Healing often requires drastic measures
By Donald M Epstein

When we consider life with the logical mind alone, it makes sense that if we have a small problem, we might seek an easy solution requiring a minimum of energy or expense. If we are dealing with a major problem or crisis, we might expect the solution to be complex, difficult, expensive or risky.

Let's consider this myth as it pertains to a study by the Arizona Cancer Center at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. In this six-year, double-blind, study, participants taking selenium supplements had a 37 percent reduction of the incidence of cancer, and a 50 percent reduction of cancer mortality. Of the two hundred people studied, the group taking the selenium supplement had 63 percent fewer prostate cancers, 58 percent fewer colorectal cancers and 46 percent fewer lung cancers than those taking the placebo.

Not a single case of selenium toxicity was reported in any of the patients studied. Yet in the same issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association in which this study was published, dire warnings were asserted by the medical community telling patients not to use this all-natural, nutritional supplement. An editorial stated: 'For now it is premature to change individual behavior, to market specific selenium supplements, or to modify public health recommendations bssed on the results of this one randomized trial.'

I personaly believe that had the study involved an expenisve and dangerous treatment requiring extensive physician training, a high risk to patients, and an expensive hospital stay, the cultural mythos would have required the results of the study to be carried by the national media.

Because the selenium represented such a simple, safe, and effective soloution to a complex problem like cancer, the result were largely ignored by both the media and the medical community. After all, how can something so simple, inexpensive and readily available help a person prevent such a complex, dangerous, and almost 'incurable' condition, in spite of the billions of dollars spent per year in research by the finest minds in the world?

While working within the chiropractic paradigm, I discovered the non-linear approach to wellness, and developed a form of 'wellness care' known as Network Spinal Analysis (NSA). To my surprise, I found that a very gentle touch to the upper and lower spine can cause the entire spine to reconfire itself. Deep respiration, along with wavelike undulations and dissipation of stored spinal tension are often associated with this gentle touch, and result in an overall enhancement of our quality of life.

In the non-linear approach to wellness, a small change in our physiology produces a disproportionate response in our health and well-being. A strong force need not be applied to create a significant change in the bodymind. In fact, I discovered that applying a forceful touch can actually inhibit this process.

When I first developed Network Spinal Analysis, I found that memories of childhood hurts, accident, or other physical or psychological traumas are ofterns stored as tension and energy patterns in different parts of the body. This energy, confined under tension, is not unlike a powerful spring. Over time, it manifests in pysically tight muscles, joint fixation, resistance to full body motion, depression, and shallow breathing. It also manifests as pain and disease.

I also observed that the more ill we are, the more energy we need to release in order to heal. The energy that is not free to circulate generates tension over time, until conditions are ripe for it to initiiate the healing process. Hurts and wounds from our past build up pressure and 'collect' energy from new hurts and wounds in the present.

For example, our spouse makes a harmless remark about how we might have done something differently, and we respond with anger that lasts for several days. The remark sparks a reaction in the energy that is already 'charged' by previous hurts or wounds. This energy becomes more blocked, denied, and isolated, until at last it is ready to be released. When the energy is released (or converted from a confined state into a freer state), it becomes available for healing and actually help fuel the healing process.

The non-linear approach to wellness considers the bodymind an interactive system, influenced by many factors that contribute to health or illness. The ability of our bodymind to receive, ciruclate, and dissipate energy, and our current and past experiences in life, significantly affect our health. In addition, our cultural story strongly influences how we interpret and respond to a given situation.

The severity of the symptoms, the duration of the condition, or the degree of pathology do not themselves deteremine the severity of the measures needed to be taken in order to heal. A small change, when perceived by the nervous system, can release the stored energy and tension, allowing it to be utilized by the body for constructive purposes like healing and transformation. When our bodymind becomes aware of the need for change, and can feel and pay attention to itself, there are many useful tools that facilitate self-awareness and act as a catalyst to enable old hurts or wounds to heal. A spinal adjustment, breathing exercises, a mediation practice, or yoga are just a few.

Healing neither requires great effort nor drastic measures. While curing or treating symptoms or disease may call for such measures, this is not the case with healing. As a byproduct of healing, we may decide to make radical changes in our life, but he decision to make such changes occurs as a result of the healing already in progress. It is by healing that we enhance our ability to make constructive changes.

This is an extract is used with permission from Healing Myths Healing Magic by Donald M Estien and is available in the Soothingminds shop . You can also find our more about Donald Epstein's work at www.DonaldEpstein.com