I’ve been practicing  yoga and meditation for twenty years now.  I have never had any interest in gaining psychic powers, which can be a side effect in this line of work. I have always kept my eyes on the essence of being, God, surrender or Self- realization – whatever you prefer to call it. That was the only thing that interested me. 

But one day I happened to see a link to a phone interview with a healer. I don’t know why I clicked it.  I guess I had nothing better to do. He talked about directing energy into your hands and to my surprise I knew what he was talking about. 

During meditation I have for years experienced heightened energy levels. Only I didn’t know that was what it was. For me it was just a very pleasurable experience, pure ecstasy at times.  I could feel the energy run through my whole body and light up every cell until the body was tingling and it felt as if I was hovering above the ground. 

Anyway, I decided to try it out. Since I have had a chronic back problem for the past thirty (!) years, at first on and off but the last seven years have been a steady decline to the point where I couldn’t have a regular yoga practice or even sit for more than half an hour at a time. No doctor could fix it but an osteopath made it temporarily better.

I put my hands on the place that hurt. I then let the energy run in my body (I know, it sounds weird.) and easily understood how to direct it into my hands. I stayed so for five or ten minutes. Then did some reading, then put my hands back on.  It was completely unglamorous and non-mystic.

I wasn’t even that focused since I didn’t really think it would work. But when I got dressed after my shower I could put my pants on without pain! This had not happened for YEARS! 

As you can imagine, that caught my attention and I continued using my hands on and off. Sometimes I woke up with pain after sleeping on my stomach. I used my hands and the pain was gone after 30 minutes.  I did this several times and the pain consistently subsided in the same way.

After about three weeks of doing this hands on thing, still not very focused but more and more convinced about its efficacy, I was ready to really test it. I decided to go out jogging.  The last time I tried I had to be in bed for a week after.

I took it easy as always, running and walking alternately. It was lovely to be moving my body again! I used my hands before and after the run. I used my hands the next day. There was no pain! I could feel a little bit of stiffness (and a LOT of sore leg muscles) but I did not have to be in bed!

Yesterday, a week later, I went out for the second time and my back feels fabulous! I will continue to use my hands just in case. This is a miracle to me! I live without back pain!

I have no idea how it worked. But I know that it did. I couldn’t find a more obvious evidence than my back. It’s unquestionable. After I first noticed the effect on my back I tried to use my hands on other problems as well. It didn’t occur to me initially but gradually it became normal to think, oh, let me try my hands at this!

I have tried it for sinus headache, upset stomach, foot pain and other minor aches and pains. It always follows the same pattern: I use my hands for 5 to 10 minutes and then rest for a few minutes. After about 30 minutes the pain is gone. Sometimes I have to repeat it.

I still can’t believe it’s really true. But then I notice how great my back feels… 

I will never call myself a healer and I will still go to the doctor – but only after using my hands.  I haven’t really tried it on someone else (my family has been slightly reluctant to become my guinea pigs. But I did take away a bad head ache once.)

Healing is still not my main focus. But it has tangibly showed me how much power we really have - and how little we use it. It taught me how to direct my energy, which is an invaluable lesson. I’m sure my understanding about this will evolve even more. Gratitude!

There is no doubt in my mind that everyone can do this! If I could anyone can. I was NOT born with any occult gifts and I have never even wanted, or thought I could, heal anything.  But I did.

My home is in Miami now. The outer circumstances have shifted but I am who I am. What I see is different, what I am is the same.  

There were a few challenges - like when our dog wasn’t allowed to fly out with us because of the hot weather. Biscuit and I had to stay behind while the rest of the family left! But we were immediately showered with unexpected solutions and it all worked out in the end. 

Everything has been incredibly easy. House, schools etc, it all just came together without effort. Each day comes with its gifts. Even the challenges are welcome when I see them for what they are – an expression of my life.

I have stopped making efforts. Everything works so much better then. When I get involved, make plans and have expectations, things get complicated. When I wait and just live my life as it comes things happen automatically. The unfolding then is deeply meaningful.

We are living, breathing, thinking organisms. We seem to be separate entities but we are constantly connected to the earth by the air we breathe and the food we eat. It doesn’t matter if we physically move or not.

Just because we are able to move around doesn’t mean that we are any less connected to Earth than a tree. My roots are everywhere. I am all. All is me. Nothing is apart from God.    

To know the true nature of what I am self-acceptance is key. It means to accept everything about myself. My physical appearance, my thoughts, feelings, emotions, actions, knowledge, ignorance. Everything. 

I can't have the tiniest bit of judgement of myself. For this awareness is key. I must be aware of everything that runs through my mind, conscious and subconscious. And I mean everything. 

I mustn't wrestle with any of it. All must come to the surface, be accepted and discarded. There can't be any parts of myself that I fight with. 

ALL must be accepted. I cannot negotiate with this.

Anything hidden or obscured means that my true nature remains in darkness. The shadows must not only come out into the open. They must be embraced. 

This stage of self-acceptance I reach after I have fully accepted my outer circumstances; my physical environment and all my relationships. 

Complete self-acceptance means that there is nothing that ties me to this body. There is nothing that needs to be fixed or worked on. The preoccupation with my body self and its workings can finally stop. Preoccupation with my likes and dislikes can go. 

Self-acceptance is the necessary preparation for knowing my true nature. This is when I transcend the body and mind that I for so many years believed is all I am. 

To love your neighbor as yourself you must first know how to love YOU. You can't forget about yourself and still think that you are able to love others. Or you will end up giving what you don't have.  

How do you feel about yourself? Go to the bottom and bring love to every neglected part. Shine light on all your least desirable qualities and love yourself. Go to every obscure territory, the parts that you are the least proud of and love yourself. Exclude nothing. Accept everything.

Love every flaw about you. Love every mistake you've made. Love that you think others are better than you. Love that you think you are better than others. Love that you don't understand your emotions. Love yourself for loosing control. Love yourself for thinking that you fail at being a human. 

Love yourself for not finding the love of your life or for loosing it or for having it but not realizing it. Love that you think your feet are ugly. Love that you think your feet are prettier than others'. Love that you have lousy eating habits. Love yourself for not doing enough for the environment. Love yourself for feeling guilty about it. Love yourself for still not doing more. 

Love yourself for being overweight. Love that you think you haven't been a good enough parent. Love that you think that you weren't a good enough child. Love yourself for thinking that you are a victim.  Love yourself for thinking that you have to suffer. Love yourself for watching others suffer and not being able to do anything about it. Love yourself for feeling despair about the world. 

Love that you think of yourself first and that you are disappointed about it. Love that you can't say no and do too much and then feel bad. Love yourself for trying to suppress your true feelings. Love yourself for lying to yourself. Love that you resent others for not being able to set limits for them. Love yourself for trying to look perfect in others' eyes while knowing you are not.

Love that you blame others for your mistakes. Love yourself for being complacent. Love that you get upset when others are in your way. Love yourself for reading this. Love yourself for thinking you don't need to love yourself. Love yourself for making a commitment to never desert yourself ever again and then find that you have once a gain deserted yourself. 

Love yourself for pretending to be loving when you're not. 

Love yourself for not loving yourself. 

Love yourself the way you are. Unconditionally. Find out what unconditional love is. Start today.

Until you feel unconditional love for yourself you can't feel it for anyone else. It all starts with you. Start now. It is not selfish. It is the most selfless journey you can undertake. Selfishness comes form the mistaken idea that we have to secure our love and sustenance. 

When you feel love already there is no need to secure it from anything or anyone. That's when you are free to truly love others. 

When you love yourself unconditionally your love for others will come automatically. Not because it's expected from you, not because it's "good", but because that's how you truly feel. They will simply inspire love in you and everyone around you will grow from the love you give. 

Check in with yourself often. Do you love yourself completely and fully? Not just the good parts but the bad ones too. 

It's never too late or too early. The perfect time is always now.