A Note on Health and Healing

Hello, all!

I am writing to you all after quite some hiatus. I hope this message finds you safe, healthy and well <3

There are many ways in which a global pandemic and the life of the last 3 years has been restrictive, clarifying, challenging and liberating – among any number additional things like exasperating, exhausting and possibly debilitating.

I hope you were able to weather whatever storms you may have encountered with tremendous self-compassion and grace <3

Something that has become clear during my decade + of practice, and perhaps which has been further clarified in the last few years, is the distinction between symptomatic relief and healing.

I think it’s a good discussion to have and a worthwhile distinction to make.

Most people seek medical treatment for symptomatic relief. That’s often why folks come to my clinic for acupuncture or herbal medicine. You might have knee pain, or chronic headaches, anxiety, panic attacks, sinus issues, sleep disturbances or stomach pains (or all of the above is not uncommon).

You are looking for relief and that is an utterly reasonable request.

There’s the possibility that you stumble upon something significantly different, however, when you chose to engage with holistic, systems-based modalities (aka the practice of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, chiropractic care, massage, craniosacral therapy, naturopathic medicine, talk therapy, etc).

You feel your pain decrease and the grip of your anxiety soften. Your sinuses clear up temporarily (praise!) or your bowel movements improve over the course of the coming weeks. Or perhaps things improve ever so slightly or you notice no change at all – but somehow you notice your mood has improved and you have a bit more energy to move throughout your day. Engaging with your kids or your loved ones feels different. You start to relate to your sensory experience or your emotional experience in a newly unfolding way.

Often times, when you choose holistic medical approaches you do experience symptomatic relief – results may vary and take time, absolutely (this is true of all medicine, quite honestly).

 What you also end up choosing is healing.

Healing and health vary.

We might say health is the experience of some degree of balanced wholeness or wellness, the absence of symptoms or pathology.

Healing is a process. I cannot say whether it has a distinct end point, or that it even involves the absence of uncomfortable symptoms.

Healing requires the commitment to a process, to showing up for yourself with consistency and with great care.

You might learn that your headaches are related to an overflowing work schedule or to your anger or frustration with a loved one or a co-worker.

Your knee pain might be the result of overuse in daily exercise, possibly aggravating an old injury, possibly pointing out a structural imbalance somewhere else along your spine.

Anxiety or panic (for lack of a more nuanced description in this moment) often stems from our early childhood experiences, though it can easily be exacerbated in a present day context. We develop all sorts of coping mechanisms and compensatory behaviors that permeate our adult experiences as a result – sometimes these conscious or unconscious strategies just quit working on our behalf or we outgrow their usefulness.

Sinus issues could be the result of consuming too much dairy (I’m sorry, I know it’s the Dairy State bless us all it’s still hard to digest) or from weather changes or environmental irritants.

To be engaged with your own healing means tending to any of these possible realities with a great deal of care, consideration and compassion.

It is a process of ever-unfolding self-awareness and self-discovery. Whenever possible if we can meet ourselves + our experiences with curiosity and kindness an opportunity arises for us to heal.

It’s not a one-and-done experience. Or at least that is very rare. We heal in layers, we heal in time, we heal the same ‘stuff’ but with different depths, we heal just enough, bit by bit as we go along. True healing, in my opinion, does allow for some level of integration and some neurological change. This is why it can be a bit confusing (the brain is actually changing) and a bit uncomfortable (you are entering uncharted territory in your experience).

Well…why should we care about any of this?

I’m writing this blog post at this particular time 1) because this is an important clinical distinction that helps set an appropriate expectation for all holistic healing modalities and 2) the seasons are changing and, historically, these are the more difficult months of the year.

There is a lot of lore around this time of year being ripe for healing, which I think both personally and professionally is true. It’s also just a great time to set yourself up with systemic supports.

Things you will always benefit from:

1)     Eating your vegetables

2)   Drinking clean water

3)   Putting yourself to bed at a decent hour

4)    Moving your body

5)   Being in nature

6)   Being seen, heard and witnessed by a safe and loving presence

7)    Laughter/joy/genuine connection

8)     Honesty: being honest with yourself even when it is uncomfortable, difficult or inconvenient has tremendous health benefits.

And none of this has to be extreme or overly rigid, in fact, it’s absolutely best if it isn’t overly controlled or manufactured. Consistency is the key. Any change worth creating builds and integrates bit by bit over time.

It’s always a good day, a good moment, or a good season to commit to yourself – however that might look and feel to you.

Take wonderful care and have a wonderful weekend!

Yours in health and healing and symptomatic relief,

Katie Fritz, L.Ac., Lic. herbalist

Owner, Ahimsa Wellness Collective