“Holistic and conventional medicine take two different attitudes toward power: active and passive. The chemical treatments of conventional medicine require no conscious participation on the part of the patient …”
“When a person is passive – with an attitude of ‘just do it to me’ – he does not fully heal; he may recover, but he may never deal fully with the source of his illness.”
Caroline Myss, Anatomy of the Spirit
What is the difference?
Volunteering at Marie Curie Hospice in Hampstead, London, constantly provides me with an opportunity to offer help, support and seeing things in a different light, in my life and in my work as a Reiki Practitioner.
It helps me put things into perspective, inviting me to go work on self-reflection, personal and spiritual development; it offers me an incredible tool for self-healing, through generating a vast amount of gratitude for all blessings in my life.
In the past years, throughout my training as a healer, teachers have always emphasized the difference between healing and curing.
Most of us look for a quick fix when we are ill. The problem with this, however, is that a quick fix isn’t always possible; and in many cases, it’s not even the best medicine.
Psychical symptoms are the results of something that is happening on a much deeper level. They are the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Western medicine aims at relieving these symptoms, which often bring results. However, medical doctors often ignore the cause or source of these symptoms.
Releasing or eliminating the symptoms often leaves the source of the problem untouched. How medicines work often equates to covering a pot of boiling water with a lid. We all know that the pressure generated will soon be too much to be contained inside the pot. The only way is to turn the gas down, reducing the pressure.
For example, just think about the Low Fuel Level Warning Light in your car. When this warning light starts flashing, what do you do? Do you try to switch off the warning light by disconnecting it, or perhaps as soon as you realise that this is related to low fuel level, you proceed to stop at a petrol station and quickly put some fuel in your car?
Symptoms are like warning lights in a car; their function is to warn us about something that is happening in the car (our body).
Therefore, the first difference between healing and curing is that curing is more concerned to address the symptoms, while healing focuses on the cause. Healing is not concerned with the symptoms, because as soon as the cause of the illness is understood and healed, the symptoms often disappear. But not always.
This is simple to understand, but not easy to practice. We first need to have a manual (like in the car) which gives us an indication of the meaning of each warning light we have in our body. Then, once we accept and understand what is happening in us, based on the symptoms/warning light, we need to have some knowledge of how to heal the cause of the problem.
This is not easy and not quick;, it is not cheap and it does require our full commitment and active participation in the healing process.
General Practitioners in the UK only have ten minutes to visit and advice a patient. This time is not sufficient for a medical doctor to educate a patient about the source of a problem, it is much quicker to give a pill.
Of course, I am not saying that western medicine is not useful; it is incredibly useful and needed.
However, I believe that a holistic (whole) approach where western medicine and energetic/spiritual approaches work together and complement each other, is the only way for the future.
Volunteering at Marie Curie Hospice in Hampstead, London, constantly provides me with an opportunity to offer help, support and of seeing things in a different light, in my life and in my work as a Reiki Practitioner.
It helps me putting things into perspective, inviting me to go work on self-reflection, personal and spiritual development; it offers me an incredible tool for self-healing, through generating a vast amount of gratitude for all blessings in my life.
In the past years, throughout my training as a healer, teachers have always emphasized the difference between healing and curing.
Most of us look for a quick fix when we are ill. The problem with this, however, is that a quick fix isn’t always possible; and in many cases, it’s not even the best medicine.
Psychical symptoms are the results of something that is happening on a much deeper level. They are the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Western medicine aims at relieving these symptoms, which often bring results. However, medical doctors often ignore the cause or source of these symptoms.
Releasing or eliminating the symptoms often leaves the source of the problem untouched. The way in which medicines work often equates to covering a pot of boiling water with a lid. We all know that the pressure generated will soon be too much to be contained inside the pot. The only way is to turn the gas down, reducing the pressure.
For example, just think about the Low Fuel Level Warning Light in your car. When this warning light starts flashing, what do you do? Do you try to switch off the warning light by disconnecting it, or perhaps as soon as you realise that this is related to low fuel level, you proceed to stop at a petrol station and quickly put some fuel in your car?
Symptoms are like warning lights in a car; their function is to warn us about something that is happening in the car (our body).
Therefore, the first difference between healing and curing is that curing is more concerned to address the symptoms, while healing focuses on the cause. Healing is not concerned with the symptoms, because as soon as the cause of the illness is understood and healed, the symptoms often disappear. But not always.
This is simple to understand, but not easy to practice. We first need to have a manual (like in the car) which gives us an indication to the meaning of each warning light we have in our body. Then, once we accept and understand what is happening in us, based on the symptoms/warning light, we need to have some knowledge of how to heal the cause of the problem.
This is not easy and not quick;, it is not cheap and it does require our full commitment and active participation in the healing process.
General Practitioners in the UK only have ten minutes to visit and advice a patient. This time is not sufficient for a medical doctor to educate a patient about the source of a problem, it is much quicker to give a pill.
Of course, I am not saying that western medicine is not useful; it is incredibly useful and needed.
However, I believe that a holistic (whole) approach where western medicine and energetic/spiritual approaches work together and complement each other, is the only way for the future.
Reiki As A Complementary Approach To Healing
Caroline Myss is a world-renowned medical intuitive, author, and speaker in the field of health and healing.
In her book, Anatomy of the Spirit, she points out: “Healing begins with the repair of emotional injuries.” She explains, in other words, that it is essential to consider the emotional component of illness rather than considering an illness simply a result of germs and genetics.
Caroline Myss also explains that holistic medicine considers the patient’s willingness to participate fully in his or her own healing as a necessary element for its success.
“Healing is an active and internal process that includes investigating one’s attitudes, memories, and beliefs with the desire to release all negative patterns that prevent one’s full emotional and spiritual recovery,” says Caroline.
Caroline Myss is a world-renowned medical intuitive, author, and speaker in the field of health and healing.
In her book, Anatomy of the Spirit, she points out: “Healing begins with the repair of emotional injuries.” She explains, in other words, that it is essential to consider the emotional component of illness rather than considering an illness simply a result of germs and genetics.
Caroline Myss also explains that holistic medicine considers the patient’s willingness to participate fully in his or her own healing as necessary element for its success.
“Healing is an active and internal process that includes investigating one’s attitudes, memories, and beliefs with the desire to release all negative patterns that prevent one’s full emotional and spiritual recovery,” says Caroline.
Giving Reiki is mainly enabling the received to active their own self-healing power. Reiki Practitioners do not actually heal; they act as catalysis for the receiver.
Reiki treatments help balancing body, mind, energy and spirit. They are not a magic wand, and they often do not provide a quick fix. Reiki works at the core of an illness, that’s why sometimes we the receiver experiences healing, but not curing.
When I work with terminally ill patients at the Hospice, I am not there promising to cure them. I am there to offer healing through my presence and through hands-on treatments.
I have seen patients going through pain and suffering with their illness, but still managed to benefit from the healing they received while they were there. Not just the healing I provided, but the loving care of medical doctors, nurses, members of the family and other complementary therapists.
The Way Forward
Reiki Practitioners are asked to constantly refine their skills and abilities after the course they have attended. A Reiki course is a wonderful experience during which the Reiki Master attunes the student to different levels of vibration.
However, a course of a few days does not provide students with tools such as self-reflection, personal and spiritual growth, or experience.
Reiki students need to practice, going deep into self-healing and working with other people, in order to grow as proficient Reiki practitioners. Energetically speaking, the more we use Reiki, the more we are opening up to the flow of Universal Life Energy. With time and practice, we are allowing more and more Reiki to flow through us.
It does required the wise use of our free will, it is not an automatic process. However, benefits that we can access are truly amazing and unlimited.
