| HEALING | INTEGRATIVE HEALING Nourishng the Soul with Light by Christine McDowell How do we lose our connection and the loving relationship with ourselves, with the innermost part of who we are? Robin Goff, spiritual director, and founder of The Light Center in Baldwin, Kan., says we never lose that connection. "We really don't get separated from our soul, or whatever you would call the inner most part of who we are. It only feels like it sometimes," she gently says. Robin followed her soul's calling several years ago when she founded The Light Center, a peaceful 34-acre sanctuary in the woods outside of Baldwin. Her expertise for the past 20 years has been in exploring holistic ways of healing and connecting with our wholeness. Robin recently spoke at a healing retreat for people who have cancer, along with internationally known author and mind-body expert Joan Borysenko. Robin explains that when we experience any trauma or fear, we may feel that it is hard to "get connected." We connect with Spirit, however, whenever we can be still in the midst of whatever is going on. This can take practice. "Practice," Robins encourages, "when you are having a good day." Tools such as meditation, visualization, journaling and quiet time allow us to remember our connection with our inner Spirit, Source, the Universe or whatever we call source energy. When we practice on our good days, and good times in our lives, then this way of listening to our inner Spirit, and knowing what it feels like and sounds like, is already a habit and already more of a way of being and living in the world. Developing a connection to our innermost selves is not ever about needing to go outside of ourselves, Robin says. Sometimes we think we have to go outside of ourselves for comfort. But at any time in our lives, we can connect with this part of ourselves that is always there. All we need to do is stop, and sense into that part of yourself where you are not sick, not aging, not in chaos, or not hurting, so that you can begin to notice what that feels like, and to notice that the whole part of you is always present. This still part is the part that is whole, complete, healed and ageless -- through it all. Robin encourages, "That's the place we can turn to for courage and strength." She explains that learning to listen to our inner Spirit is a learning process. It is subtle. If we think of it in terms of having an ego/personality self, and a Higher Self, our Higher Self is the part that is eternal. Our ego is usually coming from fear. Our Higher Self is acting from pure, unconditional love. Both aspects are there, all of the time. Where we live and act from is a choice. We can choose to act from our Higher Self -- to make our decisions from that place. And, we can choose to be more and more in touch with that place. We will still have fear. That is a part of our humanness, Robin says. Fear is designed to keep us safe. We need it to function in this world as human beings. If we judge our fears, we are offering them resistance, and they will persist. It's all about energy, in other words. The trick is to keep the energy flowing. And we keep the energy moving so it doesn't get stuck and blocked up inside of us. The key then is about how we move the energy. Robin suggests seeking out a teacher to help you feel the energy in your body, so you can keep it flowing and moving, and then to learn how to stay filled up. Being filled up with this natural energy -- sometimes called qi (chi) -- feels so good that you are less inclined to fill yourself up with something else, some outer substance or person. Robin also reminds us to remember our connection with the Earth. It feels good to connect with the Earth. When we acknowledge that we are part of the Earth, we feel more grounded, centered and connected with our Spirit and the universal energy field which is Love. The Light Center is now hosting healing retreats. These retreats offer tools for self-care and coping with everyday stresses of illness and/or everyday life. Within the circle of healing, one can expect to be supported and understood, while receiving information on nutrition and complementary approaches to healing and maintaining health. Participants will also experience time for relaxation while receiving a massage, energy therapy, guided imagery or creative expression. Most of all, there will be the opportunity to heal by connecting with one's inner Spirit and feeling a sense of peace -- peace of mind, peace of heart, and peace of spirit. Medical studies have shown that our bodies entrain, or synchronize, with the rhythms around us. At a healing retreat, the intent is to allow the time and space for one's inner rhythms to become quiet, which allows for healing on many levels. The connection with nature offers us an opportunity to listen to our own stories, to our thoughts, our feelings, our bodies, in a deeper and more meaningful way. We find that our souls open up to the stories that are waiting to be born. Healing into wholeness is about healing on a very deep, spiritual level. On November 17, The Light Center will host a retreat sponsored in part by The Cancer Institute, featuring Dr. Amie Jew, who specializes in breast surgery at Menorah Medical Center. She will address "The Necessity of Good Communication With Your Health Team," and she will share ideas and hints for people who are dealing with many specialists. Her focus is on mending the fragmentation many people experience while undergoing treatment for an illness. Her belief is that an illness and its treatment is only one part of our lives, and that it is possible to weave that into the whole of who we are. The Light Center extends an invitation to all individuals who are interested in learning about holistic approaches to healing. In addition, you will have the opportunity to connect with nature, and with the part of you that is complete, powerful and whole. "Healing into wholeness -- that is how you find the path to peace," Robin says. "Healing occurs when you become more connected to who you really are." For more information or to register for the November 17 retreat, call (785) 255-4583 or e-mail ltcenter@grapevine.net. Christina Anne McDowell, LCSW, is an eclectic spiritual life coach and energy practitioner in the Kansas City area. She may be reached at (816) 444-4170 or spiritcoach@mindspring.com. Copyright © 2001 Christina Anne McDowell |
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