God created human beings in His image and likeness (Gen1:27) after having created the basic five elements: Earth, Fire, Sky, Water and Air which are the fundamental foundation of human existence. Yes, these elements are essential for the body and soul which have been well planned by God to balance the energy of creation in every living being.
When these elements are in balance in the body, the being is healthy. As we have begun reflecting on passion for God’s mission, I felt inspired as a health professional, to share the importance of balancing the Yin and Yang energies through the five elements within our body and soul to be passionate in our given mission.
When there is smoke in the room, the fire alarm rings, when there is imbalance, the body alarm rings… there are simple ways to attend to the alarms before fire breaks out and consumes the whole building.
Looking at Scripture
I am often reminded of the scripture text 2 king 5: 1-19 where we read about the King’s army commander Naaman who needed healing from his skin disease. Naaman was indignant when he heard the prophet Elisha send him a messenger to say, “Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will become clean once more.” But when the simple servants approached Naaman and said,” Father, if the prophet had asked you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? Bathe, and you will be clean”. Naaman listened and followed the simple instructions and was well again.
Yes, very often people disregard natural remedies, but for a simple discomfort, very high profile investigations are done and they feel cured by expensive medications but after few days they get back the same discomfort if the root cause is not removed. Disease or a disturbing nature of any kind is the outcome of inner fixation struggling to let go and let it go. The Prophet Elisha used a very simple alternative treatment for curing Naaman while he was expecting a sophisticated modern medicine.
Energy flows in our body
As holistic medical systems such as Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine have emphasized for more than 2000 years, the state of the mind and emotion is intimately connected with the health and wellness of the body. The system of Acupuncture is all about balancing the five elements, and their energy flow in the meridians of human organs that govern the functioning of the mind and body.
The basis of these theories of healing is the holistic and symbiotic concept of organ energy systems. Each organ system has a number of characteristics including an element. Lung is to metal – dryness as Heart is to summer- fire and Kidney is to winter- cold as Liver is to spring-wind; Spleen is to earth-humidity.
Each organ is associated with specific emotions; the emotion for Lung is Grief and Sadness; the emotion for Liver is Anger. The emotion for Heart is Joy; the emotion for Spleen is Over-Thinking and the emotion for Kidney is Fear.
According to our personal preference, we keep activating the emotions that take control of our body. It is believed the dominant emotion in a person will help to balance the organ associated with that emotion.
In a patient with extreme mood swing between joy and fear, the imbalance between heart and kidney is shown, that is water and fire imbalance. However, if there is a blockage within a system, caused by trauma, abuse, poor diet, an unhealthy lifestyle, or outside pathogens such as viruses, bacteria or allergens, an imbalance among the organ systems results. This imbalance can cause a physical symptom such as pain, headache, cough, skin rash, or menstrual disorders, or emotional systems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, irritability, and stress.
An acupuncturist diagnoses the affected organ system and then apply needles to specifically locate points on the body that will balance, tonify, move, warm, drain, unblock, cool, stimulate or regulate the organ systems and to treat mental, emotional or spiritual disharmony.
Meditation and awareness
The treatment may be very simple, a change of life style such as food habits and knowing habitual pattern of behavior and finding out the organ system where the element is in imbalance.
Meditation and awareness help to identify the obstructing force within that stops the free flow in the dance of relationships with God within us and in others and in creation. Free flow must be in every direction, to prevent stepping on others or confusing the movements of the dance.
Jesus continues His healing with only the one condition of trust in His divine power. Without trust nothing happens. Once you doubt the integrity of goodness, movement stops, and stagnation grows stronger and this disease spreads within and around. There will be only songs of lamentation with decreased interest for mission.
I thank God for every patient who trusted and was healed. There is an experience of fulfillment when together with the client, we can identify the blocks of stagnant energy that caused pain for a long time and enable the free flow of energy without medication but with relief and freedom to dance again in any given situation.
Each encounter of people’s joy and pain has taught me to learn my own inner dynamics and grace of God moving in and through in the process of healing.
Simple attitudes that heal
Only in a balanced state of mind, can we truly participate in the Divine dance of daily life. Let us commit to following simple instructions such as:
- Regular awareness breathing meditation as part of prayer.
- To laugh and let the inner child be free and live and let others live
- To clap the hands, ring figure massage to enhance blood circulation.
- To eat healthy food in proportion and to fast at regular intervals
- To know the rhythms within to move accordingly
- To engage in positive and life giving conversations
- To learn new things to become free from our stagnant fixations
- To follow the rule of life “Treat others as you want them to treat you”.
Let us respect the simple instructions for a happy and healthier living and let’s have the joyful acceptance of the energies flowing in every one, constantly seeking balance of all elements within the miracle of our body, which is the temple of God, flowing out to others in compassionate service in mission.
Writen by Sr. Leema Rose Savarimuthu, SSpS
Sr. Leema is one of the pioneers preparing to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is from South India Province and worked many years in hospital as a nurse. In South Sudan she taught in the School of Nursing for 5 years and the last 9 years she was in Ethiopia working mainly in pastoral care and with natural medicine.
