Native Am Healing

Strength of the Peaceful Warrior

Healing and the Native American Traditions

Worthville, Kentucky

We often think that if we have money and brains, we have "it all." According to Native American tradition, and in harmony with the latest findings of psychoneuroimmunology, however, material gains are the least of truly important concerns, and what you feel is much more crucial than what you think. Learning this vital lesson constitutes an important part of the journey from mere doctor to true healer.

Healing traditions all speak of a powerful healing force that indwells each of us, as all living creatures. Tapping it implies the development of harmony, not only within that system, but with the earth as well, which is a larger, but still related, energy-system. This, in turn, implies the need for peace with all living creatures, as far as possible. For the highest form of harmony with "mother earth,' according tot he ancients, is harmony with her "children," i.e., all living things.

It is for this reason that, among native cultures, greed is universally recognized as a vicious distortion of human nature. And, as the ancients might have known, greed has indeed led to the unparalleled and irreversible destruction of the earthly environmental balance.

For modern American society is possessed by possessions, greedy for more greed. Greed is the all-consuming passion and downfall of virtually every member of the "successful" business community, and is a gigantic and hideous social flaw. As a culture, we have allowed greed to tear us away from our natural connections with invisible Power, under the hallucination that only physical realities are "real." Being ripped violently away from the Power also allows us to separate ourselves from ethical standards and moral values. Reality becomes a matter of mere sales and economics.

Native Americans remind us of the invisible that all things exist within a Power that is itself within them. This they often do by means of ritual and ceremony. For Western science has become great in its own specialty, which is answering the "what," but can never fully address the "why" of existence. Ritual allows people to share "sacred spaces" and sacred energies; it reminds us that none of us lives alone. Creating sacred time, it can serve as a unifying spiritual anchor. Thus, science may seek answers, but spirituality seeks reasons.

The universe of spirit is polychromatic; there are dozens of ways to 'see" or to interpret any given reality. Speech represents, for example, only one language-- that of the mind. Prayer is the language of the heart. Further, the heart, as what in psychology could be called an "aspect of the unconscious," knows many things not known by, or to, the mind.

A common popular group-ritual is the "talking circle." Here, a special feather or "talking stick" is passed from one person to another, and whoever holds it has the floor, or the right to speak, and to be heard by all the others. At last, everyone present who wants to has had a chance to say something. Here, people are encouraged to speak spontaneously, from the heart. And when people come together in love, that is an act of "God, of spirit, of a sacred nature. Native American also teach that only if you give away something, can you be free. Thus, mere material things may be used, in a sense, to "purchase" the great spiritual and psychological treasures of freedom. The inner life force, they also teach, is renewed by every act of generosity. They go much further. They say that possessions that you cannot give away, because your attachment is too great, will not only master you, but will ultimately destroy you. Thus, generous giving is considered an act of healing.

Each being needs to find develop, and cultivate, in a way that is also quite therapeutic, his/her own spiritual path; everyone has one. Fear is the only factor that can paralyze us, and keep us from making that all-important inner spiritual journey.

The only way effectively to face fear is to confront it directly, and never to flee or run from it. Avoidance and evasion simply do not work. Never allow fear to run your life, or to make important decisions for you.

Our lives need to be welcomed and embraced as a series of surprises, for which we simply cannot prepare ahead of time. This attitude helps to shake us loose from the common psychopathology of Western society, the obsession with control. Thus, the heroic peaceful warrior welcomes the world as a gigantic surprise, shakes her head in wonder, smiles, and then moves on to the next surprise. Catastrophes, disasters, miracles, celebrations-- all must be embraced.

For, in time, the peaceful warrior learns to trust the process, not the plan. Too much analytical thinking results simply in the 'paralysis of analysis.'

In healing, she must learn to listen to the physical body, not just to her own thoughts. This is done with full awareness and trust, or "faith," that the life force always moves towards a more perfect equilibrium. So, the body always tends towards "homeostasis," or balance and wellness. So, never be consumed by or fixated upon the limitations that nature ahs given you. For what hurts you most can never be others, or conditions, but only yourself. The peaceful warrior realizes that the Self can be her very best friend, but makes a most fearsome enemy, and an equally wonderful ally.

So, the journey begins by learning to celebrate yourself, to receive with joy the great treasure that is your Self. Never evade life, seeking only "safe" retreat, for there is nowhere else to go. For your goal is the expansion of all good in your life, and fear leads only to contraction.

In order to stay comfortable with life, you must keep moving and changing, for the constant of all life is change. Still, it is important to find the center of your being wherever you happen to be. For PNI teaches that the body-mind is an integrated system of complex circuitry, and that, in this circuit, the brain is not in charge. Instead, it is itself a part of a larger communications-field or network.

Each of us has, in the body, about a trillion leukocytes, and about a hundred million trillion molecules called "antibodies." A system this complex cannot possibly be regulated by the conscious mind. These large molecules of the immune system are pumped in a fluid medium through channels called "lymphatics." What does this is muscular action; so movement is a key to life-processes.

From many perspectives, the view that germs alone cause or create disease is an archaic myth. Physical dysfunction also often included more complex and higher systems, such as the emotions and feelings. (See the booklet, "When the Doctors Say Impossible: What We Can Learn from Remarkable Recoveries," in this same series.)

Native American medicine teaches that love, connections with a larger system, faith, prayer, and meditation actually strengthen the immune system. In fact, studies have shown that simply being exposed to a great act of love and caring, as in a movie, can measurably elevate the immune system. So, even imagination can radically improve immune-function.

Having the freedom to choose, and to have input in important areas of your life, can also boost immunity. So can conscious attempts to see the world through the "eyes of joy and wonder." In fact, the immune system seems far more regulated by love, hope, and faith than by any intellectual system. For the soul, or deepest personal unconscious, is capable of feeling things of which the conscious mind is incapable of thinking. Thus, learn to trust your intuitive feelings, and to keep moving. Eve if you are old, tired, or weak, you can still move, as in practice of the Tai Chi art.

We are often exposed to false self-images, unrealistic expectations, and teaching that has nothing to do with reality. To buy into these, is to deny the intuition of what we deeply know to be true. We must, then free ourselves from false, illogical, or unloving systems of belief, in order to release and touch the inner Power. For if we allow ourselves to stay within a system of falsehood for too long, it starts to seem, as if it were real, this is self-delusion. So, at least in some cases, getting rid of a false of delusional system of beliefs is a good beginning.

Further, when it comes to truth or reality in terms of treatment, the body often knows more than the mind acknowledges. To ignore this truth too long is to die.

The body, for example, has its own symbolism. While this can be taken to extreme and ridiculous degrees, the truth is that some illnesses do have symbolic meaning and value. For example, a problem with the mouth might, in some but not tall cases symbolize a problem in communication.

Also, whenever we lose the courage to feel authentically, and then to express those feelings, this can also make us sick.

Many of these things can be revealed through the imagination. For, from the Native American perspective, imagination is not simply make-believe, or a game; it is instead the unstructured journey of an unfettered mind.

If one can tie into the emotions, the effect is even more powerful. As in Western psychoanalysis, if the feelings of an experience in childhood can be recalled together with the event, the result is often curative. In native tradition, singing can hold a special place in this kind of therapy.

It is also a significant belief that one must often conquer one's dragons, or face one's fears or errors, in front of others, if not even in public.

In this as in many other cultures, being angry with God is a common problem and results in inner shame and guilt. First, it must be recognized that anger with the universe, or with God, is a common and very natural response to the human condition, NOT a cause for shame or guilt. It is, in fact, to be welcomed as a part of an honest inner catharsis.

The body often expressed on its own, in its own way, feelings that are not uttered or even hinted in any other way. For example, tension or anger can cause one to clamp her jaw tightly for many years; in time, this can lead to "temporal mandibular joint", or TMJ, syndrome. If one has been suppressing anger, whether at God, the universe, or other beings, one "solution" in native tradition is to go to the top of a hill and scream curses and epithets until one feels exhausted or satisfied. Remember that the healing energy can be released only when you feel the anger completely.
For some people, who may still be quite ill, self-punishment is the name of the game, and they will seek out masochistic and ascetic forms of self-torment, to "purify" their "filthy" souls of all their "evils." Since this is a sick and unhealthy approach, it is not recommended by men and women of balance and moderation, who recommend love for the physical body as an emblem of love for the Self.

All sentient creatures, of course, want love. When we are children, we discovery very quickly that he way to get expressions of what is called "love" is by conformity. When we agree with others, become uniform with others, we may violate our sacred, authentic individuality; but the compensating reward is that conformity often gains the reward of "love" from others. On the other hand, kids who do not receive any love, even for being themselves, will never conform even to reasonable standards, as they feel that they have nothing to lose.

These kids have real needs, most formidably, the need for love that is unconditional. You also have real needs, and acknowledging them is not to be seen as "selfishness." For if you do not express your real needs, you force others to pretend "telepathy," to guess at your needs, and this almost never works, because human beings have a very low-wattage form of telepathy.

Also, it is important to acknowledge--in terms of pop psychobabble, to "own"-- your own fears. Then, take incremental steps, no matter how small, to overcome them. For pretending to be fearless is not only foolish but also dangerous, if you do, then your fears will sneak up on you at a time when you are most vulnerable, and then attack.

By the same token, native tradition teaches that holding onto anger makes the soul ugly. For it dims the natural light, love and beauty of the soul. Fear and anger both subtract from the natural beauty of a soul; fear manifest, for example, as self-righteousness and judgmentalism. Thus, there is much in religion itself that can make a soul ugly.

To retain, or express, the natural, primordial, beauty of the soul, love everything and everyone. Forgive freely, easily, and widely; cultivate kindness, goodness, generosity, and compassion. Give in a friendly way of your material possessions and seek to highlight the beauty in all of nature -- the weather, the flowers the animals, etc.

Another form of beauty is the openness of the soul that is truly responsive to what others are saying. It is a way of honoring your brother/sister to truly listen to him/her. Cultivate silence, and patience. For unless you are a teacher, you can best practice the art of silence on almost every occasion; and even teachers who are true are eager to embrace the Way of silence, when not called upon to teach. This is a form of humility, and humility has enormous soul-value in native traditions. In listening, be willing to change. Be like the reed, whose plasticity allows it to give with the wind-- not like the ancient and stiff tree, broken by the same wind. Native teachers believe that old beliefs, if fossilized, can be deadly to your psyche.
We all need to grow, which means to change, on a fairly regular basis, if we are to hold to the discipline of life.

Of course, there are factors that you cannot change, no matter how willing you are to change yourself. But even if, for example, one is predestined to a particular illness through genetics, one need not roll over and "play dead." The approach that one takes with reference to an illness can make all the difference, between wrestling with demons or dancing with angels. You must never believe that you are powerless. Indeed, recognizing that the body is holy and sacred, you are spiritually obligated, not to make it perfect, but to take care of it efficiently by good nutrition, reasonable exercise and rest, and avoidance of toxic substances. Making this kind of choice is a fundamental act of personal empowerment. You can also choose patterns of love and forgiveness in your life, if only to improve the function of the physical body. For hatred and violence are not only literally sickening, but are lethal.

Empowerment, which begins with such simple decisions, ends with the ability and motivation to cleanse oneself karmically, of every remaining particle of evil and ignorance. For native beliefs are often pervaded with an awareness of multiple lives led by the soul, and of the need to redeem oneself through the adoption of a love-pattern as a guide.

Native peoples also knew intuitively a great truth recently revealed by PNI research-- that nothing stimulates the immune system with quite the dramatic effect than being touched, held, cuddled, wrapped in human warmth can. Thus, kind, gentle, non-invasive, non-sexual touching is very much of a healer's repertoire.

Still, healers must realize that they do not "save" other people; their job is to listen, and to advise. Thus, their function in society is not one of an inflated, godlike ego, but of a humble servant.

The final ceremony of a healer is often the death-ceremony. Here, the person who is about to leave this world invites all his/her best friends and closest family, and each says something from the heart. The healer him/herself might or might not perform any function as a ceremonial symbol or initiator. But, at any rate, he or she will say something kind and encouraging about the person about to exist this world. This ceremony also includes both spoken and silent prayer, and might continue all night.

No matter what the healer tries to do, he or she always tries to keep a realistic, balanced perspective of reality or truth. Thus, no matter how pessimistic nature, or the world, might seem at a given time, at times, just as a matter of sheer probability, positive dreams do come true. Since all of us have inner wounds that need to be healed, it is up to each of us to strive to create environments that will be conducive to that healing. This can be done with or without the assistance of a healer. We are also each responsible to create actions and behaviors that will accelerate healing-- words and acts of love, compassion, forgiveness, joy.

The native tradition also says, "To see things simply the way they are, without seeing them the way they might be, is also a form of blindness." This means that, among other things, we must never scale down our dreams to the size of our fears.
Each of us is "called" to a certain path in life, and we must not seek to change that path, but instead to follow it faithfully. In the same way, a healer does not really choose his/her path; instead, he/she is chosen by that Way of healing. It is an all-but-irresistible call. And it can occur to anyone anywhere, regardless of socioeconomic background, genetic heritage, education level, or other factors.

An interesting facet of Native American healing-work is the ceremony, as already noted. In one ceremony, a room is made absolutely, completely dark; no light at all is permitted to enter. Here, four tin cans are filled with sand, and each has a wooden staff driven into it. The staves are red, yellow, white, and black. These represent the four directions: white -- north; yellow-- east; red--south; black--west. Onto these staves are tied four small sacks, also the same color as the staves, filled with grass, seed, corn, or a similar symbolic "offering" or "sacrifice" to the holy powers. Between the red and the black cans, there is placed another can of sand, facing southwest; into this is placed five staves, and each has a red offering-sack tied to it. On the center staff here, however, is attached an eagle feather. This is a "spirit-calling" ceremony. In modern terms, its function would be to call forth energies from the collective unconscious, or from the divine inner universal Mind. (The Great Spirit is often addressed as "wakon tanka." The forces from the four directions may be called the "manitous.") During the ceremony, it is not unusual for one to feel as if he/she were caressed or touched by spiritual energies. In more rare cases, one might even receive a vision or heart impelling. The healer holds up the sacred pipes of everyone in the room, praying with each. After each prayer, a pipe is laid lovingly on the altar (often placed at the north end of the room, or directly in the center). Each person is given a sprig of sage to place behind an ear. The healer then approaches each person with a can filled with coals, upon which sage is sprinkled, and each person is ceremonially "cleansed" by the smoke. He then stands in the middle of his "altar," or blanket, and uses one special pipe as a "talking stick," which is then passed around the room; each person then speaks from the heart, saying whatever he/she feels directed to say. All light is then extinguished, and there is pure darkness. Then drumming and sacred singing begin. The healer addresses the four directions and rattles are shaken.

This particular ceremony is designed to show experientially the difference between "vision" and ordinary "seeing." Seeing is done with the eyes, but vision with the heart. The ceremony might close with the words, "Mita Kuye oya sim," or, "to all my relations, thanks."

Does one have to have a perfect body in order to be a healer? No, this is certainly no qualification. Not only are many physically perfect people spiritually ignorant or even stupid, but the great masters and sages of history also number among themselves those who had radically imperfect bodies.

If anything the native traditions say, this imperfection raises the level of consciousness, by not allowing one to be distracted by the physical/material/visible world, and allowing instead the full, inner, dynamic intensity of inner concentration. Thus, healers are often known by native peoples as "those who see in the dark." For they "see," not with their eyes, but with their hearts.

Native traditions teach us to revere all beings, but especially those, whose souls are working on a program to make themselves spiritually stronger. Often, people who are working on this kind of agenda will incarnate with some major imperfection in the physical body, designed to shift consciousness from the world to the universe of "inner space."

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CONCLUSION.
All modern Western people can learn much from a system of native medicine. For it is not only very holistic, but encompasses realms often "reserved" for churches and religions in the West. True, we learn much about herbs and ceremonies; but the most important items that we can derive form the is system of healing is how the mind activates the nervous and immune systems, in a cohesive but largely invisible "healing system" within the body.

Seeking to integrate native traditions with conventional medicine, we can look forward to a time when we can create a medical methodology of greater efficacy, on e that works, on many levels.

For more information, see the book The Theft of the Spirit:
A Journey to Spiritual Healing with Native Americans, by Carl A. Hammerschag SP, M. D. 9(New York; Knopf, 1993)

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