I will be the first to admit that I am a linear thinker; logic and reasoning are sound means of addressing life. When asked to perform loving-kindness meditation I can easily envision the process, when asked to still my mind no problem but, ask me to envision a wise person and the mind goes through the process. “Have I ever met a wise person” followed by a parade of people I’ve met and who I find reason to disqualify. “OK, I’ll make someone up” and again the process begins “what does a wise person look like? …” After twenty minutes of this I decided that it doesn’t really matter because the healer Asclepius is within yet connected to the consciousness. So I met my healer.
The act of mindfulness and meditation has taught me to let go of the comfort zone of linear thinking and allow for the greater possibilities of the yet unknown but soon to be revealed. In the process of letting go I realize that it does not matter if I feel in control or not because control is a matter of perception, and perception is not the same as reality. For me this realization is a freeing of the spirit which allows me to be less judgmental and more open. I will continue to meet with my healer as often as I can to gain wisdom and be mindful of the promised gifts.
I always find it disconcerting when I walked into a doctor’s office and am greeted by an unhealthy looking professional. It is like going to a personal trainer who is too out of shape to do the exercises s/he is prescribing for you. They can talk the talk but they certainly are not walking it. On the psychological level I can only relate to the fact that if you are not emotionally together you cannot be there 100% for anyone else, you are too caught up in your own problems to see beyond them. If you are not spiritual you certainly cannot recognize spirituality let alone encourage it in someone else. Above all else how can you lead someone where you have never been? Can a roadmap (book learning) replace experience? I do not believe that it can because experience involves multidimensional subjective aspects of life, the biological, interpersonal, worldly and psycho spiritual while book learning is one dimensional, objective and linear. I will continue to pursue Asclepius and follow where the process leads me. The only control I need is intention.
Hi Gail,
ReplyDeleteI had the same parade march through my head when I had to think of a wise person. I came up with my mother who passed away. But that turned into another parade of her images, when she was sick, before she was sick, when she was younger. Image after image and finally it keep coming back to a younger her. It did not last long and then turn to an old man.
You make a good point about not trying to figure out exactly what they look like, its not the point. Its about the taking in the characteristic of that person, like wisdom.
Jodi Geer
Hi Gail,
ReplyDeleteOMG, I know just what you are saying (Jodi too). Why does that happen? It can be debilitating to the process can't it? I HAD to think of a tried and true healer one who I knew would never let me down otherwise I could not have done this excercise. The wheels would have been turning too much to get the excercise accomplished. I have read that it is our frontal lobe that loves to think, analyze, find clues to what we are searching for (in life & in an imagination excercise) and it was this area of the brain that was working things out to come up with the 'perfect healer' for us. I am glad it is working thats for sure lol but sometimes I just have to know when to let it rest and stick with what is already known or I'd of been there all day tweaking the perfect aspects of the inner healer! I am glad to hear I am not the only one who has to go through this... great post.
I also agree that when someone is a health care professional or any sort of wellness trainer they should live the part as well and if they don't they lose so much credibility with me I might as well turn around and leave.
But then I find I turn those same strict rules upon myself and if I don't feel I 'look like a legal assistant' then I can't be. It's all relative to my idea of a professional woman & her appearance but still I find I am too harsh on myself and feel defeated before I begin my search for a job! I need to calm down & not be so stringent upon myself & also maybe I should give these health & wellness people a break and realize they are human and probobly have had some emotional upheavals in their own life they must overcome yet, but the wisdom in their heads is still there even if it doesn't appear they are practicing what they preach on some level they are in a bad place & sympathy and loving kindness is the medicine that just might help them rather than a critical eye????? Just thinking out loud as I do the same thing, maybe more so.
Liz Hobby
Gail this was a great post I especially liked and was relieved that someone else was bothered by walking into a doctor's office and greeted by someone who was very unhealthy looking or overweight it concerns me because how am I suppose to trust the health opinion of someone who doesn't take care of themself. Great Post!!
ReplyDeleteSometime I believe we focus on the details too much when beginning these exercises. To have your mind in a conducive state it should be clear and open. Yet, we are directed to quickly choose one person out of the wide range of possibilities in existence. Here is where allowing the thoughts and images to simply pass by were helpful (for me). The correct person was the one stopping, ready to begin the exercise. I couldn’t agree more with your statement about unfit healthcare professionals. It is hard to follow their words when the example does not match up.
ReplyDelete