Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Going Back Through


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There is a phenomena you run into the longer you do reflexology. Some people call it a "healing crisis'. We call it "going back through". Going back through is the experience of a past illness or injury again. It is a type of deja vu of sorts.

I am going back through an old judo injury currently. My achilles tendon was rupture when I was sixteen. I was laid up for quite awhile. And the pain was so bad that they put me on morphine.

The funny part is that these "going back through" experiences can be quite dramatic. My "deja vu" was intense starting as an ache and then actually feeling like the injury from the past. The sides of my ankles were deeply bruised. i could hardly walk. Each footstep was like shards of glass ran from my heel to the ankle.

But then in 24 hours it had all started to fade. Right now it is a mild ache hardly noticeable. And my ankle feels really loose and limber.

Our bodies remember all kinds of injuries, illnesses and accidents but we have an incredible ability to go on adapting to whatever knock us off course. Even though we adjust to the assault the memory is still there.

Why then do we revisit these old traumas? My theory is that there is a three part adaptation process taking place. First our bodies try to survive and throw all it's resources to meet that mandate. Next if we can get beyond sheer survival the body has enough resources to start making repairs. If we have even more resources we move into a state of wellness.

But if the body is always in a state of "fight or flight" repairs aren't made and things are covered over. They get buried inside. But reflexology frees up energy committed to these old memories. When enough energy is free the body starts it's incredible repair process. It's like the the body intelligently selects a project to work on. And then it methodically sets out to fix what is still broken.

The way I can usually tell if it is a "going back through" experience is how long the experience lasts. Even if it is intense at first the duration is much shorter then the original injury. And at the end there seems to be a resolution to what once lurked in the background.

And the other clue is that there isn't a triggering event. I didn't twist my ankle or even stress it much with the current situation. I hadn't been standing for long periods of time or walking long distances. Nothing seemed to trigger it. I felt great before it happened better than I had felt in years.

Despite the pain I rejoice at these events because I know it is progress. Even though at moments it is hard to figure out if you are moving forward or backward there is a sense that this is a good direction.

By putting energy into the healing process, inputting positive messages through reflexology, massage, yoga and so forth we allow that innate intelligence we all have within us to find the best solutions.

Kevin Kunz

1 comment:

Gerlinde Bowen said...

The process of healing and past memories of the body, itself, could not have been described with a better insight as I just had the chance of reading. Thank you, for a truly great analysis, of what really happens.