The power to heal
I AM writing this article from Seoul, Korea, where I am attending the Global Council meeting of the United Religions Initiative (URI, see www.uri.org). Our purpose is to promote enduring interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings. We are also here to support the Korean people in their efforts to reunite their divided nation.
While this column is concerned about the healing of the human body, we must also be aware of the pain and suffering that humanity has inflicted upon itself, on other creatures, and on Mother Earth herself.
Be kind to all
Just as we actually have within us the power to heal ourselves, so do we have the power to heal the World. We can all do our little bit to help prevent disease, resolve conflicts between peoples, promote the preservation of nature, support efforts to ensure that our rivers and seas are not polluted, and do many other good things to help heal the Earth and its occupants.
In other words, be kind to the Earth, which sustains us. And be kind also to all life forms sharing this planet with us.
We must realise that the Earth is our only home. When one part or one component of it is sick, it is only a matter of time before the other parts become affected. Forest fires or indiscriminate burnings in one country have often caused haze and disease in other countries. Pollution in a river will affect everyone living downstream, and then continue on to pollute the sea. And in this age of globalisation and frequent travel by air, diseases can easily spread across the globe to kill millions in a short time.
The body is like the earth
The same is true with our body. Any problem in the function of one organ will soon affect the health of the other organs. A pin-prick in the toe will make the whole body malfunction – you cannot continue functioning as normal until that pin is removed and the pain has subsided. Yet the only part that is damaged or hurt is the toe. When the problem is blood-borne, all the cells and organs can be affected within minutes.
The amount of poison that we put into our bodies is shocking. These poisons come through our food, water and air. The amount of pesticides sprayed on our vegetables and consumed by each of us in a lifetime would fill a bathtub. If even the fishes in the deepest oceans have been shown to be contaminated, imagine how dirty the nearby seas and rivers must be.
But the most puzzling is the pain and suffering we inflict upon ourselves by intentionally doing things that cause the cells and organs to become damaged and die gradually. Too many people still smoke cigarettes, with the full knowledge that they are increasing their risks of dying from cancers, heart disease and stroke. Many do not discipline themselves to eat healthy diets and adopt healthy lifestyles, and end up being obese, hypertensive, diabetic, arthritic and so on. Many get hooked on drugs, or indulge in unsafe sex, and succumb to organ failures or HIV/AIDS.
When we reflect that many human beings have no qualms about damaging and hurting their own bodies, it is no surprise that they care less about damaging and hurting other humans, nature and other inhabitants of this planet!
Be kind to your body
It is best that you be aware of your health needs before problems arise. Simple measures like checking your weight (at least once a week) and blood pressure (my advice is at least once in six months for those above 40 with normal BP) can alert you early if you are gaining weight or developing high blood pressure.
If you do not have a weighing scale at home, you must get one immediately. Obesity is the mother of all diseases! About 30% of Malaysians above 40 are overweight, and about 30% are hypertensive. Many are overweight as well as hypertensive. Many have too much bad fats in their blood (dyslipidemia). Diabetes is also increasing in incidence. You must be constantly wary of all these threats to your health.
A full medical examination, blood tests and other special tests (for example Pap smears for women) can be done yearly.
Next, you must decide to be kind to your body. Stop poisoning it with cigarettes, toxic drugs, too much alcohol (better if you can avoid totally – the benefits of drinking red wine is the same as drinking red grape juice), unhealthy meals and overloading it with excess calories, unhealthy fats (but you must have enough healthy fats – the essential fatty acids), and too much proteins (excess proteins, especially if poorly digested, putrefies or rots in your intestine, giving rise to an unhealthy bowel and ultimately an unhealthy body).
Feed the body with nutritious foods which must include lots of veggies and a variety of fruits; just sufficient calories for the day’s requirements (less if you have weight to lose); plenty of clean water; and in my health menu, plenty of nutritional supplements to make up for those nutrients chronically deficient in your diet.
You must stretch and exercise regularly to keep your body in good condition.
Lastly you must charge your cells with qi – the life force or healing energy. Qigong – the art of harnessing this healing energy – has the ability to awaken non-functioning cells, and heal even severely malfunctioning cells.
If you are kind to your body, and practise qigong, you will have immense power to heal yourself. However, if you practise qigong but still continue to be unkind to your body, the benefits may still be insufficient for adequate healing.
Metaphysics of qi
After my previous article, The metaphysics of healing, I received a spate of e-mails from the US, Canada and Mexico. It appears that the people there are more interested than many locals in the mysteries of how metaphysics apply in healing. It is no wonder that many qigong and other masters have migrated to the West where their work receives more attention.
I had described in the article that it is possible to transform our bodies to other energy forms that would enable us to be transported or transposed to another place in an instant.
Likewise, it is possible to transform the diseased cells to other energy forms, treat them at these energy levels, and return them to the physical state where they will assume their healthy states.
Some faith healers are able to transform the diseased tissues and then transfer them to other living things (animals or even plants).
Qi is a higher form of energy that allows it to cause healing even when everything else fails. That is why qi also defies known physical laws. It goes beyond the physical. Qi is the beginning of metaphysical energy. If you have practised qigong and can “play” with qi, you are in fact experiencing the lowest level of psychic or metaphysical energy.
Do you not wonder how the Shaolin Masters defy science and become impervious to sharp spears and perform other mind-boggling stunts? And how qigong masters can create fire just by concentration?
The gift of healing
Recently I received a letter from a young yoga practitioner who asked if I believed that he could eat glass. Actually I have seen so many such stunts being performed. To me, all these are useless compared to the ability to heal. The gift of healing is the greatest gift of all. I used to do qi-healing but later realised that my mission is to teach and empower more people to heal themselves than have them depend on me or other qigong healers. Those who learn qigong can also prevent diseases from ever occurring if they practise enough when they are still healthy (provided they are also kind to their bodies).
The power to heal is within you. It is up to you to learn to utilise it to its greatest potential.
n Dr Amir Farid Isahak is a medical specialist who practises holistic medicine and has been teaching qi gong for more than 10 years. He is the former president of the Guolin Qi Gong Association, Malaysia. You can e-mail him at starhealth@thestar.com.my. The views expressed are those of the writer and readers are advised to always consult expert advice before undertaking any changes to their lifestyles. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
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