Daniel Gifford (Diploma in Wellness Coaching Skills)
Reflection 1
Wellness is the harmonious integration of our body mind and spirit, disease is a sign that we are out of alignment somewhere and some self correction is required, the more balanced we are within ourselves the better health we experience. This is really rather simple to appreciate when we look at the biggest cause of ill health – stress; stress put plainly is when our minds create resistance to what is, this resistance creates a split within us as the body is always at one with what is due to its primal and instinctual awareness of the nature of reality. Our minds however have been programmed by society, education, parents etc – much of this programming is confused to say the lease and causes humans live in a kind of disconnected isolation.
Reflection 2
We are also way too over stimulated mentally and our heads have become the main focal point of awareness causing more strife and disharmony. When we are born we have the perfect balance of Yin / Yang energy in our lower dantian – as we grow we are forced more and more to use our brains and intellect by people who are were also brought up in this way, thus creating many overly charged emotional situations and events due to the limiting and un-compassionate nature of the intellectual mind. All of this over activity in the upper part of our body causes all of our Yang energy to rise up creating heat and energy blocks in our head and heart – as we pay less and less attention to our energetic state our Yin energy begins to sink downward toward the earth. This is why many people suffer with stiff legs / knee joints and all of the other issues associated with an over heating heart and head.
Reflection 3
This is of course not the natural state of humans, we are meant to be of sound physical, mental and emotional health. The sickness actually resides in the societal system which forces people to drive themselves toward material superficial goals at the expense of everything that is good and pure within them – and all of this is driven at its root level by some kind of fear. The tyrannical powers that rule our world like its one gigantic corporation are masters at creating fears and embedding them into our subconscious, they then use the media to stimulate those fears to keep us doing exactly what they want us to do to keep the gears of enterprise working.
Reflection 4
The irony of this whole game is that in order for us to truly taste the freedom that comes with being a whole, healthy and happy human being we need to have been exposed to and effected by these negative forces to some degree so that these experiences can shape, mould and strengthen our character, also pressing us to find a way out. Without darkness there can be no light.
Reflection 5
My own journey into and through this has taken me into the edges of my own darkness, I have suffered immensely through my own ignorance and misunderstanding and all of this has ultimately led me to a new path of emerging light and freedom. It is only because of these painful experiences that I will be able to help many others break through their own fears and limitations so one is left at the end of it all with overwhelming gratitude for the many hardships.
Reflection 6
The body is the gateway to the deepest levels of the mind. Our vast subconscious lives within our body, and this is where sickness can begin. We are taught that we have no real power in our lives and that we are the victim of circumstances. However, when we direct our conscious mind inwardly toward our subconscious and use various methods we can gradually undo the knots deep within, thus restoring balance to our body/mind and allowing our energy to flow freely. “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” ― C.G. Jung –
Reflection 7
The Taoist’s teach us that when we can unite our mind, eyes, heart, soul and spirit and rest them all in our lower dantian we will be wired up correctly and will move as one in the world. Many people are not wired up correctly, their mind is one way, their eyes another way, their heart a different way still and their soul and spirit flitting all over the place. I have been here myself and I found my way out with consistent and continuous effort and practice.
Reflection 8
We have influence over our health and wellbeing – we are not at the mercy of our past etc but we must overcome our tendency toward blame and superstition. We must take full responsibility for our lives as they are now and empower ourselves to create the life we want, one of happiness, health, wealth and spiritual peace.
Reflection 9
Love is the ultimate healer, we can dabble in a thousand different healing arts, go to a hundred retreats and practice many ten fold paths but until we find our hearts we will not make much progress. For myself love has been the activator for everything I have ever learned, it is a magic formula that gives life and light to the mind – it is who we are at our deepest level. Love is the end of suffering and the beginning of eternity. Love must begin with ourselves and then we can spill it out into the world around us 🙂
