How Does the Shaman View Chronic Health Issues?

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!I had a question a few days ago regarding health and what my perspective as a shaman was.  Mary asked, "These days with our polluted industrialized unnatural ways of living, it seems that many new illnesses have come forth such as autism, MS, chemical sensitivities, gene mutations, cancer, etc.  Thus, these physical things are deemed causes of illness. Most alternative doctors are focused mostly on detoxing and strengthening the physical body. But what happens if people continue to be ill and dysfunctional despite doing all the right things? Some say that all (physical) illness starts "in the mind", and that ultimately, the way to heal is with healing the mind (emotions), and/or spiritual. How does the shaman see chronic physical health problems? Do you feel that we can separate the causes of illness? Emotional, spiritual, mental, physical, or is everything truly connected? We have all heard stories about people who did not even do anything different on the physical level, yet something in their body healed on it's own....(a miracle happened, which some say, if a shift in perception). What is your perspective?"This is a great question.  One thing that I think our western view of medicine has not caught up to yet is this idea of the mind-body connection, as if the mind was separate from the body and visaversa.  The way I see the body, there is no mind-body connection because there is no separation.  Our physical bodies are encased in our emotional/mental body, which is encased in our mythic/soul body, with in turn is encased in the energetic body, (and some healers can see several layers in that body as well.)  An injury at one level effects everything else.  The energetic body isn't just an outer shell--it goes through all the bodies, and the soul body goes through the mental/emotional body and physical body.  In other words while it might be helpful to think of these bodies as nested shells, they really aren't.If you have an injury at one level, it will at some point show through at the other levels.  If you have a cancer that starts at the energetic or the mythic level from soul loss, you may be able to surgically remove it at the physical level, but if it is not treated at the mythic level, it can recur.  If you come into your body with an injury from a previous lifetime or from a family imprint, it could be set up at the mental/emotional level as mental illness or a physical problem.  Their is no one-size fits all to these health issues.  Each person is different!  And of course, if you eat terrible food and breathe in polluted air, that is going to hurt your physical body and perhaps start hurting you at the mental/emotional as well.  If you endure a terrible tragedy on the emotional level, this can cause a deep imprint at the mythic level.  It simply all depends.Of course, we must take responsibility for our health and our healing, and yet we need to be realistic and gentle with ourselves as well.  I've had several clients come to me and tell me they've created their cancer or other chronic illness.  Our system is simply too complicated to assume that.  Yes, there are cases in which a person can shift at the mythic and energetic levels and their physical problem goes away completely.  That is wonderful, and that is real.  However, with many chronic health problems, telling ourselves we've done it to ourselves isn't always helpful.My take on health is to look at how I am doing at the physical, emotional/mental, mythic, and energetic levels, and treat myself well.  Am I eating right?  Am I getting the exercise my body likes?  Am I limiting my exposure to environmental toxins?  Am I hanging out with people that make me happy and inspired rather than irritate me and drain me?  Am I limiting my intake of bad collective news that I can do nothing about?  Am I able to be at the mythic/sacred level without anything in the way?  (If not then I go to my shaman for some work)  Am I up to date on keeping my living space clear energetically?  Am I unentangled in my relationships?  All of these will affect our health, and deserve attention.On top of this I am an Empath so I need to be extra careful about taking on the vibration of friends and family that I am very close to when I am worried about them or when they are ill.  Some of you have heard about how I developed gall stones when my father did, and how those miraculously disappeared after he had surgery.  Most Empaths tend to process emotional overwhelm on the physical level--we can help ourselves out by putting that extra emotional energy into a sandpainting.  We can create better boundaries with our loved ones by building altars around the relationship.  Empaths can also tune into the collective and make themselves chronically ill as well.  We have a few more challenges than non-Empaths to deal with!So, yes, health is complicated.  Mary, if you are suffering from chronic issues, and you are an Empath, you want to make sure that energetically you are fully "in" your physical body.  Many Empaths aren't.  For that you will need to go to a shaman or another energy healer that can help you get all the way in.  Sometimes this happens because of a hard birth experience.  When we aren't fully in our bodies, other vibrations can start taking up partial residence.  Those will need to be evicted so to speak.  Again, a shaman can help you with that.  I'm going to assume that you are taking care of your physical issues by seeing good doctors that you trust, and that you are taking good care of your emotional health by making sure your relationships are healthy and supportive.  If not, find those trusted health professionals and also a good therapist!  Eat the best food you can afford, treat yourself as kindly as possible.  Look at yourself from these different levels of reality and get the best medicine that you can afford.  I hope that makes a difference in your health and happiness!much love,Elaine  

Creativity and Expansion

I was talking to my mentor, Greta Holmes, yesterday about the discomfort I've been feeling around changing my practice.  As I've looked back on my life, I see that I go through these cycles of expansion as I move into my creativity.  I had been feeling in somewhat of a double bind, because the emotional signals to expand are so uncomfortable: first boredom as what I am currently doing no longer feels like enough, then anxiety at the thought of what it would take to dive into something new or dive into that creative side once again.  Sure enough, one of my coping mechanisms for dealing with these uncomfortable emotions is to eat lots of chocolate.The trick for me is to realize that this is part of being a creative being.  Expansion will come, and I have to use those emotional signals (and as Empaths we are SO in touch with our emotions) to let me know that what is before me is a decision--sit still or move forward.  The most painful part of this cycle is to not decide.  Once I decide, then the emotions subside, and all that energy that was going into them can go into my creativity.I find this very exciting as I move away from one-on-one work into more writing, but scary as well.  Here's to hoping that you will break yourself free from the status quo when boredom and then anxiety hits you.  Remember, it's all good, it's a sign that you are evolving!much love,Elaine

Empaths & Weight

I have recently made the connection between being an Empath and taking on extra body weight. I never noticed this before and I wonder why it isn't discussed more in the weight-loss communities. Are people aware of it? I know it is common for victims of sexual abuse to become obese which makes sense. (Oprah's story is one that comes to mind). I also noticed before that many massage therapists are often more heavyset. Is this because by touching people they automatically process more of their stuff and need a barrier?I also have my own recent experience with finally losing a significant amount of weight that I had had for years. The catalyst in me losing it was actually a HUGE fight I had with my father while visiting. Immediately after the fight I flew home and felt a blow in my 3rd chakra as though a physical cord had been severed and that a significant separation had involuntarily occured--after butting heads with my father for years. While I didn't make the connection until much later, it was very shortly after this that I felt pulled to go to a Weight Watchers meeting. Once I made that commitment, losing the weight was not all that difficult. It seems as though all the elements were in place.Throughout the process and even now I look back and notice how weight is a protective layer. I recently heard someone say that overweight individuals are in "protective" mode. What is it protecting us from?It wasn't until a session with Elaine when the other puzzle piece came together. I learned I was an empath and as a result I process other peoples emotions and "stuff", subconsiously. Finally a name to what I'd been feeling all this time! This is why I always was so tired, especially around people. Being tired makes me feel like I need more "fuel" which makes me eat more than is necessary, which makes me gain weight, which gives me the protection I needed. A-ha! It's all linked together.For me, I can see that my father is the person who I had always tried to help emotionally, taking on his stuff, always trying to fix it, make him feel better, etc.. While never being able to. The funny thing is, I think my father is exactly this same way!This has made me think about so many other Empath issues and I wonder if cigarette smokers do it to push people away because they "can't handle" life?I'd love to learn more about this if anyone has any insights!