I have been reflecting lately on the story of the prodigal son and how this parable relates to the process of healing the body. For those not familiar with this biblical tale, it essentially is a symbolic story about a son who abandoned his home, his center, and wandered in the world only to realize that what he was looking for, in the world, was where the story began, in his home. Modern day interpretations of this Archetypal quest, to name two, are the Wizard of Oz, and The Alchemist. This story, and the stories that carry this message are beautiful, however in the story books, and on the silver screen the tale ends when the hero is embraced at the homestead. However, there is more to this story than merely the welcome home party. There is the work that follows the party.
In a beautiful way, all of our lives, all of our stories follow this trajectory. Whether we have been lost in power, greed, need for fame, need for control, need for youth, desire for success, or yearnings for love, all our outer attempts to complete our lives are symbolized in these stories as the act of leaving our innocence, departing from our primordial love, leaving our home with the eventual insight that all that we were looking for, is grounded in the center of our being, our home.
So, how does this relate to healing the body? The body, to me, is yet another representation of home. While the adventure away from home yields excitement and pleasure, the adventure eventually yields a feeling of emptiness, and darkness. Nevertheless, the hero/heroine driven by the darkness, isolation, and emptiness of the quest, manages to follow the trail back home to the loving embrace of home, the body. This return to the body, as mentioned before, is where the story ends, but in my discovery, this return is only the first step in the process of healing.
During the time of the great "outer" adventure, the body was abandoned, and in the manner of an abandoned house with no person home to manage the property, the building begins to break. Thus, when the human mind returns home, following the embrace of a welcome return, the work to repair the abandoned structure begins. Awakening to weakness, and illness in the physical body, and engaging in deeply rooted psychological wounds challenges the hero to stay at home after the welcome home sign has been taken down. With compulsions to abandon the home again, the hero must dig deep, and rely upon courage and strength to stay and heal the body. Yes, departing is a temptation, but these are wounds and weaknesses that must be investigated and understood "Now".
This critical moment is a choice. It is a walk across fire, but if the wounds of the body and mind that led to the departure are not challenged, then true transformation and restoration of the abandoned home is not possible. However, the choice, to stay amidst the stirring of old patterns and wounds, of aching joints and diseased organs is the heros and the heros alone, and yet, the hero need not walk alone. For centuries, this mythic tale of the hero coming home and rebuilding has been a part of humanities collective story, and for you this too can be, as it has been for me. We heal our body and mind, by calling upon the strength of our ancestors in times of need, of digging deep and going beyond the afflictions that have haunted us for years.
Abandoning the home is no longer an option. The time to heal is now, and the support of our collective humanity is on your side. I wish you well in the journey home and the strength to reside in the abandoned home to rebuild it anew. Blessings!
In a beautiful way, all of our lives, all of our stories follow this trajectory. Whether we have been lost in power, greed, need for fame, need for control, need for youth, desire for success, or yearnings for love, all our outer attempts to complete our lives are symbolized in these stories as the act of leaving our innocence, departing from our primordial love, leaving our home with the eventual insight that all that we were looking for, is grounded in the center of our being, our home.
So, how does this relate to healing the body? The body, to me, is yet another representation of home. While the adventure away from home yields excitement and pleasure, the adventure eventually yields a feeling of emptiness, and darkness. Nevertheless, the hero/heroine driven by the darkness, isolation, and emptiness of the quest, manages to follow the trail back home to the loving embrace of home, the body. This return to the body, as mentioned before, is where the story ends, but in my discovery, this return is only the first step in the process of healing.
During the time of the great "outer" adventure, the body was abandoned, and in the manner of an abandoned house with no person home to manage the property, the building begins to break. Thus, when the human mind returns home, following the embrace of a welcome return, the work to repair the abandoned structure begins. Awakening to weakness, and illness in the physical body, and engaging in deeply rooted psychological wounds challenges the hero to stay at home after the welcome home sign has been taken down. With compulsions to abandon the home again, the hero must dig deep, and rely upon courage and strength to stay and heal the body. Yes, departing is a temptation, but these are wounds and weaknesses that must be investigated and understood "Now".
This critical moment is a choice. It is a walk across fire, but if the wounds of the body and mind that led to the departure are not challenged, then true transformation and restoration of the abandoned home is not possible. However, the choice, to stay amidst the stirring of old patterns and wounds, of aching joints and diseased organs is the heros and the heros alone, and yet, the hero need not walk alone. For centuries, this mythic tale of the hero coming home and rebuilding has been a part of humanities collective story, and for you this too can be, as it has been for me. We heal our body and mind, by calling upon the strength of our ancestors in times of need, of digging deep and going beyond the afflictions that have haunted us for years.
Abandoning the home is no longer an option. The time to heal is now, and the support of our collective humanity is on your side. I wish you well in the journey home and the strength to reside in the abandoned home to rebuild it anew. Blessings!
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