Read All Is Well: Heal Your Body With Medicine, Affirmations, and Intuition for Free Online

safe.
    These are classic Louise Hay–isms. I repeated them over and
    over again, and slowly but surely my sleep spells decreased. I got
    into medical school and graduated with an M.D. and a Ph.D. I
    never would have been able to do this without affirmations.
    I’ve had my share of ups and downs with my health over the
    years. (Haven’t we all?) Each time I had a down, I’d turn to con-
    ventional and integrative medicine. I’d also take out Louise Hay’s
    book, and I’d use medical intuition to find the imbalances in my
    life. This combination always did the trick.
    This is how I stay well. Medicine, intuition, and affirmations.
    It’s also how I help other people.
    Recently, the spine problem that started when I was 12 began
    to escalate. I started to list forward like the Leaning Tower of
    28
    All Is Well interior.indd 28
    1/8/13 7:51 AM
    A Perspective on Using Medicine
    Pisa—I stood at a 70-degree angle, always facing toward the
    ground. The surgeons I saw in Phoenix, Arizona, said it was
    straight back syndrome, a complication of the extensive scoliosis
    surgery I had had nearly 40 years before. I couldn’t walk very
    far or lift my arms. Intuition told me to reevaluate the structure
    and support in my life, and I did. I looked at my purpose with
    the help of spiritual advisors and friends. I also worked with a
    Chinese acupuncturist and qigong master, but all these remedies
    only took me so far.
    I still wanted to be able to walk. The surgeon said that an op-
    eration was necessary or I’d be in a wheelchair. So on February 13,
    2012, I went to the operating room—and almost died when an
    abnormal vein blew during surgery. Medicine again saved my life.
    The surgeon stopped the bleeding, resuscitated me, and fixed my
    spine, making me three inches taller. And he gave me back my life.
    I would love to tell you that medicine alone—so neat, so tidy,
    so rational—was the saving grace. I was in the ICU for more than
    two weeks and in the hospital for four weeks: let us say recov-
    ery was tricky. But now I’m better than ever. So what was it that
    brought me back? Of course, in the hospital, I used medicine. And
    I used intuition to figure out how to strengthen my body and cre-
    ate balance in my life. I relied heavily on affirmations to change
    my thoughts. And believe me, they needed changing! This is how
    you heal the whole person. How you create lasting health. Medi-
    cine alone wouldn’t do it, and neither would intuition or affirma-
    tions. Only a balanced approach holds the full promise of healing.
    29
    All Is Well interior.indd 29
    1/8/13 7:51 AM
    All Is Well interior.indd 30
    1/8/13 7:51 AM

Chapter 4
We are faMIlY
    The First Emotional Center: Bones, Joints,
    Blood, Immune System, and Skin
    The health of the first emotional center depends on your feel-
    ing safe in the world. If you don’t have the support of family and
    friends that you need to thrive, you will see this insecurity mani-
    fest in your blood, immune system, bones, joints, and skin. The
    key to enjoying health in this center is balancing your own needs
    with those of the meaningful social groups in your life. Family
    and friends, work, and an organization to which you are devoted
    all take up time and energy. But they are also meant to give back,
    in the form of friendship, safety, and security; they should provide
    a sense of belonging. These are all reasons human beings seek out
    other people and groups. However, the needs of the group should
    never be allowed to overshadow your own needs—particularly
    your health.
    When you are not getting what you need from relationships
    or activities on which you spend considerable time, your body and
    31
    All Is Well interior.indd 31
    1/8/13 7:51 AM
    A ll i s w e ll
    mind will start to tell you. At first the signs may be as simple as
    fatigue, skin rashes, or joint pain. Mild problems in the first emo-
    tional center can serve as an early-warning system, letting you
    know when you have gone