Using Illness as a Healing Experience by Shoshana Averbach, LMSW, MA, MT-BC, LCAT Accredited Healer Note: This article, in part, was origninally published in L’Chaim (February 2000), a publication of the Jewish Association of Spiritual Healers. I have been blessed with good health, and there have also been times when I was recovering either from an injury or a short-term illness. Those times of recovery were actually a gift of another kind aside from the gift of being restored to health. At times, it seems as if G-d were giving us a slap on the face with a nisayon (a test); however, when we recognize that G-d is also stroking us twice as much on the other cheek (the nechama or comfort), we can see the hidden good and gifts in our experience. In each of the 3 instances listed below, my recovery was a process of healing on all levels (physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually). Recovering from broken clavicles (collar bones) Miraculously, I not only survived a very serious car accident but also with few injuries. During my 3-month recovery, I contemplated the following questions: What else was broken in my life? Just as I woke up from unconsciousness to consciousness from the accident, what else was G-d trying to wake me up from that I was unconscious of in my own life? The clavicles provide support: What was or wasn’t being supported in my life? The significant changes I made included: 1) evaluating a relationship and terminating it (and not having regretted ever since); 2) recognizing my parents’ love for me since they literally dropped everything and traveled long distance to be with me; 3) reaching out for support from friends and relatives and feeling confident that I would receive it. Recovering from bronchitis My ten-day moratorium from work and interacting with people became redefined as working in the internal and spiritual world. Even with a basic knowledge of shiatsu, I knew that lung issues related to emotions of grief and joy. I meticulously examined those issues and discovered that they appropriately matched my body’s way of cleansing after the end of a relationship (the grief) and the realization that I lacked joy in my life. During my recovery, I made amends with the other person and also, with my rabbi’s guidance, made significant changes in my religious observance which allowed me to feel more joyful. Two years have passed since I made those changes, and I feel much more joyful in my observance and in living! Recovering from a toe injury “Coincidentally,” the day after moving to my new apartment, I injured my toe, and was out from work for six months. My toe symbolized a korban (a sacrifice), for despite the pain, G-d definitely blessed me with a precious gift of time. I got settled into my new home and my new neighbors helped me unpack. I had time to consciously experience all of the awesome adjustments my mind and body were going through as a result of the move. My body and mind reveled in the healing environment that I had created (my home) rather than spending 1/3 of my day at an unfulfilling job. Oddly enough, although I could have spent my time in recreational activities, the only activity with which I resonated was meditating! From that insight, I learned that G-d had redefined my work as spelunking in the internal world. So, I became somewhat of a recluse and hibernated in my new cave. When I reached a point of boredom in my meditation, I learned to go deeper into the void and create a new threshold. The efficacy of all those months of meditating and learning to STOP and breathe and rush a little slower showed when people remarked that I was glowing! What did I learn during those six months? I developed even greater inner strength, inner peace, and deepened my spiritual relationship. Those irreplaceable gifts enabled me to have more fulfilling relationships and walk with greater placidity in my being-ness as Shoshana. I sensed that when this phase of my life would be complete, those internal shifts would result in attracting new and better job opportunities and people who resonate with the new frequency I would be transmitting. I had already seen positive results: That relationship that I was grieving has actually been rekindled recently and on a much different level. Additionally, I changed how I perceived my milieu. I reached a point at which I was ready for a short-term endeavor, and took classes in computer graphics. I was training my mind to think differently and my eyes to see the world more artistically--details, shapes, colors, lines--as well as to experience the joyful feeling of becoming more adept at using the computer.Yes, I could have been earning more money by working during the last six months; however, I would not have traded it for the greater inner peace and strength I feel which will outlast what I lost in salary. Moreover, the day before I was faced with having to return to that unfulfilling job, a better job came through--and I was ready to receive that blessing! I have come to understand that my experiences have deeper, spiritual meanings and present opportunities for growth and transformation. As with my clients, I try to focus on strength and empowerment rather than victimization. I ask them and myself: “How did this situation challenge me to grow? Which middot (character traits) did I develop or strengthen in meeting the challenge?” When blessed with insightful answers, the discomfort is often easier to bear, and I and/or the client have reached a new level of personhood. I also pray to learn those lessons from love rather than from illness or suffering! May all of us stay in optimal health and guide our clients to that state as well.