Four Healing Options of a Shaman-Therapist

 Scenario

Excitedly, with your six kids in tow, you travel for three treacherous days on a rickety old bull ox's cart with heightened enthusiasm. You are to receive an earth-moving treatment with your practitioner-therapist-doctor-shaman. You are anticipating a much needed session in Ayurvedic Bodywork including Yoga Massage.

Surprisingly upon arrival, and in substitution of your eagerly anticipated expectation, the therapist-shaman, with the best interest of your health at heart, has included in his or her therapeutic evaluation, an alternative option and has summarily dismissed you to return home. 

Also referred to as Evaluations, Assessments or Graces, the four alternative therapeutic options  of a Shaman-Therapist are:

1. Hatha - Movement and Exercise

2. Puja - Meditation and Prayer 

3. Prashad - Nutrition and Herbs

4. Metta -  Massage-Assisted Bodywork

For our health's best interest, if our Practitioner Shaman, intuits today that we do not require, for example, a treatment of Vedic Massage-Assisted Bodywork, customarily we must accept the prescription of one of the other three assessments, however disappointing it may feel to us.

We must not be anything but respectful and honoring as we are summarily dismissed from receiving our expected therapy and humbly, yet with Faith or Sraddha, accept the newly prescribed alternative.

1. Hatha - Movement and Exercise

Hatha is a term for Movement and Exercise.

Perhaps our present health constitution is distinctly indicating the need for Hatha or the therapeutic arts of Movement such as Yoga, Dance, Tai Chi, Swimming, Martial Arts, Jumping Rope, Hula Hooping, Gymnastics, Chiropractic, Sufi Spinning or Running  to name just a few.

Consequently, our kind Healer-Therapist would then prescribe Movement and Exercise or Hatha.

Hatha is personal exercise and for bracing and strengthening a weak posture.

The Hatha Grace also functions to determine that the other three assessments are balanced and also whether the other three assessments of Puja, Metta and Prashad are indicating an emergency or an eminent need for attention.

In the hierarchy of therapeutic assessments, the Hatha sensitivity had remained for a long time as subservient to the other Graces of Metta, Puja and Prashad. Yet Hatha now frequently emerges as a first choice for rejuvenation even, for example, over the assessments of meditation and diet.

2. Puja - Meditation and Prayer

As our kind Therapist drapes his or her hand upon our belly, the indication or assessment may very well be obvious for choosing Meditation and Prayer as our needed therapy.

For example, frequently health enthusiasts are absorbed in only the physical benefits of practice while neglecting the meditation requirements of physical exercise.

Consequently, for our health's best interest, our kind shaman-therapist’s advice would be to address the Meditation and Prayer needs and qualities of our life.

Puja Meditation is time and space saturated with love, prayers, positive concentration, good intention and any holy sentiments this side of worship and adoration. Puja is a composite experience of offering in devotion and love all great things with respect, honor and gratitude to a revered Deity. Mine being, of course, Lord Sri Krishna.

Puja is a personalized meditation. Bring Puja to all giving and receiving sessions.

There is no meditation and prayer sanctuary quite as fulfilling as the therapy room!

3. Prashadam - Nutrition and Herbs   

Foods and Herbs fall into three different categories or modes according to Ayurvedic Medicine. These three categories or modes are Goodness, Passion and Ignorance. Food and Diet is a most sensitive issue for many. However, if our Shaman-Healer’s sensitivity determines our need to address the delicate issues of eliminating or adding certain foods and herbs, then our kind Shaman-Therapist will direct us in this recommended direction.

Prashad means sanctified nourishment for the emotions and soul as well as the body.

A professional and consummate Healer-Shaman displays distinct conscientious awareness and sensitivity to the potential need of Prashad as a remedial contribution to regaining wholeness, fortitude and vitality for the receiver.

For example:

I am not detecting that the receiver’s Massage and Bodywork Grace is out of balance [Metta].

I am not detecting that the receiver’s Movement and Exercise Grace is out of balance [Hatha].

I am not detecting that the receiver’s Meditation and Prayer Grace is out of balance [Puja].

I am detecting today that my receiver today is needing only good wholesome nourishment and a fine herbal teas [Prasad].

4. Metta - Vedic Bodywork 

The need for many people to assume acceptance, guidance and passivity in their lives is a common and obvious symptom. Therapists frequently encounter 'wrestling matches' during a treatment of Bodywork. Client's resistance dominates the session with a continuous struggling and fight or flight response permeating each manipulation and movement. This is a sad condition and fairly universal. To achieve a successful session, Metta Bodywork and Massage or an unconditional exchange of physical compassion therein is the much needed requirement.

Metta means unconditional loving kindness. Metta Massage is the medicine for those recipients who are experiencing body-mind-spirit life as about to break or shatter like a 'porcelain person'.

Metta compels us to be unconditionally kind and compassionate with all others. The definition of Metta, especially for those of us enthralled with the virtuous benefits and fine qualities of Yoga Bodywork, suggests that we be open to offer everyone a session irrelevant of body type, personality, attraction etc.

Empowered with the Metta Spirit, we can march directly and confidently into the center of any personal or professional challenge or resistance and with the expectation of the glorious ‘mysticism’ of Metta to accompany and usher us into ultimate success.

The four virtuous graces of Metta, Puja, Hatha and Prashad are brilliant gifts that are forever embodied within the gracious Healers and healing arts.

The wisdom from Hatha, Puja, Hatha and Metta adorns our soul with cherished knowledge and provides us with determination in transformational growth and healing.

From what meager experience I have gathered, I feel it is safe to say, that the information about the four healing options is applicable to other healing modalities including for the modality of enhancing the quality of life in general.

Yes?