| Spiritual Transformations Traditional Chinese Medicine as a catalyst to reprogram cellular memory by Lygia Angel During the late '60s and early '70s, "the me generation" of self actualization, rearranging our internal paradigms became popular in the American culture. With spiritual injustices such as Vietnam War, many sought hallucinogens as an escape to a senseless war. Others claimed acid brought them spiritual enlightenment like that of an ancient shaman purging their beings to new heights of reality. Most became self-centered and addictions became more overt. Psychology became popular. Everyone was working on the "Me." And look out if you stepped on my rights. Yoga was in and devotees of Hare Krishna were chanting on the street corner. God became eclectic. In the '80s, the New Age came of age and angels abound hit the street. Ancient biblical healing gifts became New Age. God became sensationalized. Sometimes humility was lost. The unseen healing in the spiritual realm was again recognized as a truth. What God were we all looking for? Whether it be Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Allah, The creator, the Virgin Mary or Mother Teresa or Saint Francis, Christ Consciousness is the same. Enlightened beings purge their insides of hate, anger, shame, guilt, jealousy, fear, judgment, control of others and ego to become a vehicle for "God" -- a vessel of pure love and light. We learn to be intimate and at one with all beings and life. No better or worse, and separateness no longer exists. I never heard Mother Teresa boasting about who she put her hands on and how many issues they had. She was a one with the creator of humankind. She walked "with" them in love and only to bring good. She knew she was a vessel, not the teacher. On the earth plane, those of us who work at cleansing the self to become clear of all negative thoughts and behaviors have chosen a courageous path. It usually takes years to undo and unfold our defenses, thinking, feelings and ways we are being in relation to ourselves and the world. The humbling part of the journey is that, quite often, we truly don't know what we don't know -- "denial." As a student, I have always asked a teacher, and as a teacher, I don't impose myself on a student without being asked. For the teacher appears when the student is ready and the student learns when he or she is ready and open to listening. Holistic healing We are in a tremendous age of holistic healing. Now, in this process of unfolding it is "IN" once again to treat the mind, body and spirit as it was in ancient China, India and early shamanic cultures. Thoughts are seen connected to emotions and diseases are perceived to manifest in the body as a result of thoughts and emotions. As a Traditional Chinese Medical practitioner along this path of cleansing, I have quite often encountered many people, including myself, who have done tremendous work on their inner selves and spiritual growth, yet they are still suffering physical manifestations of old paradigms. They have done their emotional work and have an awareness and understanding of their thoughts. They have replaced the thoughts with right action, right words, right speech and perception, yet the body is still following the same old circuit. When this happens, people usually don't know that their body is stuck. This is lack of knowledge, not lack of work. The electric circuits in our body -- or the cellular responses -- sometimes remain the same even though we have changed. This is a truly humbling experience. It is falling down every time you try to stand up. I know how to stand, but my body won't hold me up. In ancient cultures, cellular memory or energetic memory of the body was treated. And, once again, in a holistic age of healing work, we treat cellular memory. Energetic memory In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the mind, body, spirit and energetic memory of human beings is imbedded into the theoretical framework of treatment strategies. Each organ is connected to an emotion and behavioral pattern, as well as a spiritual asset. Ancient doctors believe that emotional factors affect the flow of qi "energy" and blood of specific organs. For example, fear injures the kidneys and one eventually becomes apathetic and too frozen to move. Excessive anger injures the liver and eventually there is rage or anger suppressed, causing depression. Over-thinking injures the spleen and preoccupation overtakes the mind. Collecting and holding on to things is characteristic of a spleen deficient person. The flip side is someone who has faith and is centered -- in the earth. Quite often, through our healing our organs become impaired and need to be brought back into balance to energetically match our new state of being. When the energy of the organs keeps running the same old circuit that it did before the new you took place, you've changed but your body's path has not. Often people find when they treat the energetic along with the emotional, physical and spiritual, their transformation progress is more stable. If you have made an intrinsic internal change, as well as acting differently toward yourself and the outside world, when the cellular memory of the body is corrected, then you feel the change has rooted. Your body stops reverting back to old feeling, physically and emotionally. Acupuncture & herbs In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we do this with acupuncture and herbal remedies. For example, if I have a client who vacillates between depression and rage, the liver is affected and is not integrating the energy properly. The treatment would be to regulate the energy of the liver so these emotional responses are moving smoothly, no longer getting stuck and then being released in excess. Particular acupuncture points would be used to remove stagnation in the liver and move energy "qi." The herbal remedies chosen would have similar energetic properties to move liver qi stagnation. Many people who have not had the energetic aspects of their bodies treated can chant and pray till the cows come home, but their bodies will still repeat the same pattern. It can be frustrating, yet humbling. Alice Bailey was a theosophical writer of the early 20th century who had a great influence on personal mind, body and spirit transformation. She blended Eastern and Western spiritual philosophies, just as we are blending Eastern and Western philosophies in medicine today. She attempted to remove the exclusivity out of illumination and soul transformation. "Each one of us," she said, "is destined to be illumination in love under light in great communion with God and to take responsibility for ourselves in our essence and power." As we go through this process of cleansing and rearranging our thoughts, emotions and spirit, the real healer is Christ consciousness, or a purity in our perceptions. It takes courage, and sometimes we get stuck and need another vibration to move us along. Chinese acupuncture and herbal medicine is one method of correcting energy patterns in the body so that the changes you've made on your spiritual path replace the old circuitry. Whatever spiritual path of light we are on -- God, Buddha, Allah, Krishna -- it leads to the same place of illumination and light. Lygia Angel, M.S.O.M, Lac, has a Masters of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She practices Chinese medicine in the Riverwest community in Milwaukee, Wisc. She is the process of opening a non-profit alternative healing center, "The Riverwest Complimentary Health and Community Consciousness Center." The center will provide alternative health care for people of all economic levels. Contact her at (414) 562-0874. Copyright © 2003 Lygia Angel |
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