"Healing does not mean going back to the way things were before, but rather allowing what is now to move us closer to God." ~Ram Dass

I really love this quote, because I had to really think in order to get the real depth of it. We associate healing with restoring something, as in a getting back to something that we once had or experienced. But seen from the present moment, is that really possible? "Life is constantly and forever changing and therefore so are my clients" is what I once wrote on my website. Everything is fluid and moving in a certain direction. The past may leave its mark on the present, but what was will never be again. The experiences of life will have left their physical or emotional imprint on the cells of our bodies, which may come to the surface at a later time, but they cannot be undone. So we are not going back to something, we are not undoing damage done, but we are creating something new, a new way for our cells to relate, a new way for energy to move and therefore creating new experiences and a new way of being. We are working with that, which presents itself in our lives, as an opportunity to take stock, to take responsibility, to understand and therefore to heal. In order to do that, we would have to be open to a new way of thinking, a new way of relating. We would have to be receptive to change, to not knowing, to allowing new possibilities to arise and present themselves. Being open to life is being present for and receptive to what is happening in this moment at this particular time in our lives. Why resist it? Why fight it? It IS happening and we might as well go deeper and discover what this experience is trying to teach us. This way, we are allowing what is happening now to help us grow and evolve. So rather than fixing the problem, we can begin our journey towards perfect health by healing the underlying wounds or traumas that caused the dysfunction in the first place. Or, if the illness is of a more permanent nature, we can begin the process of acceptance, forgiveness and compassion, so we can move from fear, apathy and resentment to courage, wisdom and trust. And ultimately to Love. This is what I believe is the true meaning of Ram Dass' saying, because healing ourselves in this way brings us closer to our true Divine Self.