Many people who are interested in spiritual healing and the power of the mind to heal may be tempted to opt out of the healing options modern medicine provides. This could be because they see using these as proof that other options won’t work, or perhaps because of some level of distrust of the modern system. But in my experience—both with my own health and through my patients—I’ve found that medicine is an essential part of the equation.
Seismic shifts in health care
Around the world over a period of some years, health care has undergone seismic shifts. For centuries or perhaps millennia, when it came to healing, people focused on engaging skilled practitioners who used techniques such as dream interpretation and intuition. Because they didn’t have the technology we use today, they relied on these mystical skills to lead them toward a cause and a cure. For example, in ancient Greece, instead of employing a radiologist to get an MRI or CT scan, ancient physicians would go into an altered, dreamlike state and intuitively accessed information about their patients’ illnesses. Healing involved looking at the whole person and attempting to restore balance to restore
health.
A balanced approach works best
As the field of healing has shifted, many people have moved away from any interaction with the mystical. The miraculous cures that technology has brought about seem to offer more modern and tidy solutions. But remember that technology makes mistakes, too. Blood tests and pregnancy tests frequently come back with faulty results. Medications have side effects. Things go wrong.
As a physician and healer, I cannot stress enough the importance medicine plays in healing. If you are ill, you should contact a medical practitioner. These professionals have the knowledge and skill to use technology to your advantage. They can prescribe unique practices and medicines based on the combination of symptoms and ailments you present.
But it is also important to remember that medicine has its limits.
So what’s my point? That technology without limits is folly. And intuition alone is equally foolish. We must use a combination of techniques – and employ a combination of experts – to achieve true health. In fact, my life is a perfect demonstration of how medicine, intuition, and affirmations can heal your life.
Examples from Mona Lisa’s life
Back in 1972 when I was 12, my family had a lot of financial stress, and we had many conversations about money. Within a period of three months my spine curved into a severe case of scoliosis, which necessitated surgery. Because of my spine’s altered structure, I developed an enlarged heart and decreased lung capacity as well. The surgery was dramatic and lifesaving – complete with rods and screws.
I remember walking down Longwood Avenue in Boston before the surgery, looking up at the tall medical buildings and saying to anyone who would listen, ‘Someday, I’m going to come back here, and I’m going to study medicine and science.’ That surgery changed my future. The doctors saved my life by using medicine; as a result, I became a physician and a scientist so I, too, could save people’s lives.
But life has a way of not working out exactly the way we expect it to. As a pre-med student, I developed narcolepsy that made my consciousness – my intellect – go on the blink. I couldn’t stay awake in my classes. It looked like my dreams of being a doctor and a scientist were going down the drain. They simply weren’t going to materialize because I couldn’t keep my grades up if I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
So again I turned to medicine. And again the doctors helped; they found a drug that would keep me awake. But I soon had to stop taking it because of a life-threatening side effect. Sadly, my dependable world of medicine had nothing else to help me. This development launched a series of voyages into other healing methods. I tried one after another: alternative, complementary, integrative – you name it. I tried Chinese herbs, acupuncture, and even a macrobiotic healing diet for three years. All these methods helped me somewhat, but none completely worked in my quest to stay awake.
A wonderful thing that came out of this exploration was that I learned, through seeking help from a medical intuitive, about my brain’s facility for intuition. Out of desperation, I also went to a shaman, who told me that when I learned how to access my intuition, my health problems would get better.
But all these advisors could only take me so far. There was one element of my health that was not being addressed – my emotions! I had begun to see a pattern developing. I found that if I was angry about something for a very long time, or if I was around irritating, angry people, my narcolepsy would act up and I would end up falling asleep – against my will – within 24 to 48 hours. Believe me, I timed it; it was always 24 to 48 hours. And I figured out that if I was nervous about something, or around anxious, high-strung people, I would eventually start feeling sleepy. Lights out!
The value of affirmations
The same thing was true for people who were sad or depressed. One day I walked into a bookstore and found Louise’s little blue book. While I had seen that certain thought patterns were associated with illness, I didn’t know how to use this knowledge to get healthy – other than to avoid certain people or situations, which just isn’t practical in the long run. But Louise’s book offered me the tools I needed to neutralize the negative thought patterns that I knew were contributing to my health problems: affirmations!
I choose to see life as eternal and joyous. I love myself just the way I am. I love myself just the way I am.
I, Mona Lisa, rely on Divine wisdom and guidance to protect me at all times. I am safe.
I, Mona Lisa, rely on Divine wisdom and guidance to protect me at all times. I am safe.
These are classic Louise Hay–isms. I repeated them over and over again, and slowly but surely my sleep spells decreased. I got into medical school and graduated with an MD and a PhD. I never would have been able to do this without affirmations.
I’ve had my share of ups and downs with my health over the years (Haven’t we all?). Each time I had a down, I’d turn to conventional and integrative medicine. I’d also take out Louise Hay’s book, and I’d use medical intuition to find the imbalances in my life. This combination always did the trick.
This is how I stay well. Medicine, intuition, and affirmations. It’s also how I help other people. Medicine alone doesn’t do it, and neither do intuition or affirmations. Only a balanced approach holds the full promise of healing.
From All is Well: Heal Your Body with Medicine, Affirmations and Intuition © 2013 by Louise L Hay and Mona Lisa Schulz, published by Hay House.
