ual healing is rejuvenation of the body and mind through the intelligent or immaterial part of a human being - spirituality.
Many people think of healing only in terms of the physical. A broken bone is only a "physical" illness that requires six to twelve seeks for healing the fractured bone. But human illness may often involve more than just the physical level: it may involve the emotions, the mind, and even the soul. Accordingly, spiritual healing may play a role in the recovery. Indeed, spiritual healing has more to do with the mind or the soul than just the physical body. Spiritual healing is recovery from a disease or disorder of a more complex nature. All illness and even death result from cumulative stress of the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of an individual. Cumulative stress fosters negative emotions and behavior with devastating and long-lasting effects on the overall health and wellness of an individual. Fortunately, spirituality may help an individual overcome this negativity, and thereby instrumental in relieving the symptoms of an illness. For example, a patient suffering from cancer, which is a traumatic experience, may find solace through spirituality during the cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy or surgery.
Spirituality affects attitudes, beliefs, and emotions of a patient. Any negative thinking and feeling, such as anger, anxiety, fear and guilt, can evoke a stress reaction more pronounced than the impact of alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine on one's health. Negativity can adversely affect the prognosis of a disease.
The antidotes to negative emotions are their exact opposites, such as hope to despair, and joy to sadness. But these antidotes are available only through the regular practice of spirituality - which is essentially cumulative spiritual virtues. The human spirit is the ultimate regulator of the human brain and mind. Therefore, the key to spiritual healing lies in the attitude, that is, one's innate belief in the ultimate goodness of the universe.
Everything in the universe exists in some form of energy, manifesting in light and/or sound. Hence, there is photo therapy with various colors, which influence melatonin and serotonin (brain chemicals responsible for mental and physical wellness). Music therapy is another form of therapy for emotional and physical ailments. Acupuncture, with its 4,000 years of history, is energetic healing practice in China, in which cosmic energy or internal life energy known as "qi" is unblocked for healing purposes. These natural healing models all focus on balance and harmony within self, as well as with others, and they are manifestations of spiritual virtues, or the potency of spirituality.
To attain spirituality for spiritual healing, follow the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, who abhorred the following: politics without principles; wealth without work; pleasure without conscience; knowledge without character; science without humanity; commerce without morality; and worship without sacrifice. The teachings of Mahatma Gandhi epitomize spiritual virtues.
Spiritual virtues should be the foundation of the responsibilities of an individual towards self as well as others. This is what and how one must live consciously and subconsciously at all time so as to attain spiritual healing for ultimate wellness.
For more information on healing, go to "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" to find out what the seven pillars are: http://www.healthylivinghealthylifestyle.com Stephen Lau is a writer and researcher. He has published several books and many websites on longevity health, Chinese natural healing, depression, eating disorders, and golf. Get a FREE copy of his 143-page e-book "All-Round Weight Loss."
