ALIGNING WITH YOUR SOUL PURPOSE
When referring to the healing arts, the focus tends to be on disease.
Homeopaths do not view disease as something external to the patient. Rather they see it as the disturbed behaviour of the organism in response to what Hahnemann called a 'morbific agent', meaning an offending influence that can cause disease, such as a virus, bacteria, pollen or even a trauma or grief.
We tend to say that the patient has croup or hay fever for instance. Notice that the disease labels 'croup' and 'hay fever' are nouns. It would be more accurate to say the patient is croup-ing or hay fever-ing because disease is more like a verb. You could liken it to a dance that the organism enters into when it comes into contact with a 'morbific agent' as Hahnemann put it.
To clarify this point, suppose for example an individual comes into contact with the seasonal flu virus and starts to exhibit symptoms commonly associated with this illness such as achey pains, fever, headache and runny nose. We tend to say that the person has 'caught' the flu. The inherent belief is that disease is the virus; something separate from the person that comes from the outside. All efforts are subsequently focused on combatting the offending virus. In reality however, there are millions of microbes 'out there' that don't affect us. Hahnemann realised that the solution lies not in overcoming the virus but rather harmonizing the way the organism responds to that virus.
In chronic disease the body is unable to bring itself back into dynamic balance as it has gone past the phase of homeostatic recovery. To regain the healthy state, assistance is needed. That assistance comes in the form of the homeopathic remedy if and only if it bears similarity to the diseased state, according to the principle of Similars. Moreover, Hahnemann adds that the treatment should be rapid, gentle and permanent. The beauty of homeopathy lies in its simplicity.
“The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles.”
— Samuel Hahnemann, Organon of Medicine
Living in Alignment
Have we ever considered what ultimate health entails?
Samuel Hahnemann had a wonderful definition:
“In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force, the dynamis that animates the material body, rules with unbounded sway, and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regards both sensations and functions, so that our indwelling, reason-gifted mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence.”
— Samuel Hahnemann, Organon of Medicine
Hahnemann’s understanding of health is profound.
It entails that we came into being for a reason. We all have a role to play in life and gifts to offer the world. I believe we can begin to contribute collectively, authentically and meaningfully to the grand concert of life when we are operating from an authentic place and living our lives on purpose. To do that, we must be in alignment with our deepest core - our soul.
