Unit 7

Hello fellow classmates,
This weeks healing practices have been interesting to say the least. I have actually taken the practices we learned throughout the semester and integrated them into a 30 minute meditation session I have practiced twice a day all week. This last practice, Meeting Aesclepius, was integrated by understanding that this image of a wise healer with all "her" energy, peace, and love was already inside of me-emanating with light and healing power. I took this healing and peaceful knowledge and light and guided it through every cell of my body, healing or correcting any abnormality within. When my inner cleansing was complete I then guided this energy and love to every living being in this world-I didn't have to imagine a whole slew of people and animals, just the radiating energy their physical being had. I gave them all my love and my healing energy, I gave it to the universe to distribute as need be, and I gave it to my loved ones and friends. After this, I would return my thoughts to within myself- my healing energy once again became infused with only my body while bringing with it any suffering or negative energy I could grab from others. I took all this energy, bad and good, and imagined my inner light cleansing and purifying it, recreating this energy into my own that was filled with love and compassion. To end the session I would return my mind's eye to my inner voice and let it sit in calmness-listening to any lesson needing to be told.
As this is the first time I have ever really integrated several practices together I must say I have been feeling and seeing a difference in my life, I feel as though my surroundings have become lighter, the people around me becoming happier, and situations getting better. I like this change, and I will definitely continue to use and add to this method with time and as I find other practices.
I feel like what I just described has some connection with the saying "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself". (p.477) Basically, if I as a healer or professional do not understand or have experienced my own teachings or practices, there will be no real way for any change to come to my clients or students. A person has to integrate their practices into their lives or they will not fully be able to illustrate change for others. To me, this is an unspoken rule and obligation to my future clients because it allows me to understand their progress or regression more thoroughly-which allows me to help them more. In doing so, in practicing what I preach, there may come about positive changes in all aspects of my life.
-Stacey Smith