Anyone who has sat in one of my writing classes knows that I have always emphasized audience awareness. Many papers were returned with comments like “tone too informal for your audience” or “need to develop awareness of who will read this before you write.” Yet, here I sit, not really knowing my audience demographic. That was a concern because I wanted to please you with what I offered. Then came the conundrum: I believe you want the truth of my experience, and what if you don’t like that? I know that the truth of my experience, as I perceive it, must be why you are currently on this page. Many of you may be diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease or some other condition that finds little solace in the resources of Western medicine. You’ve decided to explore alternative methods. That’s where I found myself after over a year on two different Parkinson’s meds, and a condition that was worsening. I didn’t want to increase the medications and was looking for another way to find relief from the pain, stiffness, fatigue, shaking, lack of balance, swallowing issues…the list goes on.
I began practicing Zhineng Qigong and immediately gained some relief, which grew incrementally, until fifteen months later (after a year of no meds), I was pronounced symptom-free of PD by the neurologist.
How could this be? This disease is supposed to be incurable, irreversible, and progressive. And I am a mere mortal, usually well-intentioned, but far from saintly or perfect- my family, friends, and students would be first to agree. So how did this amazing healing occur?
I must admit, I felt a bit like Harry Potter, bumbling about Hogwarts, being celebrated for something and not knowing the how or why of it, and sometimes embarrassed and/or confused by the praise and attention. Nevertheless, I openly share this event, and often rejoice in it.
Keyword: Rejoice!! Intuitively, I kept telling people to celebrate every little improvement. To reward themselves for even making the decision to learn about qigong. That was what I did. When my shoulders became less stiff and less painful, I put on a cd and danced around the house till I wore myself out. I didn’t wait for every symptom to disappear before I began enjoying my recovery. In fact, I have become such a party animal that I celebrate every April 29th, as that was the date in 2008 that I received my diagnosis. It seems to me that there could be a real connection between improved happiness and upgraded health.
Then I read a book that confirmed what I knew intuitively about the power of joy, plus explained so much more. Now I return to my original audience dilemma. I am finding the answers to my questions about healing in the area often termed as “soft science.” I have always been a practical person- pretty open, but too busy dealing with the here and now of the material world to spend time wondering about the universe and how it operates. But that is where my current situation has brought me. As I coach clients with Parkinson’s Disease, I want to give them more than a “to-do” list follow. Yes, the best way to get where I am (for some) is to follow closely what I did, but what about the “how” of it? If I could somehow explain that, would it perhaps give the client an added advantage? So that was the question I posed to myself, and I found an answer that works for me in the book “Power VS Force” by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.
Hawkins, who co-authored a book on orthomolecular psychiatry with Linus Pauling, assigns every emotion a vibrational level. The higher the frequency, the better we feel, and vice-versa. Shame resonates at 20, guilt 30, fear 100, love 500. Both healing and joy resonate at the same frequency: 540. So my intuitive hit about celebrating during the healing process was right-on.
If I haven’t lost you yet, you may be wondering how these emotions came to be calibrated. Here I invite you to travel a bit further into “woo-woo” territory with me. Muscle testing was used. It is explained in the book, or you can research it online. Basically, this method believes that inner self knows the answers and that the body reflects these truths. It’s all about vibration, and how every living thing vibrates in some way. We all want to raise our vibrational levels to feel better, and in so doing we can often raise the vibrations of those around us.
I’m still basically a bonehead when it comes to the healing arts and the world of energy. But that’s what restored my health and vitality, and I will work tirelessly to figure it out and explain it because I want others to be able to experience the joy, health, and second chance at life that I currently enjoy. Perhaps the one and only thing we can control is our emotions. The power of positive thinking is not a new idea. Its practical application and the scope of its potential is something to be explored. Just think about all the songs and maxims that invite us to do just that. From “Whistle a Happy Tune” to “Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens” to “Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella”. And those two Normans, Cousins and Vincent Peale, brought us the same ideas sans the music. We can often “happy” our way to health, the challenge is being willing to work at the consciousness and self-awareness it takes to begin. Five-hundred forty is just around the corner. Meet me there.