Seventeen years ago I thought eastern healing and mind-body medicine were a bit of hogwash. Paralysis changed everything for me.
I ended up in the emergency room unable to blink. I couldn't move and had no idea what was happening. As they put in the morphine drip to ease the pain, my relationship with the life I had known changed forever. The doctors told me I had Guillain Barre Syndrome, whereby the body attacks the nervous system. Luckily, the diagnosis was hopeful: this type of paralysis typically lasts six months, with the possibility of lingering paralysis in face and extremities.
On day three of my stay, a volunteer healer at the hospital asked if I would be open to her working on me. Although I was a bit skeptical she seemed like a very warm and knowledgeable woman and I didn't have much else to do so I said yes. She placed her hands on my head and began a short session. After five minutes, she stood back and asked if I could try and smile. The nerve in my right cheek started to fire, making a half smile. I don't know what kind of energy medicine this dear healer was practicing, but she opened me to discover my body's potential.
I continued to meditate every night. With a combination of the eastern healing and western medicine, I recovered at a miraculous pace. The doctors called me the "miracle girl," and in nine days I walked out of the hospital in perfect health. I would never wish this type of experience on anyone but it was through this pain that my eyes opened up to the power that each one of us holds.
I went on to pursue healing so that I could return the knowledge that was given to me. I have worked with many talented healers and received my Reiki Master training at Kripalu Center. I never knew the name of the volunteer who placed her hands on me. In her honor, it is my joy to share the gifts of what she awoke in me.