WHEN ILLNESS ARRIVES: THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF DAILY PRACTICES IN THE HEALING PROCESS
...And one day, the so famous Illness arrives at the door of our inner being, affecting the body, which is our means of experiencing this dimension. The first reaction is... 'I'm going to die,' 'I wanted to live a little longer to experience this and that'...
It is Illness that arrives to awaken us from that dream in which we live like machines, running from one place to another, automatons in the daily routine of work and the persona we 'wear.'
And when this "friend" Illness arrives, it's wise to listen to it and get to work. It always comes to tell us something about ourselves, just like the thoughts that arise during meditation. The best we can do is be present, open to its messages, observing and acting. Now, the Tao Te Ching would tell you, is the time to act, but not from the fear of dying, but from the calm, faith, and fullness of your center.
What is the illness telling me? What organ is affected? What emotion does it hide? Illness is as if, suddenly, "Mother Life" had signed us up for an intensive course that begins the very moment of our 'enrollment.' It pushes us to concentrate on multiple aspects of our lives. The emotions that may have caused the illness are the ones we need to take into account: feel them, recognize them, and release them with awareness. It is a very strong decision to let go of everything that is not doing us good. You have to feel it intensely within; it is a very profound act of self-love.
Very often, we lead a rhythm of life that does not respect our true nature, or have a job we dislike, and even, sometimes, a partner who seems has been 'assigned' to us more than we chose them from the heart. And what happens? Even if we start to realize it, we remain there day after day, for months, years, until... until we get sick, if we're lucky! Because illness is that "friend" that life sends us and that comes to awaken us, to remind us that, perhaps, life can be lived differently. Yes, if we're lucky, because in the worst-case scenario, we continue like this until death without opportunities for change appearing.
To be able to live illness in this way, from the calm and acceptance of the teaching it carries, it is essential to have a constant practice that drives you to that place, to that inner state. And if the illness doesn't allow me much movement, I meditate and breathe consciously, bringing oxygen, energy, and presence to where it is most needed. I had a friend who, working in a port, fell from a great height, fracturing several parts of his body. Immobilized in a hospital bed, he breathed consciously with the intention that the exhalation would reach every corner of his body, every broken bone, to promote his healing. His recovery was rapid and, according to the doctors, "miraculous."
Illness, very often, requires delicate decision-making. Which path do I choose?
I take refuge in practice: fear vanishes with meditation, pranayama, and a good yoga sequence, doubts dissipate, and thus I know what needs to be done. Your return home, to your inner self, is a refuge that allows you to remember who you truly are and face difficulties with a smile, hope, love, and compassion. This openness to transformation, to the change that life requires of us, is the necessary attitude for us to learn from illness.
Developing constant daily practices has the power to strengthen us and prepare us for any challenge or for the attention that evolution requires. In the book "My Daily Practices," I would like to inspire you to also explore a daily routine of internal practices, the one that resonates most with you at this moment. The key is that it should be easy for you, because remember that the Tao invites you to a life of "effortless effort," which means not wasting energy unnecessarily. A small initial effort, followed by a natural flow on the path. Find your daily routine to face any challenge or contact me to accompany you in creating a more suitable one for you.
