At times, we see our physical bodies as a separate facet of ourselves, one that may feel at odds with the other parts of us.

Sometimes we are faced with pesky, minor illnesses or allergies, and our immune systems aren’t up to par or out of whack.

Colds.
Strep throat.
Influenza.

Maybe our bodies simply don’t look and feel the way we want them too, despite our efforts, and we struggle with how we feel about ourselves.

Weight gain.
Exhaustion.
Poor self-image. 

Perhaps, one day, we receive a life-changing diagnosis. 

Cancer.
Heart disease.
Addiction.
Autoimmune conditions.

When we experience a health condition, no matter how big or small, we may see our physical body as an inconvenient adversary because we don’t like how it is showing up.  We think it isn’t working properly.  But what if there is more under the surface? What if a strong sense of emotional well-being supports strong physical health?

Caring for our physical bodies with traditional medical care, especially when they are in need of extra TLC, is essential. That being said, one very powerful way we can support and help heal our physical bodies is by lovingly attending to our mental and emotional well-being at the same time. Our thoughts, outlook, and mental-emotional well-being are extraordinarily powerful and have an enormous impact on our physical healing and overall health.  Recently, I watched the documentary Heal, which is currently available on Netflix. It fascinated me to see the potential that exists for any type of healing when we carefully attend to our thoughts and shore up our emotional needs while we care for our physical body.  This, after all, explains how placebos work for some people and how others heal from conditions that are deemed ‘incurable’.  One thing that struck me during the film was the work of Dr. Kelly Turner, who cited examples of patients who experienced radical remission from some of these ‘incurable’ conditions.  She lists nine key factors that were observed as a common in the purposeful steps that these patients took in their healing journey. Surprisingly, only two of the nine relate directly to physical well-being. The other seven focus on strengthening our emotional, social, and spiritual health. All of us can adopt these nine factors, and regardless of our current level of health, we will be even healthier for it.

Sometimes, the emotions, experiences, or traumas we face in life can be ignored, stuffed down, or tucked away and not fully processed or felt, leaving them incomplete.  Often, these operate subconsciously, and we are unaware of their ongoing impact. This “unfinished business” can continue surface in both our mental-emotional and physical well-being.  Working with a certified EGCM practitioner is one way to help bring this unfinished business into our awareness and facilitate its completion, identifying subconscious patterns, releasing suppressed emotions, and helping us move forward. In fact, the word Gestalt means a return to wholeness.  A healthy self includes all parts of self, or the whole of you. Consider:

• Are you viewing your physical body as an adversary or an ally? 
• What opportunities do you create to take control of your health? Use your intuition?
• Do you have a strong, readily available network of social support? If not, what is one thing you can do today to reach out and make a connection with someone?
• Are there things in your life, big or small, that feel “stuck”? How open are you to exploring what lies beneath the surface so you can process and release it?

Despite any mental, emotional, physical challenges we face, when we heal what is under the surface and return to a greater state of wholeness, we are stronger than we were when we started.