You will have to go in by yourself: Healing is an inside job

A new person came to me the other day, seeking help with chronic pain. I don’t think she’ll be back. She had danced all around yoga, meditation, massage, acupuncture, but she wasn’t willing to try introversion.

It is easy to stay on the outside of any method or philosophy, so that’s where most people stay.

This particular person felt the nudge, I’m sure of it. I could tell the nudge of spirit, the inner voice, spoke aloud during her bodywork session. I saw her approach it, the wall of mystery. I felt her reach out her hand and feel that it wasn’t in fact a wall at all, but a soft dark mist.

All she had to do was step in.

That would be more complicated and confusing than she had planned for. It would take time, and life would change. It would get caught up in truth, and that might ruin things.

Tomorrow she’ll look for another method or philosophy.

I wrack my brain over how to get people to step in, but that’s a lesson for me to learn. As much as I want them to see more colors and less bullshit, all I can really do is help them feel a nudge. Whether they will walk in or walk away has nothing to do with me.

Healers are witnesses and companions, but healing happens in that mist. It’s an introversion. Healing is an inside job and at some point, you have to go in by yourself.

As much as I'd like to, it isn't possible for me to take that step for you. It's like: "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink."

I'd add this: If you're the horse and you wanted a drink, but then you got to the water and you didn't want it anymore. Let that be ok. The water you want is letting yourself be ok.