Appreciation
By Dawn Ciliberto
It’s a beautiful, but windy Sunday. All is well in Dawn’s world. Out on the patio, this morning, I’m reading
the book, “Cell-Level Healing, The Bridge from Soul to Cell,” by Joyce Whiteley
Hawkes, Ph.D. This is the second time
I’m going through this book, seemingly more relevant now. I picked up the book this second time to do an exercise I had read about that was to strengthen my focus. It consisted of counting the words in a paragraph over and over. I did this several times but came up with different numbers, first 187, then 188, then 186, then 188
again. Obviously, I have to practice
this more often, and I will try to each day.Then maybe I'll be able to learn things the FIRST time I read a book.
I knew, though, that I wanted to review this book again. It's so interesting to me, so full of information. I am continually being pulled to the awareness of our cells,
and I find myself telling my clients about this during reflexology and
sometimes massage. It’s such important
information that I feel needs to be understood.
I recently had a reiki session with Reiki Master, Erroll Wilson, at Joyful
Yoga after giving him a reflexology session.
He is more in tune with energy, having worked with it for many
years. I am sure practice makes it
better as in all things. He expressed
his enjoyment of reflexology, having felt the heat and sensations in his body
from my work. I felt things also in my
head/third eye area as I worked on his toes in particular, the part that refers
to the head.
My intention during reiki was to learn how to focus and for
guidance. He fully understood as his words during reiki expanded on my
intention with exactly what I was seeking. I need to learn how to focus to know
what it is I should be doing, and I need that focus to strengthen whatever that
is. During the session, I didn’t expect to feel much since I’d only mildly
“felt” energy from a reiki session one other time. But I was pleasantly surprised. It was as if I was in one of Zdenko
Arsenijevic’s guided meditations that I had enjoyed several years ago. All kinds of images. At the end, Erroll mentioned that my aura was
so big, he couldn’t get far enough away to see the whole of it, it filled the
room. I can wholly understand that since
this is how I felt. I am not sure yet
what to do, but I believe it was a starting point for the answers to come.
So, I woke up this morning, feeling very, very good. I needed a little extra warmth to protect me
from the slightly chilly, windy air as I read on the patio, so over my pj’s I
wore a beach cover-up. In the book, Dr. Hawkes talks about appreciation,
compassion and the heart in healing. I
was reminded of the word, “Love,” on my beach cover-up, looked down at it, and
thought, how appropriate. She describes the tingling people felt with her own
healing sessions. I thought of the many
times my clients had told me they felt tingling while I was working on them. She
talks about how she had a head injury which led her to her work. I thought about
how I had hit my head, suffering a concussion when I was 18, as well as my
experience at 12 of nearly drowning. I thought of how more recently I have such
a sense of appreciation, gratitude, and compassion towards others, and how I
think of Nikki and Pepper, my two beloved dogs from years gone by, and the
powerful love I feel for my incredible daughter, Danielle. How I think of these things when I’m working
on people and at other times as well, to fill myself with that feeling of pure
love. I believe it strengthens my
ability to help people with their health and well-being issues and it
strengthens me, helping me to grow and evolve as well.
She talks about the trillions of cells in the body, which
was her expertise in her earlier work as a Ph.D. I remember briefly reading something about
emotions as well, somewhere further in the book, but I haven’t gotten to that
part yet this time. I’ve read a lot
about emotions, love, gratitude, appreciation, compassion, intention, focus,
belief, faith, science of the body, matters of the mind, etc., in many books
that I’ve perused over the last couple of years. I’ve come away with a stronger, deeper gut
understanding of how things work. It’s a
process, though, I’m still learning, and will continue to do so for as long as
I’m alive in this human body. A human
body that I appreciate more and more all the time.
We’re here in this physical capacity to
experience the physical side of living. Yet, within our physical body is a
soul, scientifically and spiritually connected to something much bigger. Scientifically, because it can be explained
in a matter of fact way down to the cellular level and even down to “gluons,”
tiny sparks of energy. Yet, it
goes even further, in a spiritual sense, that those tiny sparks of energy are
God, so God is in all things. God is in each one of us, in all parts of us and
in everything around us. And we have the ability, scientifically, and spiritually,
to access God.
How do we do this?
With our thoughts. Our thoughts
create our emotions, and vice-versa.
Then those thoughts and emotions create a magnetic charge within our
cells, drawing all things, people, objects, opportunities, experiences, to
us. We become a magnet with our thoughts
as our guidance system. As we become more aware of and
practice using our mind/thoughts/emotions at the highest level, spiritually, to
connect with our physical being, it will create a more fulfilling physical
experience and ultimately a strengthening of our soul during the physical
experience, and beyond.
Other authors have written on these subjects and I’m so
grateful for their writings as I continue to get “ah-ha” moments, as if I
“know” this information already in a deeper sense that’s now put into a
language that can be shared with others in a physical sense. I “feel” this information, but in order to
share it, it needs to be put into words.
When doing reflexology or massage, I feel most passionate as
I’m talking about these connections. It’s almost as if I become someone else. I
question so much, yet I have complete confidence in these things - appreciation,
gratitude, emotions of compassion, love, acceptance, non-judgment, and so
on. I struggle also from time to time as
any physical being will do. We’re not just a soul. We have a brain and an ego,
and hormones that get in the way. But they are also a part of the physical body
and can be enjoyed, as well. So, it’s a
dance of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual selves as we journey through
life.
As our bodies suffer, and we crave health, whether
it’s physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, the desire for health, if
we believe it can happen and then allow it to come to us, will draw whatever it
is we need. We become a magnet with our
desire for better health and well-being for whatever it is that is out there
that can heal us. I believe my clients
are drawn to me and I am drawn to them because of this magnetic pull. They seek good health, I seek to help with
their health and well-being in every way I can. My touch with reflexology and
massage, my words to convey faith, acceptance, love, compassion, direction, and
my thoughts and emotions to direct healing energy as best as I can. How much can be accomplished is up to each
individual and their ability, physically, mentally, emotionally, and
spiritually, as well as my own understandings and ability to focus. I am still learning how best to use my own
tools to help others and believe that my desire and acceptance for this
knowledge will draw more and more of it to me.
I look back on my life and can see how my thoughts have
created things. I want to write about these things to give more credibility to
the process, but need to practice focus to do so. There are so many of my own experiences to
share, as well as those times when reflexology and massage have helped others. Maybe this is my purpose. Or it’s the purpose
I’ve created because of who I am and understanding of myself.
I am happy to be me.
I am happy to touch the lives of others.
I feel a deep love within me that wells up and fills the space around
me. I’m grateful for the ability to share that with work, friends, family. And
it’s because of these experiences I have with work, friends, family that strengthens my abilities and my
soul. I am enjoying my journey. I
appreciate my life.
