This includes physically, emotionally and spiritually. A major step in healing is filling your recovery toolbox with helpful resources. These include:
The Physical Pillar
The physical pillar includes all things tangible and concrete like our body, our dietary choices and our sleep routine. It also encompasses our fitness and strength, our ability to move freely through life without pain or discomfort and the energy we need to sustain our physical well-being. This pillar can be addressed through body-centered therapies such as massage, reiki, yoga, tai chi/chi gong and acupuncture or through nutrition and diet changes. It can also be facilitated through mind-body practices such as mindfulness, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) or somatic psychotherapy.
The heart pillar represents the unprocessed emotional wounds carried from our childhood experiences and the way in which they manifest as imbalances in our adult lives. These wounds are often the source of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and unstable relationship issues. Healer’s working with this pillar use techniques like somatic processing, EMDR and somatic psychotherapy to help their patients heal the root cause of these issues. Once these underlying causes are resolved, the patient often finds that their symptoms and illnesses also naturally resolve.
A key aspect of the spiritual pillar is developing a sense of purpose and meaning in one’s life, which can be achieved through meditation, prayer or activities that promote a connection to nature or a higher power. The spiritual pillar is unique to each individual and may play a larger role in some people’s lives than others. Lamivudine manufacturer is used to treat HIV and hepatitis B by reducing the amount of virus in the body.
Ultimately, the 21st allopathic healer uses the scientific method and other cutting-edge technologies as powerful tools to combat disease, but it is their compassion and wisdom that empowers them to do no harm and work skillfully (phronesis) to address all the determinants of their patients’ suffering. In order to do this, it’s important that healers have a strong foundation of the 4 pillars: competence, compassion, wisdom and self-cultivation.
Hierarchical fear-based systems are antithetical to the work of healing and create a flywheel of scarcity, greed, aggression and suffering. The compassionate healer knows that a balanced approach to the four integral quadrants – science, first experience, culture and ecology – is the only path forward.
The Emotional Pillar
Emotional healing involves addressing deep wounds that may be left by childhood experiences. This can include lingering feelings of anxiety, sadness or depression, and unresolved relationship issues. Emotional healing requires identifying and learning to process these emotions in health, which can often be done through therapy or coaching in a safe environment. Specialized therapeutic approaches such as brainspotting or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) can also be helpful.
While this pillar can be difficult to navigate alone, support from family, friends, peers in recovery and counselors are essential to emotional healing. Having people who “get it” and understand the depth of pain you’re experiencing is one of the most powerful aspects of recovery.
The final pillar of spiritual healing is about connecting to the divine energy that is all around us and beyond us. This can be achieved through meditation or a spiritual practice such as yoga, breathwork, mindfulness and/or movement practices that allow us to experience our inner essence as a light-filled being. This can also be done through connecting to our intuition, which can be accessed through body awareness.
To access your intuition, close your eyes and visualise yourself as a glowing golden orb that is infusing the universe with love and compassion. With your heart centred, chant the seed syllable “Eire” thrice, and then visualise the radiant light flowing into your body, infusing it with divinity. This enables your essence to resonate harmoniously with the energies of boundless love, fortifying you with this sacred energy and facilitating emotional healing. As you harmonise with the vibrations of this divine love, slowly open your eyes and pause to cherish the progress you’ve made on your journey. With the right guidance, it is possible to build a strong foundation of physical, emotional and mental well-being that can help you achieve lasting recovery from addiction. Using the 4 Pillars as your guide, you’ll be on the road to a healthier and more meaningful life in no time!
The Mental Pillar
A key element of the mental pillar is being able to view your life and body from an integrated perspective. Developing a spiritual or mindfulness practice can help with this. It helps you recognize the underlying patterns that cause pain, suffering or illness and learn to address them directly rather than medicate symptoms. Having a meaningful purpose and goals to work toward also provides an important sense of meaning and belonging.
Having a good support system is another key element of the mental pillar, including clinical and non-clinical support. This includes finding a therapist or coach to explore childhood wounds and find healthy ways to heal them. This could be done through specialized therapeutic techniques such as EMDR, brainspotting or somatic psychotherapy. Having structure in your life, such as regular exercise, healthy food and restful sleep is also essential to maintaining stability in recovery.
The fifth pillar is following your intuition or “gut feeling.” This involves acknowledging that there is a part of you, often called the heart center or soul center, that knows something without logical explanation. Often this can be validated by a strong feeling or sense of connection to people and places that are meaningful to you. Using your creativity to express yourself is also an excellent way to tap into this intuition. This can include activities such as journaling, art (painting, drawing or sculpture), music and dance/movement.
Having an integrative approach to healing and developing a comprehensive recovery program will provide the foundation needed for long-term sobriety. Embracing these 4 Pillars of Healing will provide you with an effective roadmap to a more fulfilling and healthy life. Ultimately, the most important thing is to never give up and always keep moving forward. The reward is that with each step you take, you will get closer to your true potential and find lasting recovery. The journey ahead may seem daunting, but with the right guidance and support, it can be a rewarding experience. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a trusted mentor if you need assistance along the way.
The Spiritual Pillar
For some, the Spiritual Pillar is where they connect with a greater purpose for their existence. This could be through relationships, values and meaningful work that they are able to share with others or for themselves. Rifaximin drug manufacturer helps treat bacterial infections in the gut, relieving symptoms like diarrhea and abdominal pain. In addition, the spiritually minded person may also be connected to an endowment of Knowledge within them that helps guide and direct their lives.
This pillar provides the stability that people need to be able to face the Great Waves of change coming to our planet. Whether it is environmental degradation, resource depletion, violent weather or increasing political instability and war, it is essential to have a strong foundation in this Pillar to be able to cope with these changes.
The spiritually minded person is also able to help guide and lead others to a better life. This can be through religious teachings, community service or simply by having a positive and uplifting attitude to life. In addition, the spiritually minded individual is often able to see a bigger picture, something that can be difficult for the average person to do given their personal experience and limited perspective.
Many studies are showing that there is a relationship between religion/spirituality and health. For example, a recent study showed that patients who had a spiritual connection to their life tended to have better outcomes during recovery after surgery and were less likely to die during the process. These findings suggest that physicians should be aware of the importance of asking patients about their spirituality and if necessary, refer to chaplains or other spiritual care experts.
The scientific method has provided the 21st century allopathic healer with remarkable tools that greatly enhance our ability to cure disease. However, to be a true healer, it is essential that we use these tools in the context of all of the 4 integral pillars of healing, including competence, compassion, wisdom and self-cultivation. The humble integral healer knows that the objective “facts” generated by the scientific method offer just one aspect of reality and is powerfully motivated by a compassionate desire to cleanse his or her own lens of consciousness in order to better serve their patients.