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Healing Is an inside Job...and a Community Project October 28, 2019 18:42

 We're all healing from something, which means we're all on a healing journey of one sort or another. 

I recently taught a Malas and Mantra Workshop at a yoga studio in Fishers, IN. I enjoy sharing what I've learned about the history, benefits, and techniques that can be used in a daily japa practice. A friend who I hadn't seen in several months happened to attend this workshop. She is currently on a Category 5 healing journey of her own--unfortunately, her cancer has returned with a vengeance, and she was interested in incorporating a daily mantra practice into her healing regimen.

Her parents happen to live near the yoga studio, so after the workshop ended, she invited me to their home so we could catch up and chat. I drove along the tree-lined, gravel driveway to a lovely, two-story home. I was greeted by her father, who had been working in the garage, and the sound of wind chimes drifting from the porch.

Michelle greeted me at the door and led me to the basement, where her parents  had remodeled the space into a fully functioning kitchen, specifically for her healing. The kitchen table was loaded with fresh fruit and veggies, and she had an impressive two-step PURE juicer that would grind, then press produce into nutrient-rich juice. 

She had conquered cancer before, and the first time around, she endured the standard Western medicine protocols: chemo and radiation. Unfortunately, years later, the cancer returned, and this time around, she listened to her intuition. She's following the Gerson Therapy protocol, which includes a holistic, nutritional approach to healing, and it encourages the body to heal itself. 

While we chatted, she made a batch of fresh carrot and green apple juice. She poured it into two prom goblets, and we toasted to each other's health, healing, and friendship. 

One of the things that impressed me the most was that Michelle was surrounded by loving people who supported her healing choices. She has the support of a team of physicians, dieticians, herbalists, energy workers, healers, friends, and family who respect her decisions, and who don't sabotage her healing by planting seeds of fear and doubt. Michelle is confident and at peace with her healing regimen, and the best news of all is, she is responding well to this protocol. Recent test results indicate dramatic improvement, she's gaining strength, and her complexion is healthy and radiant. She's listening to her intuition, and her intuition is leading her to healing.

While I have not had to contend with a cancer diagnosis, let alone two, I have had to contend with some serious obstacles.  Long before I learned about the benefits of mantra and practiced japa on the daily, I grew up in a home with a severely mentally ill mother and an emotionally unavailable step-father. Growing up in this environment was certainly not easy.  Even after practicing japa for several years, I'm not immune to suffering. However, the practice has helped me navigate my way through life's challenges.

Mantra recitations have helped give me the courage to leave a toxic, narcissistic employer; it helped me find steadiness during periods of financial uncertainty; it helped me remain calm in the face of fear, hopelessness, and anxiety; it  helped me stand strong when I needed to set boundaries and assert myself; and it continues to help me offer kindness, compassion, and forgiveness to those who may be unkind, cruel or harsh in the midst of their own suffering.

Japa is not a panacea, by any means, but it is a powerful tool for healing. The seeds of our healing and potential for growth are ultimately internal, and it's up to each of us to cultivate them, whether it's honoring our intuition, making wise nutritional choices, or choosing to meditate every day. Healing can't fully bloom, however, without the loving support of others. Community, too, is essential to our healing and growth as well.

Interested in starting your own japa practice to help you navigate and manage life's challenges? The Middle Moon Malas collection offers several beautiful designs. Or, contact us for a custom mala design.

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Healing Is an inside Job...and a Community Project Posted on 28 Oct 18:42

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