This world is full of sufferings and if anyone can bring relief, we should not care through what channel it comes. We must be willing to put aside our pre-conceived ideas and prejudices with an attitude of openness and fairness. A disease always indicates disturbances and disorder; and disorder invariably results when our physical tendencies lead us away from the direct influence of our soul; or when carnal desires gain ascendancy over our spiritual nature. There is no doubt that physical science has done a great deal to help mankind.
It has brought relief, but the relief is not permanent. It does not reach the cause of the misery, nor does it apply the ultimate remedy. The real seat of disease is more often in the mind than in the body. When we are not well, we often go for a change of place or climate. The same kind of inward change is even more needed than the change of thought which is more helpful. If we can leave behind all thoughts of diseases, that is the best way of getting rid of these. By this we forget the body and thereby lift ourselves out of this condition.
One may not believe in prayer, but prayer heals. Faith also has great healing power because it elevates us to a plane where we get the divine healing. Men who have been declared incurable by physicians have made a long journey to touch the feet of a holy man or bathe in a sacred river or pray at a certain shrine, believing firmly that they will be cured, and they have been miraculously cured. From where comes this power?
All power is of the spirit/soul/divine. Through whole hearted prayer and unwavering faith, we succeed in making ourselves receptive of that power. Unless we are open to its direct, influence, it cannot penetrate our being, and heal us. It can be seen in Christ’s life that He was not able to cure all the people who came in contact with him, but only those who had unquestioning faith, were healed. We must always differentiate between faith and blind belief. Faith springs from purity of heart, for direct perception.
When we go against nature, we create certain results from which we cannot escape. Suffering is often a great purifying agent. Even sickness sometimes proves a blessing in disguise. It all depends on the mental attitude with which we meet it. The highest form of healing is when we do not think of the body at all. In Hatha-Yoga -Health comes first. There are certain scientific ways and methods to guide us in this regard. Through Breathing One way to do this is through control of breath. The breath is the medium of life, By understanding and application of right breathing we can keep this body in a healthy condition. As long as breathing continues to be evenly and steadily, perfect rhythm or balance will be maintained in our Psychosomatic system and we shall enjoy good health.
We can find from our experience that how dependant our breath is on the mind. The slightest mental agitation will destroy the regularity of the breath and cause disturbances to the entire system. If we do not think rightly and live rightly, with good conduct, we cannot have health, because we generate poison in our system by our wrong thought and actions which end in disease. Even medicalscience also agrees, that any strong impulse such as strong anger or bitter hatred lead to serious illness by over activating our endocranial system. When we are suffering, we must search within and see to it whether we are drifting from our origin or soul. At every moment we have, within us the possibility of health and ill health.
There are various methods by which we may accomplish self healing;
- Rigid and continual auto suggestions of denial of disease.
- Constructive affirmations.
- Concentration of the mind on a counteracting influence. These may be effective but these methods of self exertion are filled with certain danger of egotism also.
The highest and the safest form of self healing is - Meditation : We abandon all thought of sickness/health, we lift our mind beyond all mundane things and enter into the divine presence.
Meditation has wonderful healing power. Sleep gives a hint of it. When we fall asleep, we forget all our sufferings. In meditation we are conscious only of infinite one, and when our thought is wrapped up in that one, our life is flooded with new bliss and strength.