What’s Missing from Western Medicine:  The Power of the Mind - Part III

Part III: Our thoughts and emotions can get us well and keep us well, or get us sick and keep us sick:  practical tools for harnessing the power of intention in our lives.

In Parts I and II, I discussed how ancient wisdom and modern science describe for us the inherent link between mind and body, and described scientific research that demonstrates, unequivocably, the effect of thoughts and feelings on our physical health.  In Part III, I give practical tools for harnessing the power of intention in our lives, for healing and transformation.

Our thoughts and feelings affect us, literally.  They can affect all aspects of our lives:  our health, relationships, even finances, and can make us well or keep us sick, help or hinder our relationships, and contribute to either our prosperity or our poverty.  Fears about finances can keep you poor.  Thinking you are fat can keep you fat.  Fears about illness can make you sick.  What I come across most often in my work, is the impact of thoughts and feelings on health.  Our thoughts, literally, make us sick. Negative thoughts and unexpressed feelings can create energetic blockages which become foci for disease.

Our culture doesn’t readily support being in touch with our emotions, especially ones that are judged to be negative.  Many of us spend our lives not even knowing how we feel, let alone being able to express feelings.  Instead, we may medicate ourselves with activity to avoid feeling uncomfortable feelings.  Workaholism, food, alcohol, addiction to exercise, dependence on pharmaceuticals, and even relationships, are some of the ways we can avoid knowing our feelings and ourselves. 

Feelings are normal and natural.  Anger, sadness, fear, whatever you are feeling, is completely normal and natural.  It’s what we do in response to our natural feeling state than can become harmful to us.  Keeping uncomfortable feelings inside, literally, can make us sick.  And as I’ve written in Parts I and II, science has proven this age old wisdom to be true.

When we can learn to feel our feelings, and “just be” with them, rather than keeping them stuck, literally, inside our bodies, we can harness the amazing inherent power that each and every one of us holds.  We can transform our lives:  we can heal ourselves, our relationships, be prosperous, and have happy, joyous and balanced lives. 

The following simple writing techniques will help you to get in touch with feelings, and to transform negative thoughts and uncomfortable feelings.  All you need is pen and paper.  You don’t need to have experience writing, an advanced degree, or expert spelling and penmanship.  In fact, the less formal education you have, the easier it will be for you to access the power of these techniques.

Getting started: ideally, get a notebook or composition book that can serve as your journal.  But paper and pen are good enough. It helps if you can commit to this daily practice, and start your day with it.  If your schedule doesn’t permit, any time is better than none.  Soon you will feel attached to this daily routine, and miss it when you don’t do it!  If you can take your journal around with you during the day, then it can be a source of comfort when situations arise that bring up uncomfortable feelings for you.  If not, just find pen and paper. 

1) Stream of consciousness technique:  write all your feelings down: fears, resentments, anxieties.  Whatever you are feeling and thinking.  If you are not certain, then write just that.  Literally, whatever is on your mind.  Even if you are feeling that you don’t want to write, write that down.  The point is to be “in the moment” with whatever is going on for you.  Do not censor or judge what you are writing, or worry what your handwriting looks like.  If it looks like chicken scratch, that’s okay. The purpose is to get it all out.  Take your feelings to the limit.  For example, if you are worried about money, write why, what might happen, your innermost and deepest fears.  If you are having a hard time with a partner or co-worker, write about this.  If you are angry at your spouse, write about this.  Again, do not judge yourself.  As you are engaged in this process, your mind will naturally have reflective thoughts in response:  difficult feelings will transit to positive responses.  Write these too.  If more feelings come up, continue with these until you can write no more. 

2) Non-dominant hand response writing:  After you have written feelings down, write with your non-dominant hand: if you are right-handed, use the left, and vice versa.  Do not censor, and, most importantly, don’t worry what your penmanship looks like.  Just let your hand do the writing.  Don’t worry about what to write.  Just write whatever comes to mind.  See what happens – you will most likely be very surprised!

References and Suggested Readings
1.  Capacchione, L. The Power of Your Other Hand:  A Course in Channeling the Inner
    Wisdom of Your Right Brain.  Franklin Lakes, NJ:  The Career Press; 2003.
2.  Hay, Louise L.  You Can Heal Your Life.  Carson, CA:  Hay House, Inc.  1983.

2006 Patricia A. Muehsam, M.D.

Dr. Muehsam is a holistic medical doctor practicing in New York City. She can be reached by phone at (212) 946 - 5700.

Click HERE to see Dr. Muehsams listing on The Healing Directory.

• A version of this article was published in The Epoch Times on July 31, 2006