Running

Recently, I began reading a book, Beautiful Painted Arrow, by Joseph E .Rael whose Native American name is Beautiful Painted Arrow. The book contains a story about his grandfather who was a healer for his people and spent a lot of time running. I have been running too, for most of my life. One of my earliest memories was attending a Catholic School for several days to prepare for my first holy communion, and running foot races with the "Catholic boys" and beating everyone. Running has always been an important activity for me on physical and emotional levels. However, as Mr. Rael points out in his story about his grandfather, it is also spiritual. "His long braids would sometimes get caught in the wind and fly around, so he used to tie them around his neck. He used to say that they represented the line that separates the sky from the earth of the physical body".

Beautiful Painted Arrow's grandfather, who was a counselor too, said, "The people who are most against you are the ones that need you the most. So forgive them and then give them your help". I believe this statement is also true for ourselves. Many times we are our own enemy or block to happiness. Each of us, through the trauma of living, experience injury and pain. Recently, I hurt my left knee, and I had to stop running which caused frustration/anger because I couldn't do what I wanted to do. I believe my knee was working against me, and I needed the pain to stop. So I entered into a conflict perceiving my knee was opposing my will and manufactured need to run. The next step was to seek help, I saw the chiropractor, the naturopath, the massage therapist the spiritual healer, the acupuncturist, and the medical doctor.  Everyone offered treatment, advice, and counsel, and each practitioner in their own way helped .  However, the real healing took place when I was able to let go of the energy, of pain that I had placed in my knee. It is not easy but necessary to acknowledge that we are creators of our disease as well as happiness. What I had reinforced from each health practitioner I saw and listened to was, I was being against myself and what I needed most was to be me. It is an important lesson for each of us and a message that I offer in my healing work to others

The process of healing contains the aspect of confronting the shadows of our lives that are manifested in our pains, be they, emotional, mental, and physical. My greatest frustration at counseling is witnessing individuals who quit on themselves. I have received wonderful feedback from people who have remained focused and motivated to change their thinking/feeling and consequently their life because shamanic healing does work. However, you have to want to be well and happy and you have to believe in your own worthiness to receive the healing. Unfortunately, too often our ego blocks us from receiving the healing we need but deny ourselves.

Someone told me once there are three kinds of people in this world. The ones who watch the parade, the ones who are in the parade, and ones who lead the parade. It is okay to be one of whoever you are as long as you honor your role and participate. Rejecting your birth right to happiness, peace and joy is not acceptable. My knee pain tried to limit me, place a barrier between me and my happiness in the form of shadows of disappointment, anger, and despair, but I remembered to accept the pain, to go through the pain and forgive myself for allowing that pain to develop. I don't know if I will ever run again like I used to, but my lesson of being truthful to myself is a more rewarding experience for now.

I send to each of you reading this, my thought for receiving the blessed healing that you desire at this time. It is good, so be it, ho.

written by Paul Sivert