Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated with the link between suffering and healing. Most spiritual teachers and authors skim over the painful part to get to the good part. My life has not allowed me to do that.
I was hit by tough times early in my family and within myself. On top of that, my work has taken me to the toughest neighborhoods and toughest patients. I had to have a bridge—a solid bridge, one that could not break—a bridge that would take me through my suffering to transcendence. I had to bridge that gap for myself and try to figure out a way to help my patients and students do the same. To this end, I created Healing Power, a self-help, self-healing model for healthcare professionals, patients, and consumers.
If we receive our medication, surgery, or natural remedy and are still in pain, there are a variety of psychosocial and spiritual methods that can help us manage that pain skillfully. Healing Power has fifteen methods, one hundred qualities, wisdom pearls, and a variety of religious traction devices --- the best of the best, a highlight reel of sorts—extracted from great spiritual books, teachers, and masters and translated into spiritually-oriented cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and contemplative practices. These methods are a composite of the wisdom of the ages from the sages. If we follow their advice, we can expand our healing power, become ever-increasingly skillful pain managers, and evolve.
Those who practice the recommended methods in response to their pain will cultivate healing qualities such as love, compassion, patience, kindness, humor, forgiveness, courage, perseverance, strength, and more. When these healing qualities grow, we feel better, become better people, and experience higher states of consciousness. The natural consequence of this progression is gentle, humble, loving service to all humanity without attachment to outcomes.
It doesn’t matter if you are a healthcare professional, student, patient, or consumer. All of us need more healing power and there is always a next step to take.