Many people living in the world today compartmentalise their emotions and general health separately within themselves. In doing so they don't acknowledge, or understand, the very real connection between one's emotions and physical health. Never before experienced migraines that turn up after the loss of a child. Irritable Bowel Syndrome that develops after being being treated unjustly in the workplace over a period of time. Susceptibility to colds, coughs and flus since the unfaithfulness of a partner. These are all examples of emotional traumas that lead to decreased wellbeing on the physical level. I have developed a model of the whole person, which I use in my work as a Homeopath. In this model, a person is comprised of 7 different aspects: - spiritual - mental - emotional - physical - sexual - social - life history  In this blog we are going to focus on the inter-connection between the emotional and physical aspects. At the centre of our being is our energy field. This is referred to by various names. In Homeopathy we use the term Vital Force. In Chinese Medicine it is called Chi. Our Vital Force animates our whole being. This is the dimension in which true disease...

Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All thing pass; God never changes. Teresa of AvilaBefore enlightenment chopping wood carrying water. After enlightenment chopping wood carrying water.Zen ProverbThe Practice of ContemplationIn Part 2 we look at the practical aspects of practicing contemplative prayer. As the great Christian mystic Teresa of Avila once wrote, we must be comfortable to pray. Go through each of the points below before beginning on the journey of contemplative prayer. Some points relate to physical concerns while others deal with praying itself.SettingFind a place where you can practice contemplative prayer each day. It may be your lounge room or a space outside. It is important that it is somewhere you won’t be disturbed by noise or others.PositionThe physical position you use is up to you. Some people prefer lying down, others sitting up. You may choose your favourite chair or sit on the floor on a cushion. You can purchase prayer cushions designed for sitting on the floor. Generally, I recommend a sitting position because it is important to keep alert when practicing contemplation. If you are lying down you may fall asleep. By the way, if you do find yourself falling asleep at first, don’t...

Ask, and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened.Jesus of NazarethLoad the ship and set out. No one knows for certain whether the vessel will sink or reach the harbor. Cautious people say, "I'll do nothing until I can be sure". Merchants know better. If you do nothing, you lose. Don't be one of those merchants who won’t risk the ocean.RumiIntroductionThe ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival. AristotleThat pleasure which is at once the most pure, the most elevating and the most intense, is derived, I maintain, from the contemplation of the beautiful. Edgar Allan PoeContemplation has been practiced by humanity throughout time. Have you ever gone outside on a clear night and stared in awe at the stars that light up the dark sky. Have you experienced walking through a rainforest and become transfixed on the natural beauty that surrounds you. Has there been a time when you look at a loved one, perhaps a partner, child or parent and...

 How can I be healthier in my eating habits and eat more in line with my physiology? In my new book, Whole Man: Unleashing the Potential of the Modern Man, I list 10 positive changes you can introduce into your daily diet. You may choose to take on board 1 or 2 of these changes or all of them. Perhaps you may want to intorduce a new one each week, so that over 10 weeks, your mind and body can adapt gradually to these changes. So here goes. 1.  Drink at least two liters of fresh water per day. Drink a glass of water before retiring to bed and a large glass of water with a lemon juiced in it upon waking. This will assist your body in flushing out the waste products released by cells overnight, while the body has been inactive physically. 2.  Begin raw juicing. Drink raw vegetable juice (fifteen minutes after your water) each morning. Raw vegetable juice is low in calories, and high in nutrients, active enzymes, and antioxidants. A juice made from carrot, celery, parsley, and beetroot is a great liver cleanser. 3. Bring awareness to your eating. Savour your food. Enjoy its flavours and...

Sarah’s Story: The end of one woman’s battle with depression. Sarah (name changed for privacy reasons) had battled with endogenous depression on and off for 12 years. She had been diagnosed a number of different antidepressants for her condition. “I tried at least 4 different antidepressants; Exefor, Zoloft, Arapax and Aurorix, says Sarah, “all in varying doses from the minimum to the maximum. Then Lithium was added. But none of it worked in the end, just more of the same.” Sarah existed in a self-described ‘limbo’ for months at a time where she just felt emotional numbness. In addition she gained weight from some of her medications, had low energy and would often sleep all day watching television to put her asleep. In time the Lithium affected her thyroid, for which she started taking thyroid medication. In the 2 years previous to seeking Homeopathic treatment for her depression, Sarah had lived with the constant stress and anxiety of living with an adult child who had multiple drug addiction. She lived in constant fear for her own health and sanity and that of her son. “I was frantic with fear and felt reduced once again to a blob of useless pathetic futility,”...

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.

Nelson Mandela

In my experience as a Homeopath, and that of many others I know, the majority of patients are female. Why is this so? I have lost count of the number of women I have treated that have said something to me along the lines of, “I wish my husband would come here”. It is also the experience of many Homeopaths that when a man does come to be treated, profound healing can happen.

Many men are not comfortable acknowledging problems and seeking help. There are a number of reasons for this, but perhaps the one that stands out from the rest is societal pressure that promotes a false perspective of what a real man is. Being vulnerable, showing emotion and not coping are typical examples of factors often discouraged by society in its portrayal of what constitutes a man. Sadly, these false stereotypes then get passed on from men to boys. One of the main consequences is that men suffer in silence.

As a male Homeopath, I have found treating men to be a truly sacred experience. Many of these patients have never before fully opened up to another about their problems, and certainly not to another man.

My approach in my practice is two-fold: to treat Homeopathically, and to help the person understand who they are more fully. In regards to the latter, I assist that person to grow in consciousness and self-awareness in any way I can. Recommending self development or spiritual books, or suggesting they try meditating regularly are examples of approaches I will use when suitable to that individual. Perhaps the tool I use most often though to promote self-awareness is to teach the patient about the picture of the remedy they are taking; particularly if it is their core constitutional remedy.

Many men I have treated are open to, and benefit from, growing in self-awareness. They then realize that there are many other men around who have similar struggles and respond according to their constitutional make-up.

You can’t have a fire without the ash. We all know that out of the ash arises the phoenix. Being a whole man necessarily means embracing one’s wound, learning from it and then transcending it. The Homeopathic approach to treatment encourages such transcendence in men because those who have their vital force brought into balance experience a shift on all planes; spiritual, mental, emotional, physical and social.

As Homeopaths we are fully equipped to assist men to experience inner healing within a safe, respectful and powerful context. We have the medicines, listening skills and knowledge to walk this journey with our patients.

Reflecting on the many men I have treated, the thing they nearly all had in common when they first came to me, was the inner belief that they have to carry their ‘ash’ on their own as part of their curriculum vitae as a man. The murder of their child, the death of a parent, neglect from parents, sexual abuse, abandonment by a life or business partner, retrenchment from work and separation from their children, are all examples of life traumas male patients have experienced, who have sought treatment in my clinic. They believed that their ‘job’ was to be a support for others, the ‘strong one’, and to deal with whatever the issue was and move on.

It is darkest before the dawn…what a transformation occurs in these men when their impaired vital forces are renewed.
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Martin Costigan is a Classical Homeopath based in Deception Bay, Brisbane. His website is www.livingwater.net.au

Martin has just published world-wide his book titled Whole Man: Unleashing the Potential of the Modern Man.

Living Water Homeopathy has three main goals.  These are to provide:  -   classical homeopathic treatment  -   education in homeopathy, health and wellness  -   other modalities and products to support those wishing to live a holistic lifestyle    Classical Homeopathic treatment is available at the clinic or online. The online treatment facility enables those who do not have physical access to homeopathic treatment to experience the benefits of this natural system of medicine. Visit Website...