THE 12 STAGES OF HEALING

1.     SUFFERING - Different from pain, suffering is marked by a profound awareness that "something is wrong."  Parts of our being have become disconnected from our Inner Self, the core of our being.  The awareness of this disconnection is usually made as we draw more upon our consciousness and energetic resources.  This especially occurs when we are confronted with a traumatic or chaotic event or loss.  The lesson of this stage is the acceptance that nothing works at this time, and that we are presently helpless.

2.     POLARITIES AND RHYTHMS - The awareness that suffering involves cycles, polarities, and patterns is the essence of this stage.  It begins with the search for the magic genie who can or has been identified as the savior from our distress, pain or crisis.  We project from our alienated, isolated, traumatized, hurt, shamed or ignored aspects of our being.  These parts try to gain power over our helplessness through external authorities, procedures, and treatments.  Eventually, as we heal, we see that what we blamed or projected as being so wrong (the cause as we see it) is not so bad or we see that our genie is not so magical.  We become aware of our rhythms and polarities; we discover we are somehow involved in a process and are partially responsible for our distress.

3.     STUCK IN A PERSPECTIVE - This stage of healing involves the recognition that our distress is associated with being stuck in a perspective.  Our concepts or our physiology or both have been fixated.  We do not yet know why we have been stuck or what to do about it.  At this stage, the only thing that is important is that we are aware of having been stuck.

4.     RECLAIMING OUR POWER - This stage is one in which we realize that the "script" determined by the previous three stages is no longer desirable or no longer works.  Initially, we are angry that we have lost our power and are determined not to let it happen again.  As we progress through this stage, we no longer choose to dishonor ourselves because we deserve more.

5.     MERGING WITH THE ILLUSION - This stage of healing is associated with having a strong enough sense of self to merge with the illusion which keeps us from our "light" or our "shadow."  By merging the part of our nature that we have alienated, disliked or ignored, we can integrate with the rest of our being to create more wholeness.

6.     PREPARATION FOR RESOLUTION - In stage six, we build momentum and flexibility.  The alienated, traumatized, denied or redirected consciousness or energy is being prepared for discharge and resolution.  We feel the tension building within ourselves as this process advances.  We find ways to create change and improve flexibility to continue the process.

7.     RESOLUTION - This stage may involve a discharge of bio-electric energy which is associated with a discharge of mechanical energy.  This discharge may be experienced through the muscular system by movement of the trunk or extremities.  Processes, such as, fever, coughing, sneezing or vomiting are common forms of discharge.  Crying, screaming, and laughing are also discharge phenomena.  When the discharge occurs after the previous six stages, a sense of accomplishment, peace, and inner strength usually accompany the experience, and one realizes resolution has been achieved.

8.     EMPTINESS IN CONNECTEDNESS - After the resolution and discharge, we are emptied.  Rather than finding ourselves in a space of nothingness, we find ourselves in a place of possibilities.  We enter into a state of gratitude, vulnerability, connection with our external rhythms, and alignment with events around us.  We welcome serendipity as a natural way of life.

9.     LIGHT BEHIND THE FORM - From our place of emptiness and gratitude we become aware of our energetic fullness and light.  We experience that we are more than our physical body, and actually become aware of the flow of life force through and around us.  We more fully experience our connection to others.  This occurs in combination with awe and joy for the process.

10.  ASCENT - There is an awareness of Being, not as an intelligent being, but as intelligence itself; not as housing a Spirit, but as Spirit itself.  We experience our union with the creative force of the universe.  We transcend all limits, boundaries, language, judgment, and our existing sense of self.  We receive the gift of knowing the oneness of all creation.  We gain immense wisdom during this stage.

11.  DESCENT - We are renewed beyond our limits and sense of self, and enter into the world again.  We know that we are part of all we perceive and responsible for all that we know.  We live without being attached to our situations.  We love, and serve life and others.  We communicate with ourselves and others through our wounds instead of from them.

12.  COMMUNITY - We experience our involvement with humanity and recognize that wholeness comes from bringing our individual gifts into community.  In doing so, we gift ourselves and are then able to receive gifts from others.  We recognize that all of our choices are spiritual ones and affect all beings.  Eventually, we realize that the limits of what we can bring to community stem from our own lack of wholeness.  Consequently, we seek to re-experience the rhythm of earlier stages.

"If you can’t be in the stage you love,
love the stage you're in!"

Each stage has a rhythm of its own.  No one stage is better than another.  We cannot think or figure our way through any stage.  Each stage represents one of the twelve rhythms of consciousness of humanity.  Be with the stage you are in.  Don't resist the stage, honor it.  The stage will come to completion when you've gained the information within its rhythm.

Many people never fully experience most of these stages, spending their lives within the first few.  Those receiving Network care consistently move through the stages much more rapidly, and sometimes all twelve stages in a few minutes.  The ability to move back and forth through the stages as needed for your healing is ideal.  This is more likely to occur with a nervous system freed from interferences, such as subluxations.

Breath, movement, and touch are always true and are your guides through each of the Twelve Stages of Healing.  Honor them, and go with your flow.  Regardless of the stage you are in, breathe, move your body, and let your hands move in any way or to any place your rhythms take them.

Each of us may choose symptom or disease care at any time and at any stage.  However, this has little to do with healing.  We suggest that after the condition is "under control" that you continue on your Twelve Stages Journey.  Even your distress or dis-ease has a "story" to tell you.  Let your peace teach your distress to heal.

This is not meant as a substitute for any form of health care.  Any time you feel you need help, seek out the assistance of a professional.

From Dr. Donald Epstein's book, The Twelve Stages of Healing, 1994, New World Library.