By Emily Smith, PhD
We have all heard it — The Law of Attraction — the secret: that which you fear you draw near, right? Well, it has been repeatedly coming up to you because it is simply the truth. One of my favorite and trusted healers I have encountered along this path, Mr. Tom Blue Wolf has a saying that I now have framed next to my bed:

“The universe will rearrange itself to accommodate your perception of reality.”

As you read that one, go back and read it five times before allowing yourself to think it over. It is simply true. We have to watch what we say, and even more than what we say out loud is what we say in our own sacred thoughts. Be mindful.
Sometimes we get dragged into and under our most fearful thoughts, and why not? You are facing the most difficult series of events that life has to offer. You have every right to be afraid. You have every right to honor and accept that fear as part of this process. What you cannot afford to do is drown in it. You can give yourself permission to have the freak out time for five minutes a day, nothing more. For your own well being you must have a cut off for the fear thoughts and behaviors. Fear only perpetuates fear. Love perpetuates love and healing thoughts and actions can only perpetuate healing results. It is physics. Like attracts like.
The power of the mind is so strong that if you were under hypnosis and someone touches your skin with their bare finger and says to you “I am burning you” you will actually blister! That is the power of the mind. The mind and the brain are not the same thing. The mind is playful and can get you into trouble. The mind, if organized into the best direction possible, can steer you to your greatest relief. That is ultimately up to you and God. This does not always mean that if you do all the right things and say all the right things that you will heal. I cannot say that with certainty. Your path may or may not lead to this plane of life. I do not know. What I can help you with is your quality of this life. Please do not get me wrong and think that if you follow all of the guidelines that the result is absolute. On the flip side please keep in mind that miracles are everywhere. Who says that it can’t happen for you? No one! Miracles are all around you, just look up! Look at the Sun, look at the Moon, the clouds the animals, the children, the grass the trees-they are all miracles made manifest and you can create yours too!
The way that we speak has such power; do not for minute dismiss this. Our brains are literal. What we tell them is what it believes, so be mindful with what you think about. Avoid the words try, have to, almost, what if, not for me, I’m still working on it, can’t, wont, etc. Try and have to, imply that you do not want to, and it is not currently in motion. ‘What if’ can destroy any credibility that you are building within the confines of your own being. Do not ‘what if’ yourself into a hole. What if is catastrophic thinking and even if you do get really good at turning it around into positive ideas it is still an un-reachable because it is not in terms that the brain, mind and soul can understand as attainable.
Think positive and speak positive! It is a grand idea to speak in ways as though it is already done and you are grateful. You can even affirm such things as “Thank you for making it so that all cells in my body that do not function at optimum level have now left and are replaced with healthy supple, supreme health.” Then at the end of your affirmative sentence follow with “it is done, it is Done, IT IS DONE!”
A special friend who I met in one of the Atlanta area support groups said to me a powerful statement that I can never erase from my mind: “You will not meet an atheist in the chemo suite.” I believe that this is a crucial time to become acquainted with your faith and your spiritual belief. You need the power houses of the Heavens with you on this journey. Do not turn your back on the help that is offered to you from above, it would be a shame for you to feel that you are in any way on your own on this path. You are never alone!

Emily A. Smith, PhD,  BS Exercise Science and Wellness

Masters & PhD in Philosophy specializing in Comparative Religion

Author: Stretch Therapy & Stretch Therapy II

Clinical & Neuromuscular Massage Therapy

Dr.Vodder Manual Lymph Drainage & Combined Decongestive Therapy

Usui/Karuna Ki Reiki Master, Sivananda Yoga

This is an excerpt from my upcoming project: From Fear to Faith. A book about my bout with anxiety and my many attempts out of it. I would love to hear what you think! Please note that this has not been edited. 

“ Knowing what is a root cause of something doesn’t mean that you get healed. I think so many times we hear that we need to get to the root of something in order to heal it. I believe that knowledge is key, but it does not mean that having knowledge makes you understand how to apply that knowledge. Having an understanding of what it is that causes my anxiety doesn’t free me from it. And sometimes having done years of work on it doesn’t either. This is not to say that there is not a route to freedom from the fearful behaviors. It is to say that the road is going to be different for everybody.

 I can offer all of the ways that I explored and attempted. I can share with you what worked and what didn’t. This doesn’t mean that I’ve done the work so that you don’t have to. Hopefully, you will listen to my story and create a great ending of your own. Don’t skip the traveling part. Even at the crappy times, it still was movement.

 Throughout these years, I have loved and I have lost. I have had my heart broken and mended…and broken some more, and finally mended by me. The road has been long and weary. I am standing on another one now and it’s not full of crap like the old one. It hasn’t been easy, and certainly hasn’t always been fun. This is life though! We forget sometimes when we are anxious, or depressed that life is happening all the time! We really can create our own destiny, but this means we can easily create our own hell. It is not intentional, and sometimes it is biological. It is up to you to figure out your triggers, and your source of relief. And when you do find your relief, don’t let anyone tell you that it is not the best choice. Along this road there will be many people giving you the ‘answers.’ It is up to you to listen to them, and then feel what resonates within you as something that you wish to pursue. This also applies to what I have to share.

 I took the long road, many times over. I am not an authority on how to heal. I have learned though how to keep trying. I have learned that settling for a crappy existence is a fate worse than death itself. I have also learned that there is something at the end of the rainbow, but you must be willing to ride the ride and slide down to find it. Life is full of surprises, but it is how we handle and view those surprises that counts.

When we are in a space of anxiety or depression, none of that seems to exist. For me I felt like I lived in a glass house, always afraid that it would shatter. I did not enjoy myself very often and when I did, I would follow it up with some sort of dooms day voice inside my head. I felt like life was a series of tally scores and anytime that I would go up, the other shoe would have to drop. That’s such a shame to feel that way.”

There are too many times when we don’t know what health care practicioner to go to when we have an issue. The best way to get treated properly is to know who treats what conditions.

Here is a list of what I think might help with that:
 
Physiology-Anatomy in motion. A physiologist tests your body on the various physiological processes including cardiac, exercise, and respiratory physiology.
 
Chiropractic-Stresses the body’s natural recuperative abilities. Emphasis is on the alignment of the spinal column and its effect on the nervous system.
 
Orthoedic Medicine-Specializes in the treatment of joints, bones and muscular system. Usually associated with sports medicine.
 
Osteopath-Emphasizes the body’s ability to heal itself. Stresses proper functioning of the body’s nervous system and musculoskeletal systems as well as the  body’s fluid systems to flow properly. Fully licensed to diagnose, prescribe drugs and perform surgery.
 
Podiatrist-Deals with issues in the feet and lower extremity.
 
Physical Therapy-Deal with a wide range of conditions. Uses physical medicine techniques-exercise, myofascial release/massage, hydrotherapy (water-ice/heat), ultrasound, joint mobilization. Works with post operative cases, neurologic conditions, stroke and paralysis cases and more. I like this work the best for post injury, operations.
 
Occupational Therapy- Use of work, self-care and play to prevent disability. Occupational therapy is specific to a population which has sustained injury, or born with certian inhabiting qualities that limit movement in daily life. Its function is to teach or re-teach tasks to achieve independence and a better quality of life.
 
 
Physiotherapy-Also referred as Physical Therapy is within conventional medicine. It is basically the same thing as Physical Therapy and generally practiced only by Physical Therapists. In some states it is associated with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
 
Acupucture-Chinese Medicine. Works with the whole body, mind and spirit. It is used with needles and herbs to treat the whole person. Many times when Western Medicine can’t treat something effectively, Acupuncture can. This can address so many different ailments it’s difficult to put into one catagory. Can help with serious illness, pain, auto-immune disorders, nausea, infertility and much more.

Psychologist-A theraist who does not prescribe medication but does help you get to the root cause of things. There is no hands on in this practice. It is talk therapy based. Trained in counseling.
 
Psychiatrist-A Doctor who does prescribe medicine for issues in the brain and thought/behavior patterns.
 
Hypnotherapy-Can allow you to escape from typical response and behavior that are not in your best interest by using light hypnosis. Know that when you go for hypnotherapy, you are still concious. You do know what is going on around you. It is way of reprogramming the responses to habits. It is commonly used for cessatin of smoking, weight loss, and release of trauma.

Naturopath-Based on the body’s abiliity to heal itself. Naturopaths use modalities such as herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, hydrotherapy, nutrition, exercise.
 
Shaman-Native American medicine person. Can use many techniques for healing. Herbs, soul retrival, extraction, prayer, and ritual. Can heal many root issues and help you to serve the Earth as your best self.
 
Massage Therapy-Manual soft tissue manipulation to positively effect the body. Massage has two main types of effect: Mechanical effects-direct physical effect on the tissues treated, and Reflex effects-indirect effect on the body functions and tissues through the response of the nervous or energy systems of the body.
 
Neuromuscular Therapy-Soft tissue manipulation involving ischemic compression on or near trigger points, gliding thumb strokes, skin rolling and stretching movements. A trigger point is noted when there is referring pain-meaning that when a certain muscle or soft tissue has pressure applied, there is pain radiating to another part of the body.
 
Rolfing-Developed by Ida Rolf. This is a method to realign the body in relationship to gravity. It frees up fascia and chronic tension patterns. It is considered a bit rough in its delivery, but highly effective. If your body has issues with chronic misalignemts, this is ideal.
 
Reflxology-Originated with the Chinese Zone Theory. It works with the feet to access and effect organs throughout the body.
 
Shiatsu-A modern Japanese system based on the Meridians and Asian Philosophy. It involves pressure on acupoints and various other physical manipulations to effect the flow of energy.

Acupressure-refers to any number of treatment systems that manipulate acupoints. Philosopyh comes from traditional Chinese Acupuncture. Includes touching, pressing or rubbing pressure points. Does not use needles or herbs. 

Manual Lymph Drainage-Developed by Dr. Emile Vodder is a series of gentle, rythmic movements to move protiens and tissue fluid to lymph nodes that are fully functioning. This is used for sinus issues, swelling, sprains, strains and lymphedema. Also for pre-post surgery to reduce swelling, bruising and scarring.
 
Polarity Therapy- Developed by Randolph Stone, Naturopath, Chiropractor and Osteopath.  Combines both Eastern and Western practices. Includes Diet, Exercise, and Thinking practices. Works with energy balancing.
 
Theraputic Touch-An energy practice used most commonly by nurses. It is well accepted in the medicine field. Works soley with the bodies energetic field, balances and heals.
 
Reiki-Developed in Japan and used in hospitals in Japan to this day. This is much like theraputic touch. It is a laying of the hands to balance and realign the energy channels of the body. I use this practice to help people get to an emotional release. The energy can help you release things that do not serve your highest good, and replenish the areas with unconditional love. The facilitator is simply a channel from spirit to you.
 
Alexander Technique-Movement education to relearn postural and movement habits.
 
Feldenkrais Method-Somatic education using awareness through movement, and functional integration.
 

*Chi/Ki/Prahna-Life force Energy

*fascia-Strong connective tissue covering muscle bundles.

*meridian-there are 12 chennels of Chi. These correspond to the main organs in the body.

Thai Massage-Assisted stretching. This is done on a mat on the ground. For the practicioner it is passive. The facilitator does all the work and you feel all the results!
 
Thai Yoga Therapy-A system that incorporates thai massage with yoga practice. It involves yoga postures, twisting and stretching led by a therapist.  

Ashiatsu-Used with the feet. The therapist holds on to the bars on the ceiling and is able to deliver a lot of pressure with their feet.