There have been many studies that link physical disorders with psychological disturbances. So what is the point in only treating the physical manifestation of the disease? Psychosomatic diseases need more than just medicine for the root cause is often psychological, says AMAR KUMAR

I once met a woman who was convinced that her right leg was paralysed. She sat stoically on the wheelchair and refused to budge out of it. Numerous doctors examined her. She was flown from one part of the country to another to meet experts, and was put through a battery of tests. But the answer was always the same. There was nothing wrong with her leg. Medically none of them could find a reason why that leg would not move. But the fact was, it didn’t.

She is not the only one. There is a huge percentage of patients who visit their doctors suffering from physical symptoms of the disease, but for which there is no cause that is found. Illness and pain it seems is all in the mind.

Our powerful mind controls our often weak bodies. Some examples are obvious ― our eyes fill up with tears when we feel emotional, we blush when we are embarrassed or happy, causing our blood to surge through the blood vessels in our head. These are after all physical reactions to what we feel. Have you ever noticed when you are stressed because of a job interview or an examination, or a fight with a loved one, you might get a headache or an upset stomach.

Amar Kumar

Mental tension that arises out of long festering emotional conflict can change our bodily functions. Sometimes prolonged stress or trauma can impair our ability to function normally. Negative thoughts and emotions express themselves through ailments. When it happens again and again they can actually damage our tissue.

There have been many studies that link physical disorders with psychological disturbances. In our modern world, the incidence of such cases are on the rise, primarily because of increasing urbanisation and the growing feeling of isolation.

We usually reach out for a pill when unwell or suffering, but medicine may not have all the answers. Modern drugs usually have side effects that are injurious to our health. This is aggravated by unrestricted and casual use of pills. Not only that, it is also expensive, often beyond the reach of the poor. Which is why I wonder why is it in a country like ours, with a rich heritage of alternative therapy, why don’t we pursue another method to cure the sickness that exists mostly in the mind.

Psychosomatic diseases need more than just medicine. The root cause is often psychological, so what is the point in only treating the physical manifestation of the disease?

Reiki can be very useful and effective in such cases. Reiki’s healing effect on the mind is profound and it makes it deeply relaxed. After getting empowerment by a Reiki Master, all we need to do is place our hands on the affected area.

Once learnt, Reiki stays with us forever, giving us the capability to heal ourself and others. It addresses our mind and body in a holistic way, channelising the energy in the universe. It recognises the fact that our mind is inextricably linked to our body, and to our soul. We need to heal ourselves, completely…from within.

Amar Kumar is a  Reiki Grand Master based in Kolkata. For more details, visit www.reikikendra.com.