If you have a chronic health condition – chances are, it has had an impact on you in the emotional realm as well. Since modern doctoring tends to compartmentalize, we may get a prescription for our pain and then another one for anxiety. In helping people with gut problems to feel better over the last 6 years, I have often seen a relationship between GI issues and depression/anxiety/sadness, mood disorders, etc. Personally, I experienced a lot of depression around the time I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome nearly three decades ago. It begs the question, are the two related and can you endeavor to ameliorate both at the same time? I think it is indeed possible.

If disease affects many systems in a physical body, why not adopt an approach that heals on all levels? Sound ridiculous? Consider Chinese medicine which considers functional organ thinking (the liver is associated with anger, the gall bladder with decision making) or homeopathy that prescribes remedies based on a totality of symptoms (combining mental and the physical), massage (for injuries but walk out in a state of bliss) and energy medicine which can also alleviate pain and bring zen.

Recently, I was fortunate to have a past life regression therapy appointment with an experienced practitioner (trained by Dr. Weiss). It was incredible to say the least. My first venture was back to 200 AD somewhere in South America where as a young woman in my 30’s, I was taken to a healing temple where I met my teacher (Paul -someone decided this name would be easier for me :). My teacher was an older gentleman in his 60’s with a beard and white robe. He showed me to a healing room where people were quietly laying on marble tables. There were crystals around their bodies. He showed me how to do a scan of their bodies and then how and which crystals to place on the area that needed attention. He then began chanting and saying mantras to the disturbed energy/disease. He was coaxing it out of their bodies and doing what seemed to be Reiki at the same time. He then placed his hands over their head to help the body to also let go of this disease energy. Paul also used a warm rag soaked in plant oils placed on top of the stones to help diffuse the disease energy as it was leaving a body.

I also asked for a healing session for my belly from Paul for which he obliged. Once he was working on my I could consciously here gurgling noises in my abdomen. He gave me advice about drinking a type of tea and eating certain foods. He told me to get 2-3 more sessions from him using these methods. It was very cool but what struck me was that he was a “disease whisperer.” He literally coaxed that bad junk right out of people’s body using energy medicine, song, chanting and crystals. I had never pondered using crystal Reiki before in my own practice yet I showed up to meeting him with a small bag full of stones.

I am asking the question – is disease a funk that settles in the body on multiple levels if the body is hospitable to it? Does the physical body hold onto such junk until a specially trained “disease whisperer” (shaman) calls it out? People hold onto stuff they no longer need or no longer benefit from for all kinds of reasons. Is discovering their personal reason and then healing it allow the disease to be released? Is this why we cannot heal alone using only diet, supplements, prescription medications, etc. – at least as far as chronic illness is involved?

We are so enthusiastic to end suffering and get people feeling better – but are you healing the emotional as well as the physical? Even more so, are you addressing the body’s readiness to let go of that which ails them? Their illness might be the thing they need to overcome in their lifetime so others may not be able to solve it for them. Also, the presence of old fears, feelings of lack and low self -esteem may provide the ripe environment for disease to flourish. This is why I am so drawn to intuitive energy medicine – find out what the pattern is and then ask …what is holding it there?

I’d like to continue learning how to be my own version of “disease whisperer” and hold a sacred space for people to gently let go of what is no longer serving their highest and greatest good. I’m also keen to learn more about crystal therapy!