12 Stages of Healing

12 Stages of Healing not Curing

The 12 Stages of Healing are not the 12 Stages of Curing. What is the difference? With Curing, there is an “IT” to get rid of. There is a war. The war on Cancer, or Crime, or Drugs, or on our own pain.

We want to drug the pain, cut out the problem, force a change. Anything to avoid the out of control feeling of the suffering that may be there. While this may be the necessary path for anyone at any given time, it is not the only one. This is the theme of the first 2 of the 12 Stages of Healing.

Healing can be an alternative to Curing. With Healing the symptom or the “it” may or may not change, but you do; and thus your relation to the previous “it”.

With Curing, the symptom may or may not change but you don’t, (the idea being to get back to the way things were before the ‘It’ arose). Often if the symptom goes away, it eventually comes back in another form to once again try to get us to pay attention where we have not.

With Healing, we find the resources to pay attention where we could not before. Thus, our spirit gets satisfied and a deeper peace ensues with life — just as it is. Paradoxically, this peace is not complacent and leads to lasting changes that improves life in a sustainable way.

The 12 Stages of Healing are not necessarily a linear process of growth

Each person may be living in several stages at an entry into greater Discovery/Transformation/Awakening and Integration.

Also, one need not understand any of the following to gain the benefits of Network (NSA), and Somato Respiratory Integration (SRI). The process is so organic that it happens naturally.

SUFFERING – Different from pain, suffering is marked by a profound awareness that “something is wrong.” Parts of our being have been separated from our Innate Self. This especially occurs when confronted by a traumatic or chaotic event or loss. The lesson of this stage is the acceptance that nothing works at this time, and that you are presently helpless. This stage is especially avoided at all costs in our culture, yet without meeting this stage, we can never fully grow beyond the hurts. The awareness of this disconnection is usually made as we draw upon more of our energetic and consciousness resources.

POLARITIES AND RHYTHMS – This stage begins with the search for the MAGIC GENIE who can, or has been identified as the savior from our distress, pain, or crisis. We project from our alienated, isolated, traumatized, hurt, shamed or ignored aspects of our being. These parts try to gain power over our helplessness through external authorities, procedures, treatments, etc. Eventually, as we heal, we discover that what we blamed or projected as being so wrong, (the cause, as we see it), is not so bad. Or we see that our Genie is not so magical. We begin to become aware of our rhythms and polarities, and discover we are somehow involved in process; and we are partially responsible for our distress.

STUCK IN A PERSPECTIVE – This stage of healing involves the recognition that our distress is associated with the fact that we have been stuck in a perspective. Our concepts or our physiology have been fixated. We do not yet know why we’ve been stuck, or what to do about it. We just need to be with the simple revelation that we’ve been stuck.

RECLAIMING OUR POWER – This stage of healing is one in which we realize that the “script” determined by the above three stages no longer works. Initially, we are angry that we had lost our power, and are determined not to let it happen again. As we progress through this stage, we choose to no longer dishonor ourselves, because we truly get that we deserve more.

MERGING WITH THE SUFFERING – to gain access behind the illusions and isolated consciousness and rhythms. – This stage is associated with having a strong enough sense of self to turn back onto our own “shadow” to heal the illusion and create more wholeness. At this major stage of healing we can appear on the other side of our illusionary self.

PREPARATION FOR DISCHARGE – building momentum and flexibility. The alienated, traumatized, denied or redirected consciousness or energy is being prepared for discharge and resolution. We feel the tension building within ourselves as this process advances. We find ways to create change and improve flexibility to continue the process.

RESOLUTION through discharge – Discharge of electrical energy is associated with a discharge of mechanical energy. This may be discharge of the muscular system, such as movement of the trunk or extremities. Processes such as fever, coughing, sneezing, or vomiting are common forms of discharge. Crying, screaming, and laughing are also discharge phenomena. When the discharge occurs after the previous 6 stages, resolution can occur with the discharge. If a sense of accomplishment, peace, and inner strength does not accompany the process, then the resolution stage has not been achieved.

EMPTINESS – After the discharge we are emptied. This is not a space of nothingness, but instead a place of possibilities. We enter into a state of gratitude, vulnerability, connection with our external rhythms, and alignment with the events around us. We not only trust, but expect serendipity to be available for us as a natural way of life.

LIGHT BEHIND THE FORM – From our place of emptiness and gratitude, we can be aware of our fullness of light and energy. We experience that we are more than our physical body, and actually become aware of the flow of life force energy through us. We may even experience our energetic connection to others. This occurs in combination with awe and joy for the process.

ASCENT – There is an awareness of being not just an intelligent form, but as INTELLIGENCE itself! Not just as a house for Spirit, but as Spirit Itself. We experience our union with the Creative force of the Universe. We transcend all limits, boundaries, language, judgements, and our existing sense of self. We receive the gift of knowing the oneness of all of creation, and gain immense wisdom during this stage.

DESCENT – We are renewed beyond our our limits and sense of self and enter into the world again. We know that we are part of all we perceive and responsible for what we know. We live without being attached to our situations. We love and serve life and others. We communicate with ourselves and others “through” our wounds instead of “from” them.

COMMUNITY – We experience our involvement with humanity and recognize that wholeness comes from bringing our gifts of individuality into community. We receive the gifts of individuality, from within ourselves and from others. We recognize that all of our choices are spiritual ones, and affect the entire globe of beings. This occurs in our internal and external communities. Eventually, we recognize that the limits of what we can bring to community stem from our own lack of wholeness. Therefore we seek to re-experience the rhythm of Stage One.

Don’t think – BE!

We cannot think out or figure our way through any stage. Each stage represents one of 12 rhythms of consciousness of humanity. Be with the stage you are in. Don’t resist the stage-honor it. The stage will come to completion as you’ve merged with the rhythm it has to offer you.

Each stage has a rhythm of its own. No one stage is better than another. Many people remain in a couple of these stages for several years, and other stages for at least months, never fully claiming all twelve stages.

Those receiving Network Care and SRI tend to move through the 12 Stages of Healing much more rapidly, and sometimes all twelve stages in a few minutes. The ability to move back and forth through the stages as needed for your healing is ideal. This is more likely to happen with a flexible nervous system freed of interference.

This information is not meant to suggest that the 12 Stages of Healing, or Somato Respiratory Integration or NSA are substitutes for any form of health care. Any time you feel as if you need help, seek out the assistance of a professional.

Each of us may choose symptom or disease care at any time and at any stage. However, this has little to do with healing. We suggest that after the condition is “under control” that you continue on your TWELVE STAGES JOURNEY.