What Would Healing Look Like?

What Would Healing Look Like?

Karen Beaumont Lake Michigan

image and posting by Karen Beaumont, an organist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin who has not only graciously offered to share the steps she’s taking in her healing journey but also shares the photo of Lake Michigan that she took. 

Here’s her comments:

I wrote a week or so ago to answer your question about the flooding that happens when you posed the question, “What would healing look like.”

Breaking that question into smaller bits helped, but I’ve gone further.  This might be useful to others.

When a trigger happens, and I tense and over breathe, I first deal with trying to relax even a little (like the 5% in your compassion audio) and am trying ways to deal with breathing.  This is becoming a little more effective every time.  Then I ask myself, “What would healing of this trigger FEEL like, what would it LOOK like?”  Then I try to see if any part of the answer if possible NOW, if any part of the answer is something within my control to work on, and if the answer is NO to both, I imagine/fantasize about the answer being a reality and pray about it.

The picture is of the sunrise over Lake Michigan last week while I was walking to the Cathedral to practice.  It was so bright that the only way to capture it was through the trees  –sort of like healing.

Reading her comments I responded to her, and adding my comments here:

This is beautiful, Karen.  Picture and content.  I am so impressed with your dedication to yourself, your perseverance.

I’m struck by  how your experience speaks to the development of what the Buddhists call the 6 Paramitas/6 Perfections.  Cultivating these virtues allows us to open to the depths of compassion.    The six paramitas are: benevolent generosity, ethical discipline, forbearing patience, joyous perseverance, meditative absorption, and discerning wisdom.   It seems to me you are in the process of cultivating these qualities inside yourself.  The natural unfolding of these qualities is to find more of your true nature.

It takes enormous perseverance, patience, discipline, absorption to deal with any kind of trigger.  Holding those we need the wisdom to trust we can get through and a generous heart to hold our suffering while we are in the middle of being triggered.  Thank you for cultivating all those qualities while in the middle of healing.  It is inspiring  — you are inspiring.  Thank you.

Deirdre