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Freedom and Flow Finding freedom from restriction and removing the obstacles to healing. By Brad Lichtenstein, ND -- Fall 2009, Vol 5, Issue 17 -- Download the PDF Giving and receiving are at bottom one thing,
dependent upon whether one lives open or closed. Living openly one becomes a medium, a transmitter; living thus, as a river, one experiences life to the full, flows along with the current of life, and dies in order to live again as an ocean. - Henry Miller 
Charles was an outgoing, gregarious fellow who sported
an eternal smile and infectious laugh. I had been working
with him for three sessions before I learned he suffered
from Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disorder
that affects the peripheral nervous system and can result
in weakness, numbness, tingling and potentially paralysis
and death. After watching me teach a group of 8th graders
meditation at the private school where he worked, Charles
called to schedule an appointment, not knowing exactly what
he was seeking, or even what I did, yet he added, anyone
who can get those kids to sit quietly for 15 minutes is someone
I want to work with.
I tend to be fairly consistent with my opening questions to patients when initiating work together, and Charles was no exception:
I cannot tell you the number of times when I have asked the last question people either surprised themselves by a) realizing they have no image of living a peaceful life or b) recognized they already possess the answers they were seeking outside of themselves. When an anxious patient tells me she will know our work is complete when she can find breath when images of traffic accidents pass through her mind, or when she observes her slide into negative selftalk yet chooses the opposite, she is writing her own treatment plan by describing the practices that are of benefit for her own healing and growth. Charles and I began our work together by evaluating how he moved through all dimensions of his life (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual), where he encountered restriction, and where he found dynamic free-flowing movement. At the time of our first visit, a majority of his GBS symptoms had abated, with the exception of some upper extremity weakness and the inability to fully flex his fingers due to swelling and stiffness. Early on this was never mentioned (nor did I ask). Only after the third session of exploring how to breathe, stand, sit and walk with fluidity did Charles share his GBS diagnosis, although it did little to change the path we were on. We continued to play with moving energy like liquid whether it be movements of his body, flow of emotions, dance of relationships, or exchange of ideas and communication. The objective was always the same - finding freedom from restriction, then choosing how to live that moment in flow. From a naturopathic/homeopathic perspective, this reflects the most fundamental level of care, or the first tier in the therapeutic order - removing obstacles to cure and cultivating the conditions for healing. Restriction is the obstacle to cure and flow is the condition for healing. Identifying the postures, thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that impede the life force and those that assist it is the first step in care. Charles was learning how to assess any given situation for its lifeaffirming benefits, rather than needing to rely on medical experts, studies or research to tell him what is good or bad for him. Learning for himself, about himself, is empowering, and Charles becomes the expert healer of his own life. I merely set the stage, provide the mirror, and allow the process to unfold. Four months later, Rebecca showed up in my office, saying Charles said I should see you, but he couldn't explain what you do. Anyway, here I am. Unlike Charles, Rebecca voiced her complaint clearly and emphatically at the onset. A professional woman in her mid-thirties, she was suffering from debilitating arthritis. She had seen the "best" doctors in town and was here as a last resort. About three and a half years ago, her left middle finger became swollen to point she was unable to fully bend it. To the best of her recollection, nothing precipitated this --no injury, trauma, event or even psychological issue. Her doctors ran blood tests, x-rays and MRIs, all revealing nothing. As Rebecca recounts, her doctor felt compelled to "do" something, so he suggested a series of cortisone injections, which relieved swelling slightly for only 48 hours. RETURN HOME from Brad Lichtenstein's Freedom and Flow |
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