The language of healing
The words language and healing are very deliberately chosen for the subject and title of this brief blog.
There are, of course, many languages or many forms of communication. There is the communication of sound such as music. It is a language readily understood by all people no matter where they live. Within a culture there may be many varieties of music which appeal to different ages or other subgroups but even that is pretty consistent. Deaf people are tuned in to sound that many of us miss.
There is also the language of visual art such as paintings, drawings or sculptures. Whether it is the art of the pyramid or of the Michelangelo’s David art speaks to something deep within all of us.
Recently more attention is being paid to the language of smell as it affects one’s romantic or sexual attraction. There are now clubs where people select a potential date by smelling a tee shirt which has been worn for four days by someone!
The language of movement is also essential to how we function as a species. Some define all movement as dance. Our bodies always reflect what is going on with one emotionally even if one attempts to hide what one is feeling/experiencing.
Lastly there is the spoken language which uses inflection, pitch and many other nuisances in addition to particular spoken words.
Words, as are other forms of language, very powerful. Words have the power to hurt, soothe, tickle, and challenge. We begin to hear and learn how to apply language at a very early age. Sadly, we may begin to learn many lies about ourselves which are repeated over and over and over again. The lies become programs which direct how we treat ourselves and how our body responds. Our brain sends out directives to our bodies based on those programs. The rest of the body sends messages back to the brain based on those lies. If the messages are negative indicating that we are unworthy of love and respect then the rest of the body both responds to those lies and acts accordingly. It is a very interactional system.
Changing this process requires a leap of faith. One has to trust the opinion of healthy friends, counselors, clergy or other trusted people that one is worthy. If one can allow oneself to do that one can begin to replace the negative messages (lies) with the positive ones (truth), Eventually the brain begins to use those new messages to direct the rest of the body. This is the beginning of the healing process.
In the New Testament of the Bible which the Christian church uses John says:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (KJV).
Regardless of what one believes about the divinity of Jesus, this message is echoed by the Buddha, and many other wise teachers. The word is that all are deserving of love and respect. Louise Hay often said, “We are perfect in our imperfections.” We are human. We make mistakes. We hurt ourselves and others. We are also capable of great compassion – of great love.
We must, if we are to be our very best override the lies, accept our humanness and focus today on giving ourselves “the word” that we can, just for today, treat ourselves and others with love and respect.
Written August 16, 2018
The words language and healing are very deliberately chosen for the subject and title of this brief blog.
There are, of course, many languages or many forms of communication. There is the communication of sound such as music. It is a language readily understood by all people no matter where they live. Within a culture there may be many varieties of music which appeal to different ages or other subgroups but even that is pretty consistent. Deaf people are tuned in to sound that many of us miss.
There is also the language of visual art such as paintings, drawings or sculptures. Whether it is the art of the pyramid or of the Michelangelo’s David art speaks to something deep within all of us.
Recently more attention is being paid to the language of smell as it affects one’s romantic or sexual attraction. There are now clubs where people select a potential date by smelling a tee shirt which has been worn for four days by someone!
The language of movement is also essential to how we function as a species. Some define all movement as dance. Our bodies always reflect what is going on with one emotionally even if one attempts to hide what one is feeling/experiencing.
Lastly there is the spoken language which uses inflection, pitch and many other nuisances in addition to particular spoken words.
Words, as are other forms of language, very powerful. Words have the power to hurt, soothe, tickle, and challenge. We begin to hear and learn how to apply language at a very early age. Sadly, we may begin to learn many lies about ourselves which are repeated over and over and over again. The lies become programs which direct how we treat ourselves and how our body responds. Our brain sends out directives to our bodies based on those programs. The rest of the body sends messages back to the brain based on those lies. If the messages are negative indicating that we are unworthy of love and respect then the rest of the body both responds to those lies and acts accordingly. It is a very interactional system.
Changing this process requires a leap of faith. One has to trust the opinion of healthy friends, counselors, clergy or other trusted people that one is worthy. If one can allow oneself to do that one can begin to replace the negative messages (lies) with the positive ones (truth), Eventually the brain begins to use those new messages to direct the rest of the body. This is the beginning of the healing process.
In the New Testament of the Bible which the Christian church uses John says:
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (KJV).
Regardless of what one believes about the divinity of Jesus, this message is echoed by the Buddha, and many other wise teachers. The word is that all are deserving of love and respect. Louise Hay often said, “We are perfect in our imperfections.” We are human. We make mistakes. We hurt ourselves and others. We are also capable of great compassion – of great love.
We must, if we are to be our very best override the lies, accept our humanness and focus today on giving ourselves “the word” that we can, just for today, treat ourselves and others with love and respect.
Written August 16, 2018
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