What is a Healer?

When I think of the word 'healer' I guess that like many people, the image that immediately springs to mind is of someone laying on hands and invoking some sort of spiritual force to enable an energetic shift in the wellbeing of the recipient. In my own work as a practitioner and teacher of Reiki Jin Kei Do, this is indeed precisely what I do on a fairly frequent basis. Of course there are many different approaches and methods in this type of work even though to the layman they may appear to be so similar in their external appearance as to not warrant any sort of discrimination between them. But let us think on this word 'healer' or indeed the practice of 'healing'. Healing of course can most certainly encompass pretty much all of the complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture, reflexology and kinesiology et al, but what else? What else can we comfortably and legitimately bring within the scope of our definition of 'healing'? Alison Kain, Humanity Healing's Ambassador for Holistic & Alternative Healing answers this question with some pretty convincing arguments that suggest that the concept of 'healing' and what constitutes a 'healer' is much wider than we might initially suppose.

What is a Healer?

Who is a Healer? What is Healing? The answers to these questions, in my humble estimation are: everyone and nearly everything. Everyone is a healer in one fashion or another and what can be construed as healing is nearly limitless since what is healing, balancing or soothing to each soul is as unique and varied as each individual.

If you find my opening statement to be outlandish or you are perplexed or even a bit outraged by the suggestions I've made I ask you to read further to learn why I believe in the answers I have given. Firstly I would like to clarify my position on this. When I say that 'everyone' is a healer I do not suggest that all people are certified or trained practitioners of specific (or multiple) healing modalities; alternative, complementary, holistic, western or otherwise. What I am saying however is that within each soul, I believe that there is the inherent ability to self-heal; once the cells have been 'tuned' to 'remember' how to heal, then healing will occur. We must also entirely cease the thought that it is impossible to heal ourselves or that we are powerless against dis-ease or illness. This line of thinking can actually prevent and/or delay the body's natural healing process.

"The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind."~ Philipus Aureolus Paracelsus ~Our bodies possess an innate wisdom. They know much more than we give them credit for. If we learn how to 'listen' to and interpret the messages that our bodies are sending us we can actually begin to avoid certain illnesses or conditions. One excellent way to accomplish learning to 'hear' what your body says is to sit quietly in a chair and mindfully breathe deeply and peacefully for a minute or two. Then, within your mind, make a statement you know to be false. For example, "I hate chocolate." Repeat this phrase three times. Feel how your body reacts to a lie. Then take a short break: about fifteen minutes is sufficient. Sit down and repeat this process, only this time substitute the truth for the lie. For example, "I love chocolate." Repeated thrice. Then notice how differently your body responds. You have now achieved a simple yet powerful way of detecting how your body tells you whether something is 'good' (the truth) or 'bad' (the lie).

Did you know that our bodies actually undergo a cellular transformation and renewal process every seven years? Did you also know that we can begin to intentionally reconstruct and readjust our DNA through purposeful recoding? This is a unique skill. The knowledge of how to perform this lies within each one of our cellular memory banks merely waiting for someone to help us to recall how to enable and enact this natural process.

It has come to my attention recently that purposeful DNA Recoding is presently being taught by some highly educated and amazing specialists in this field. Unfortunately this topic falls outside of the scope of this article except for the importance of mentioning the fact it exists and is a proven and accepted reality today. DNA Recoding requires a dedicated article unto itself. If however, this specific topic intrigues you, I urge you to begin researching this subject in greater depth. There are many who are coming to the fore now to discuss this important and specialized application and healing process.

In order to understand why I am adamant in my belief that we can heal ourselves, you must first fully understand what I mean when I say 'heal'. Healing is not the same as curing. I do not suggest that we can all cure ourselves - although I reserve the right to also hold the proverbial door open for that possibility - rather I do believe that we all possess the power to healourselves. For me, to 'heal' is simply defined as being or becoming whole and balanced. Wikipedia states that to 'heal' is relative to wellness which is defined as "…an integrated method of functioning which is oriented toward maximizing the potential of which the individual is capable. It requires that the individual maintain a continuum of balance and purposeful direction within the environment where he is functioning." The Kabbalah: "Misdirected life force is the activity in disease process. Disease has no energy save that it borrows from the life of the organism." Some illnesses, dis-eases and conditions do exist, whether we wish to acknowledge this or not because we are out of balance in one or more areas of our lives. We have, whether through trauma, extreme stress, duress or prolonged exposure to unhealthy circumstances, habits and/or situations that create an imbalance in our lives which consequently cannegatively effect the body.

When we are off-kilter we open the gateway for dis-ease. In viewing illness this way, one can easily see that the suggestion that when we are able to adapt to dis-ease and 'work with it' in an effort to eliminate the imbalance, we are able to restore a sense of 'wellness' and thus heal ourselves. This argument does bear merit.

I add this for your consideration: is not being able to construct an eco-friendly building acting as a healer for the earth? Is not creating music which touches one's soul, considered an elevating or uplifting experience? If you agree it is so, it therefore can also be considered healing. (This music is mentioned aside from purposeful practical application of specific correlated vibrations and chords meant to recalibrate the "normal" human body). Is not an artist who provides a means of looking at this world in a whole new way also healing, albeit in a different way to a practical healing modality? And what about applying the title of 'healing' to something so simply offered as a smile or a pure and innocent touch? For example, it has been proven in case studiesregarding newborn infants that touch is considered essential to drive the desire to survive while also promoting the likelihood of a resultant well-adapted and balanced being. The sense of being touched lovingly then also constitutes as healing. "The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love."~ Hubert H. Humphrey.

I have illustrated that we all possess the inherent knowledge and power to enact positive changes in our lives and our bodies, which constitutes healing. This serves to meet my postulation that we are all healers in one fashion or another to a greater or lesser degree. What however serves to meet the basic qualifiers to be considered healing? I have offered traits or actions and deeds which are not typically associated with the healing industry to meet thecriteria of 'healing practices'. These include such wonderful gifts as smiles, music, art in all its forms, pure touch, awareness and readjustment of our thinking processes from perceiving the impossible as being possible. The list in my mind is nearly endless. The point is that what one finds healing another may not, yet that does not in any way eradicate the benefits to be found within specific categories that can constitute healing, despite the fact that thesepractices do not fall under the current health organizations – alternative or otherwise – as being legitimate healing methodologies. I would be remiss in this discussion if I did not state clearly that I believe it is important to incorporate proper diet and appropriate levels of water intake in conjunction with regular and balanced exercise in our daily routines. These simple habits are not only healing but serve to achieve and sustain overall well-being.

I hope that I have provided you with enough possibilities to merit real thought, consideration and contemplation on the possibility that everyone is a healer of some sort even when not a healer by occupation. Equally, I hope that I have given you reason to expand your possible definitions of what can help you (or a loved one) to heal and live more wholly and freely while understanding that to heal yourself is also the first step towards helping in healing this world. "The only work that will ultimately bring any good to any of us is the work of contributing to the healing of the world."~ Marianne Williamson.

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Namaste.

Alison's arguments here carry much merit and I do believe that there is a case for widening our mental orientation to the concept of healing so that much more of life and our ordinary day to day passage through it can be seen as an expression of healing art. In the same way that our ordinary day to day life can and does at times promote dis-ease, there are elements of it that also promote health and wellbeing. Yin and yang are after all the dual aspects of the universal law that everything must have an equal and opposite balancing principle - for every dis-ease creating event or act or practice, there must also be a healing and balancing event or act or practice.

Alison herself is a very experienced therapist and healer with an enormous repertoire of different modalities at her disposal. I am sure that those of you who are members of the Humanity Healing Yahoo Group are very aware of her skills in this area and the wisdom that she brings to her practice of aiding those in need. As a core member of Humanity Healing, Alison's commitment to others and focus as a 'healer' is very highly regarded. I am sure that in due course she will be back here with more of her wisdom and insights. Many thanks Alison my friend!

Blessings and much metta,

Steve, Alison and Humanity Healing.