of what you are currently experiencing or dealing with in your life, the aspect that influences you the most is your energy field and its interaction with the rest of your being. This area is often the least understood despite its significant impact on your overall well-being.
The primary purpose of your individual energy field is to serve as a storage unit for energy patterns and information about related patterns. These distinctive patterns tell the story of how your life has affected you, and they play a fundamental role in your health. They are the reason why you may suffer physically or emotionally without understanding the cause; for example, a physical problem that spirals into other physical, seemingly unrelated, issues; the inability to heal a physical or emotional situation; or recurrences of physical pain or illness, even when you feel that you are doing everything possible to help yourself.
Traditional allopathic medical protocols generally approach a problem by reducing symptoms. While this can temporarily relieve pain or discomfort, it never addresses the underlying patterns that are the source of the problem and can often create unpleasant, potentially harmful reactions. Exploration into the world of alternative health care offers an opportunity to learn more about how you, as an individual, operate daily. It can also lead you to the practices that resonate with you and the practitioners who will best serve you. No one thing works for everyone. Sometimes, a combination of therapies is the most effective strategy for overcoming certain challenges. One of the advantages of alternative health care is that it is diverse. While various methods exist, and although the techniques and styles may differ, the underlying philosophy remains consistent: your potential to achieve and maintain health is greatly enhanced by being mindful of all aspects of your being.
The broad scope of practices and practitioners within alternative health care also allows individuality. Every form of interaction exists: from books read and absorbed at your own pace, solitary meditation or yoga, working with a practitioner, and classes, seminars, and workshops with varying participants. You can begin at your comfort level and know that you have room to expand without pressure. The most important thing to remember is that you have options for maintaining your health. Begin today by simply opening to an awareness that feeling good depends on the health of your whole self–your mind, emotions, physical body, spirit, and energy field.