| |||||
|
Illness Solutions, Cures, Remedies
ATTITUDE can decide health, recovery, success, survival, happiness. An attitude and behavior fostered by Aikido is termed "The Way of the Mountain Echo." One way of understanding this principle is to know that as one chooses to contribute to the world, so she or he will reap in return. This is not a simple "eye-for-an-eye" ego-driven materialistic concept. THE CHOICE OF AN UNSPIRITUAL LIFESTYLE now may provide you with material riches, power, popularity, control, acceptance, and sexual excess. This is the "positive" image portrayed by the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars in marketing and advertising promotions for at least the past 70 years in North America. Within the awareness of the "Mountain Echo", one receives these material benefits by way of
The Way of the Mountain Echo" acknowledges that this is all possible, and, that the results are frequently
A DECLINE IN HEALTH, we are all aware of is encouraged by each of these factors --- physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. That these features are often mirrored in the extended families of such persons (spouses, children, close relatives and friends and associates) should not be surprising. NEGATIVE SPIRITUAL ATTITUDES and behaviors are often the result of past traumas being expressed in such a manner as to newly traumatize those near to one. More recently, we can understand this dynamic in terms of personal and hereditary Energy Blocks. ONE'S PERSONAL HELL may be the realization at one's death of all of the misery that they have needlessly and carelessly brought to the world: a misery which will live on in immortality as one's "spiritual" reputation in the memories and lives of others. It is their poor and degrading health that you may be responsible for ... and that someday they will hold you responsible for. It is only by some supreme spiritual grace in forgiveness, demonstrated in response to your aware and sincere acknowledgement of your misdirection (which must occur before your death) that this flame of enmity and anger directed against your spirit by all whom you have mistreated can be quenched rather than grow increasingly into a bonfire of hatred, and thence to an apocalyptic rage of a nuclear firestorm. AN ALTERNATIVE is to choose to build within oneself the spiritual features of sensuality:
"The Way of the Mountain Echo" acknowledges that this is all possible, and, that the results are frequently
Although one may be materially destitute, socially unknown, politically powerless, and unaccepted by the masses --- the "Mountain Echo" returns to such an individual a life which no amount of money can buy: healthfulness and the respect and acknowledgement of those few who share such a lifestyle.
SENSUALLY, "The Way of the Mountain Echo" is easily demonstrated in the activity of touch itself. AN EXAMPLE: MARRIAGE COUNSELLORS in our community consisted of church ministers with no training in counselling and were as ill-equipped as we were. Never having heard of or having been exposed to assertive communication, neither of us could tell the other what we wanted, or, what we did not understand about the other. Even deeper, I had been brought up in a cultural environment in which sensual expression was considered immature, bad, --- even evil. I don't recall my parents ever kissing or hugging in front of me. Neither did they argue, debate, negotiate or compromise --- all activities which are often resolved with some form of sensual expression:
SHARING BECOMES MINIMIZED without an expression of and an appreciation for individual identities within a relationship. And when this expression is only done in secret, the example and mentoring offered to one's children is that it is non-existent. In addition, children cannot develop positive skills for coping with anxiety, frustration, and anger --- for they never see any expressed. FROM WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ABUSIVE MARRIAGE lacking anything but destructive coping skills for these feelings, children can grow to deny that part of themselves because they fear the expression of it will bring the abuse observed between their parents. If the cultural background does not provide opportunities to learn these skills, the children grow up to be parents who conceal or avoid interpersonal conflict in an effort to "protect" their own children from the abuse they have observed. THE FALLACY OF THIS APPROACH is that the children WILL experience interpersonal conflict and do not have any constructive coping skills to deal with it. The potential for a new round of abusive relationships to develop is high. Yet with it will come a high degree of toxic shame centered around their inability to be "perfect" even as their non-violent and non-expressive parents appear to have been. This is where the connection with disease and hypersensitivities is clear. For those persons thrust into such NO-WIN RELATIONSHIPS severe self-imposed restrictions on one's Basic Personality and one's Ego can verge on self-hate. A person who cannot accept and love themselves has not forgotten how to love, they don't know what it is nor how to express and share it. No amount of shyness, perfectionism, subservience, overwork, sacrifice, or self-denial will bring them the love they crave --- yet cannot find --- because they cannot give it. This chronic presence of anxiety, shame, grief, intensity, frustration ... encourages depression. ALL lead in one direction: disease. DEEPER THAN THIS OUTER LAYER of communication and interaction skills lies something more terrifying and sinister. If one cannot freely interact and touch others with their emotional expression through voice and non-verbal contact, how can one actually appreciate real sensual contact. Let's go back to where I started. In my mid-30's, I was invited to attend a weekend of awareness workshops at a retreat by a new and close girlfriend. We each chose those workshops which appealed to us and one that I separately chose had to do with "Sexuality and Touch". In a group of 20 - 25 persons aged 18 to 65, I was guided with the others through a series of exercises. One in particular stood out for me. IN THIS EXERCISE we were paired up with another person. FIRST, we were to touch the face of the other person and try to visualize what they looked like. The person "receiving" the touch was only to reply to what the person "giving" the touch volunteered. They were not to initiate any conversation. After touching the other person's face, one could then ask permission to touch the other person's hands ... still without sight. Comments could be made regarding how one "saw" the other person through their sense of touch and what assumptions and expectations that brought as to the other person's gender, age, occupation, .... FOR THOSE STILL COMFORTABLE WITH THE EXERCISE, touch could then be extended, with permission, to the other person's arms. When the cycle was completed, the roles were switched. When both completed the exercise, blindfolds were removed and brief exchanges of appreciation were usually given. It was universally remarked by the group how happy I had looked to the others as they observed the interaction I was involved in. This was particularly expressed at the time when the moderators asked who would like to do a second round. This was a totally new experience for me ... even though I had been very sexually active in my 12-year marriage. For me, it was like being set free from a prison. WHAT I LEARNED THAT DAY ABOUT SENSUALITY and touch is something I was completely unprepared for. It was at odds with what I had been taught and mentored by my home, community, religion, and region cultures. While I had felt previously unbelievable and relaxed happiness during my touching exercises, the happiness and joy carried with it NO sexual component. I was able to experience and remember the sensual experience for what it was, not for who it was with. THE DEGREE OF MY JOY was a reflection of how much I enjoyed being touched AND how much I took pleasure from touching someone else. The greatest joy was in feeling pleasure in "giving" as well as in "receiving". It was not a case of touching someone else to "make" them feel good. It was a reality of sharing pleasure in a totally trusting, open, free, assertive, responsible manner. I RECOMMEND such a moderated exercise to everyone with the following additional cautions. Each party to an intimate relationship will benefit by taking the exercise but each should participate in a separate group. In this way Egos do not sacrifice the benefits by adding the potential for competitiveness, denial, possessiveness, pride, or jealousy to the exercise. If only one party to the relationship participates in such an awareness exercise, there will always be a sensual chasm between the two. There is too much sexual expectation in our culture for two persons to do the exercises privately and not expect sexual suggestion not to creep in and ruin the result. IF NO ONE IS OFFERING SUCH A WORKSHOP in your area, why not put several together. Try to have a minimum of 10 persons attend. Be clear about the guidelines. Have non-participating moderators. Lastly, be prepared to be compassionate and understanding. In the workshop I attended, there was a young man who could not participate ... even though he wished to. He could not bear to be touched by anyone in such an exercise. He was not ostracised nor pitied. He was acknowledged and sincerely emotionally supported and offered referral to several different types of therapists who might be helpful. Like the "Mountain Echo", touch can be rewarding not only because it is received but also because it gives pleasure to the sender. WHERE IS AIKIDO IN ALL OF THIS ? A SIXTH SENSE can become available to us which can allow the martial art's professional to "see" blindfolded. Some have even taken this further so as to be able to "see" through physical barriers. Still others use such a state to receive guidance from their Higher Self, a personal spiritual link to the Spirit of the Universe, God, The Holy Ghost ... or whichever name you respect for it. What if this state of "Oneness," suspended consciousness, openness, "Universal Love" ... were all interpretations of the same basic expression which all humans share: an emotion!
| |||||
