What is Healing?
Healing. Wellness. Illness. I see these as being all aspects of the same thing: the state of our being. We are made up of many parts that exist on different levels. Theosophy teaches that we have a Higher Self and a lower self and each of these have their component parts. When all parts of our being are working together, then we are considered "well." When they are not in harmony, then we are considered "ill." The transition from "ill" to "well" is called "healing."
There is a certain amount of discord inherent in our being human, because we are made up of a Higher Self and a lower self, instead of just having one Self like lower animals or Higher Beings. Our journey through the universe is a journey of re-harmonizing the two. This is the human condition.
The process of healing is a process of re-uniting or re-harmonizing the various Selves into one Self. There are a number of ways to do this, including meditation with the world or universe, connecting with other humans through talk or touch, connecting with Higher Beings, and connecting with oneself through meditation or dreams, among others. A combination of approaches usually has the best effects, as they will all work their influence in accordance with the other approaches.
So who heals? Is it the "patient" or the "healer?" It is both, as there is no difference between the two except financially. The "patient" is in a state of discord and wishes to be re-harmonized. So they go to a "healer." This healer, who for the purposes of this essay, is also human. Therefore, the "healer" has a certain amount of discord in their being that needs to be worked on.
Bodywork can be effective in re-harmonizing the non-physical and the physical components of the lower self, the physical body, astral body, Life Principle, and the Principle of Passions and Desires. This works by connecting physically and energetically the two people, the "patient" and the "healer" with each other and helps them both connect with themselves. The "healer" is connected with herself to draw upon their sources of energy to use to heal the "patient," along with their technical and anatomical knowledge. They then connect with the "patient" through touch, energy, or both. The "patient" will receive this touch or energy and uses that to reach inside of himself and connect with himself. Because energy is inherently bi-directional, the "healer" will receive energy and connection from the "patient," which can be used by the "healer" to heal herself. As a result, both the "healer" and the "patient" will walk away from the session feeling centered and refreshed. This is why the delineation between "patient" and "healer" is arbitrary and misleading.
Another reason why the terms "healer" and "patient" are misleading is because the "patient" needs to heal himself. This is because the discord is within him and only he can re-harmonize that discord. The "healer" is nothing but a catalyst that helps to guide the "patient" in his healing process. If the "patient" does not work on healing himself, then the work of the "healer" will do no good.
But bodywork is only half of the healing equation. The connection between the Higher Self and lower self cannot be ignored, or the same problems that the "patient" went to see the "healer" for will reappear. This connection is brought into harmony through one’s spiritual development. In addition to bodywork, one needs to do things that promote spiritual development like meditation, working with a spiritual counselor, attending church, praying, or whatever draws the person in a spiritual way.
When all of the parts of the whole person are in harmony with one another, then the person will be at peace and will be "well." So when does this happen? When are we ever "well?" I think that while we are on this earth, we have some discord within ourselves that we need to work on. We are constantly in a state of healing from this discord and need to continue to work on it for our whole lives and through future incarnations. When we are completely united with ourselves, and therefore the Universe, we will no longer need to incarnate.
This means that we should not work with a healer only when we are "sick," but we need to do it constantly. We need to continue to get regular bodywork and spiritual assistance or we will lapse and lose the development we have gained to entropy. Constant self-care is also essential to this process.