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Inner Peace
Power of Healing
Healing Methods revealed in "LIVING, the Motion Picture"Article by Tom Marcoux, America's Communication Coach
(An Excerpt from the book LIVING - How to Heal When Life's Too Much by Tom Marcoux)
Healing is a crucial part of our lives. Sometimes, we experience powerful, helpful ideas through a feature film or television show. "LIVING, the motion picture" provides uplifting glimpses of healing methods. LIVING is unique in its affirmation of feminine wisdom that inspires healing - when "David" is confronted with cancer. Two women serve as David's mentors: Trudy (an elderly, wheelchair-bound African-American) and Adina (a psychotherapist portrayed by S.F. Bay Area psychotherapist Barbara Druker). As an ironic twist of reality, David's ex-wife Carolyn is portrayed by San Francisco actress Mary Ann Wagner who, during filming, was bravely triumphing over cancer. After giving her final performance, Mary Ann passed away. LIVING is a story of courage, love, transformation, forgiveness and healing. Just as he is confronted with The Intruder in his nightmares, David's ex-wife returns with a daughter that he never knew existed. David's cancer resurfaces, and he must learn to heal his relationships with his new love Laura, his daughter and his ex-wife - and heal his body - before it is too late.
Here we explore some of the healing methods demonstrated in LIVING. We use the acronym H.E.A.L.:
H - hone your cultural metaphors
E - express your situation
A - allow yourself to flow
L - let go of judgments, pain and anger
1. Hone your cultural metaphors
In LIVING, David learns about a different approach to his healing processes when his psychotherapist Adina mentions an Aikido move. Aikido is the martial art in which one avoids confronting force with force. Instead, one moves out of the way, and guides the opponent to the ground - in the direction that the opponent was already moving. During his therapy sessions, David says, "I don't know how to stop resisting" when Adina points out: "What you resist, persists." Adina's use of an Aikido Move is using a "cultural metaphor" to help her client David. Each person living with an illness can create his or her own cultural metaphors to help in "reframing" or revising a perception.
2. Express your situation
In LIVING, David gets into trouble when he does not communicate with his love Laura. When we keep a secret from others about our medical situation we feel isolated. For example, Susan told co-workers that she had a family member in the hospital. In this way, she was able to express the extra stress she was under. Now, if one has the intuition that it is inappropriate to mention one's illness at work, it helps to find a support group.
3. Allow yourself to flow
Life has its own timing, patterns and cycles. When we try to buck the cycle, we place added stress on ourselves. A friend who recently came home from a hospital stay complained about how slow his stomach was recovering. It helps to flow with the body's healing cycle, and look for a lesson or insight. Perhaps, the insight in the situation is to treasure the small gifts like ice cream. Many workaholics who have dealt with an extended hospital stay can benefit by allowing the situation to flow at its slower pace. It is a time to see life from another perspective. Sometimes, people find out that they were rushing up a ladder placed against the wrong wall. Flow and feel better.
4. Let go of judgments, pain and anger
In LIVING, Adina says, "Imagine that a person is this bowl of pasta and water." She then uses a strainer to let the water drain. Adina concludes: "Imagine letting all of the pain and guilt just drain away." Our judgments create a path of despair for us. Often, a simple phrase can start us on a lighter path. In the book, Women's Spirit Awakening, I wrote: "Forgiveness is not pardon. It's seeing the bigger picture." It helps to step back and look for a bigger picture. For example, Mindy complained about how her mother just couldn't be bothered to drive her to rehabilitation appointments. Her mother seemed overly bothered by traffic. Mindy could let go of her pain by switching a judgment to gratefulness for what her mother did do - which was bring prepared meals to Mindy's apartment. Mindy's phrase to let go and change her perceptions was: "I am grateful for..."
Conclusion
Healing is a process involving the whole person: mind, body and spirit. The HEAL process helps us approach healing with integrity - feeling connected and whole. It is fragmentation that hinders our healing progress. Many researchers note the dis-ease or unease related to what we usually view as disease. We know that thoughts can lead to ulcers. We also know that empowering thoughts of forgiveness and flowing can help to increase the speed of our recovery. Heal your thoughts, heal your behavior patterns - and heal your body. Spiritual philosophies emphasize that the body is a communication device. Let's listen to our bodies, nurture them - and realize there are gifts of learning to be gained as we expand our health.
For more information about LIVING, the motion picture, visit the LIVING Web Site
Copyright 2001 Tom Marcoux