Listen to Your Symptoms

4. See the disease as an opportunity to learn and grow. Identify the metaphors of the illness – if the illness had a message for your, what would it be. Notice the messages of the symptoms you are dealing with – sometimes symptoms can be taken very literally (“pain in the neck”, “heaviness in the stomach”, “and stiffness in the joints”). Also search for significant emotional events, traumas or inner conflicts that were preceding the illness.

Find ways to heal these conflicts and emotions so that your unconscious mind and body are not pre-occupied and can focus on physical healing (for example through Time Line Therapy, NLP, Hypnotherapy, Counseling, Energy healing etc.).

5. Use visualizations and creative imagery to stimulate your self-healing potential. If you are taking medication, include what you would like your body to do with the medication (e.g. maximum effect without side-effects). Books and tapes by Dr. Bernie Siegel, the pioneer on using visualization to heal, are a great resource.

6. Never give up hope/trust. Always look for evidence that you can heal and are healing. Avoid listening or “buying into” negative prognosis, statistics…Surround yourself with positive people, positive life and health affirming messages.

**More to come