by Cindy Meeske, LICSW, CRMT
For many years I’ve envisioned creating a healing/wellness center in which many different modalities could be accessed within the same space – somewhere in which people could access all the tools they need to heal and feel their best. Our health system is broken. I believe a good reason for it not being as effective as it could be is that we’ve sectioned people off into pieces. Physical health is treated by certain doctors, mental health by others. And spiritual health? So many don’t even believe it exists. I would argue that all exist and are intricately interconnected. Emotions are stored in the body. There is a huge correlation between anxiety and digestive issues. People with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder have nervous systems that are chronically on high alert. And how often do you hear of someone dying soon after his/her spouse does? I think there’s a clear connection to spiritual and emotional pain.
In the book The Hidden Messages In Water, Mesaru Emoto describes his work with water crystals. When they were exposed to positive statements, they were brighter and formed more complex designs. When they were exposed to negative comments, they had duller hue and simpler formations. The majority of the human body, of course, is composed of water. This is further evidence that we are impacted at the cellular level by the way others talk to us and treat us. This also applies to the way we talk to ourselves. Negative self-talk is incredibly common. We often say things to ourselves that we would never consider saying to another person. Trauma, depression, etc. are not just held in our minds, they are held in the body within our cells.
So if illnesses are connected on all these levels, why do we treat them separately? By treating the
whole person we are able to address all of these concerns simultaneously. The beauty of the new center Paul Gerst and I have created is that we’re both acutely aware of this interconnection. He can treat the body by using acupuncture or nutrition and help to resolve emotional issues. I can treat the mind/emotions through psychotherapy and create relief in the body. When I do Reiki, I’m well aware that I can assist the individual in healing on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels because all are contained within one’s energy field. As we’ve been saying often over the past few weeks – ‘right tool, right job’. There are many different ways to approach healing. What works for one person might not for another. That’s why we offer a varied approach to allow people options to get what they need.