This is a post written in collaboration with Elena Bensonoff, founder of Wholistic® Inc.—an Elephant Mindful Partner. She is dedicated to eliminating chronic illness and empowering us to our full healing potential, and we’re honored to share her offerings with you. ~ ed.
“It’s not just that disease starts in the mind; it’s that everything starts in the mind.” ~ Marianne Williamson
As a child, I struggled with chronic eczema and asthma.
The message I got from doctors was that my health problems were something I just had to accept. There was nothing that could be done, other than taking medication and using inhalers to keep my symptoms in check.
When I was 24, I experienced a significant event that escalated the situation and brought me to a turning point.
I had just relocated to Florida and unknowingly moved into a house that was infested with mold. My asthma symptoms became so severe I literally could not breathe. I broke down and went to see a lung specialist.
My lungs were functioning at only 25% capacity! He gave me a steroid shot and told me I would need to be on six medications for the rest of my life. I remember coming home thinking, “There has to be something else I can do. I have to keep looking.”
I decided to do everything I could to heal myself.
It occurred to me that the food I was eating might be contributing to my symptoms and causing inflammation. By changing three simple things in my diet, I was able to taper off all six medications, and I’ve been asthma-free ever since. But healing my physical symptoms was just the start of a much deeper awakening…
There is another path to true healing, and that path lies within.
After chronic disease was no longer holding me back, I began to see the world with new eyes, and that’s where my journey to help others discover their own inner healer began.
I am here to tell you that battling your symptoms with medication for the rest of your life, undergoing surgery, or radical medical interventions are not the only answers to chronic or mystery illness.
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“We stand at the threshold of a new era in medicine and healing. Today, instead of looking at the human body as a biological machine, we know it is a vast energetic network, where spirit, matter, and power intersect.” ~ Caroline Myss
I’ve walked this path myself, and dedicated my career to learning, understanding, practicing, and teaching the way to the deep and vibrant wellness which is our birthright.
I am not here to discount modern medical science. In fact, my path to Wholistic Wisdom started in the traditional medical setting as a clinical pharmacist. However, to overcome the current epidemic of chronic conditions and mystery illnesses, we must take responsibility for our own well-being and approach our healing from a holistic perspective.
Not long after I was able to heal my asthma and eczema through dietary changes alone, I attended a medical conference where I was introduced to the ancient practice of Qigong. I felt for the first time the sensation of energy flowing between my hands—and I experienced a spiritual awakening.
We are first and foremost energetic beings.
This experience made me even more curious and hungry to understand who we are. What makes us feel great or depleted? How does this unseen energy affect our overall well-being?
I began to study functional medicine and dove deep into many healing modalities with practitioners around the world. A lot of puzzle pieces fell into place, and I understood that most of our symptoms and diseases are side effects of blocked emotions. With my growing awareness, I learned the importance of listening to what the body is saying, what the mind is revealing, and what the soul is asking.
Looking at the body in isolation from the mind and spirit simply does not give us a full picture of disease, or of our own potential for well-being. We are not just a physical body, and most of who we are is beyond what we perceive with our five senses. That includes an incredible mind and a unique soul.
Healing the body is just the beginning. Health and wellness is all about effective communication. Our “higher self” communicates with our physical body through powerful messengers—our emotions.
Every disease is the result of an imbalance between the body, mind, and soul.
When we choose to block, repress, or “park” our emotions, we store them in the “long term parking garage” of our bodies, and the messages gradually become louder. If we continue to ignore them, they start communicating through physical symptoms.
When we mask our symptoms with medication without changing our lifestyle and habits, over time those messages become even louder and translate into chronic illness and disease.
For some people, this might show up as cancer or diabetes. It could manifest as fibromyalgia. Whatever it may be, I consider the illness an invitation to learn and grow. It’s truly an opportunity for a person to create a massive shift in their life. I’d even go as far as viewing disease as a gift, because it opens up possibilities for change that we otherwise might have never considered.
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If we want to restore health and wellness, we must look at the body as a messenger of what the heart and soul are trying to tell us, so we can respond appropriately and address the causes of disease rather than just symptoms.
Rather than being a roadblock or “the end,” disease is actually the beginning of uncovering who we are at a much deeper level.
In order to live life to the fullest and hear the messages from our soul, we have to be absolutely clear and in tune with our physical body. It’s the most precious gift we have been given, because through our body we can experience life.
One solution does not fit all when it comes to our unique mind, body, soul anatomy. No one diet, or any particular holistic healing modality can heal all for every body, mind, and soul, which is why it is so vitality important that we understand this “secret” of Wholistic Wisdom: no one or no thing outside of ourselves can heal us.
Which is why I often say that I am not a healer—I am simply a messenger, guiding your own deep, intuitive knowing into awakening the inner healer within you!
Realize and remember that you carry an incredibly powerful gift, the gift of healing yourself.
“You were born a child of light’s wonderful secret—you return to the beauty you have always been.” ~
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