Chop wood carry water
There’s a Japanese Zen koan (proverb) that says, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” Really? Shouldn’t there be fireworks? Accolades? Or a reality TV show with adoring fans? Is this also true for healing?
Healing and enlightenment
Actually, I am talking about healing, but true healing is enlightenment. It includes increased self-awareness and a decrease in pain or suffering.
Still chopping wood…
But if we continue to “chop wood and carry water” after we have healed a part of our life, what’s the point? Shouldn’t successful healing make us look like a rich twenty-something supermodel? An old Billy Crystal character, Fernando, declares, “It’s better to look good than to feel good.”
Expand the definition
The best healing starts on the inside and expresses itself in the world. We experience it when we:
- Resolve something that has kept us from enjoying life.
- See ourselves more clearly and make amends for something we’ve done.
- Experience deep grief, and still choose to love or try again.
- Face a physical limitation and do our best to learn from it and become a better person.
Healing is a courageous act
Being willing to heal is taking a courageous stand in this world. You may have to let go of the belief that you’re a victim. You may have to look for meaning and purpose in the painful parts of your life and use them to move forward.
I know. I talked to a wise woman a while back. I wondered out loud AGAIN why it took me so long to become a healer. She said, “You first had to heal yourself.”
But it’s never a done deal. New challenges emerge.
Our own path
Everyone has to find his or her own path for healing – I think that’s our job in life. What worked for someone else may not be a recipe for healing or enlightenment for you. When you decide that you want to heal, look for people with integrity and skill to help you; reinvent their wisdom to fit your own life. Make it work for you.
You might be on the right path if you
- Experience more small bursts of gratitude, joy and laughter
- See your family as gifts rather than accidents of birth – to teach a lesson or bring you joy – or both
- Realize that your body is happier when you _________ [fill in the blank] and you begin to ___________ more regularly to honor your body.
Animal communication sessions
When I do healing for animals during an animal communication session, I notice their people heal, too. They shift their understanding of the situation to express more love and patience for their animal. I told one client, “Well, right now the animals we’re going to heal is the human!”
Want to see if it’s true?
Join my Furbuddy Healing Circle with your animal!
First, I do a little bit of animal communication with your animal. Then I do a group energy healing for ALL the souls in the group, human and non-human.
Read about human energy healing here.