Have you ever heard people talking about illness or disease being ‘all in the mind’? How often have people been diagnosed with more serious diseases or illness after a tragic incident?
We are holistic beings – our mind and bodies work together to create an outcome and they work together in order for us to live and create the life that we are living.There is also another more ‘mystical element’ that plays a role in our lives, most holistic health practitioners would call this the spirit or the innate energy source within us. From my research and studies, I would say that the spiritual part of health and disease would be metaphysics. Metaphysics is a difficult term to explain in a few words.
Lawrence Michail explains metaphysics in his article on ‘Boundaries’ quite well:, “Metaphysics means anything that is beyond the physical frame of reference. That is anything that is beyond the range of the 5 physical senses. Anything that cannot be touched, tasted, heard, seen, or smelled can be placed in the Metaphysical Realm. If you think about it, we encounter the Metaphysical world every day, in a myriad different ways. Our thoughts, our dreams, our emotions, our intuition are all aspects of the Metaphysical world. We speak of having a ‘6th sense’, of having ‘feelings’, or ‘luck, or of things being ‘coincidences”[1]
Some people ‘believe in’ metaphysics and others do not, perhaps because they have not had an experience where it rings true for them. Metaphysics is subjective and cannot be controlled by the standard rules of science. Sometimes we do not see how the metaphysical reason is associated with us (perhaps because it is covered up so deeply) and other people strongly live by metaphysical reasoning. It is important to realise that there are quite a few ‘metaphysical meanings’ to one condition. I think that the best way to understand metaphysics is to identify the emotional link to each organ and learn to ‘listen’ to what your body is trying to tell you. Metaphysics, and literature on metaphysics, are great guidelines. Examples of health practitioners that use metaphysics are Louise Hay and John Bell (MD).
Most of us live busy lives, so it is easier to push something that is bugging us to the side, however, the only way to really get rid of something is to deal with the issue and find solutions.
We are all individuals – this means that we do not all get sick the same way. Even if a large number of people are exposed to some pathogens, a specific stressor or other disease causing factors, not everyone will develop the same symptoms. Some people’s innate immune system can even fight off whatever the causative factor is, so that no symptoms develop.
In the field of reflexology, some of professionals use ‘foot reading’ as a tool to determine underlying meanings of their findings (or medical signs) and bringing about an awareness of things that the person may not be conscious of. This helps with the healing process, as we cannot heal something that we are not aware / conscious of.
How do we use foot reading? The shape, size, texture and c
olours of feet all convey certain meanings, either physically, psychologically or both. In my own personal experience, I have found that reflexology reveals the physical manifestations of disease before it occurs, and very often the precursor is emotional / psychological.
We all get sick and we all have our weaknesses. I have mentioned more about this in my article about the elements and meridians[2]. We are all individuals and have our own challenges, strengths and paths to take. When we are out of harmony with ourselves or our environment, we manifest dis-ease. It is important to note that we are not living in a perfect world – but always striving to better ourselves, and we have different challenges to overcome as we grow.
…
Someday I will probably do a more in-depth article on metaphysics and their specific links on the body.For this article I want to use a more brief, yet practical approach and focus on ‘diseases’ that may exacerbate or organs that are affected by the winter seasons. Thus I am also bringing the elements into metaphysics for a holistic approach as they also interlink.
The colder months are associated with grief, worry and fear. Autumn and the beginning of winter are associated with the emotions of grief and then moving more onto fear the deeper that we get into winter. The main organs and body parts affected in winter are the kidneys, bladder, back and reproductive organs.
Problems with the kidneys and bladder are associated with excess fear and anxiety (or on the opposite end of the scale ‘adrenaline junkie’).[3] Metaphysically, kidney problems are associated with being unable to let go of things (such as old traditions) where change for liberation is needed. Bladder problems are associated with too much pressure, lack of patience, avoiding something you are ashamed of (such as having strong emotions) and having a lot of emotional baggage.[4]
Back problems are associated with insecurity (fear). Different parts of the back are associated with different insecurities.
Back pain is a very common problem for many people of all ages. The spine is one of the most important parts of the body. The spinal cord holds all the nerves, it is the group of bones that keeps us upright and the chakras run up the spine. According to metaphysics the back represents support in life.
More specifically, problems with the upper back (cervical spine) are related to feeling lack of emotional support, distrust or invasion. Cervical spine and neck issues also have to do with seeing (or not seeing) all viewpoints and stubbornness.
Middle back (thoracic spine) problems are related to feelings of guilt and lack of self confidence. This area of the back is also associated with supporting activities and passion in doing them.
Lower back (lumbar spine) problems are related to financial worries or financial insecurities. Pain in this area is also associated with avoiding dealing with painful issues.[5],[6]
Winter is the perfect time to ‘go within’ – to start to understand and become aware of the metaphysical implications we so often have buried. Or just to trying to listen to the messages that our bodies are conveying to us. We bury our problems and forget about them. BUT our bodies need to get rid of them (because it is toxic) so it manifests physically.
That is why it is so necessary to express your fears, show your anger and go through grief….emotions only become toxic when they are buried or hung onto.
Next month I will be posting my article on “Living in Harmony with winter.”
———–
Sources:
[1] Michail, L. PHYSICAL BODY AND EMOTIONAL BODY BY: LAWRENCE MICHAIL. http://boundariesarebeautiful.com/bodyemotionconnection/
[2] Steyn, J. How the 5 elements relate to reflexology. https://reflexologylife.wordpress.com/2016/09/19/how-the-5-elements-and-meridians-relate-to-reflexology/
[3] According to the 5 Elements: Dougans, I. (2005). Reflexology. The 5 elements and their 12 meridians. A unique approach. Thorsons: London. Pages 137 -139
[4] McBeath,S. Our Spiritual Nutrition. Section 5 ‐ Interpreting the physical signals (spiritual components of physical disorders). Online: http://www.ourspiritualnutrition.com/is05.htm. Accessed: 2016/10/16
[5] Tayade, K. Self-Healing through affirmations by Louise Hay. Online: http://healinglaffirmations.blogspot.co.za/2014/04/self-healing-through-affirmations-from.html
[6]Afsar, F. Causes of Symptoms according to Louise Hay. http://alchemyofhealing.com/causes-of-symptoms-according-to-louise-hay/
reflexologylife 