The necessity of joy when facing a health challenge

As we transition into the era of Energy Medicine, we are called to expand our perception of what it means to be a healthy human. Thoughts have vibrations and lead us to experience emotions. Emotions can be understood in terms of energetic frequency. They affect how we view, perceive and interact with the world around us. The body may then signal that all is not well through physical symptoms.

Making an effort to be in a state of joy provides an essential state of balance when walking through a major life challenge. If you do an internet search for David R. Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness, you will find pictorial representations of the spectrum and frequencies of emotions offered by the now deceased psychiatrist. Reflecting on my emotional health allowed me to utilise another healing tool to complement the conventional treatment I received. I acknowledged that in the preceding years my emotions had often been at the denser end of the emotional spectrum. That meant I had to make changes in my life so that the energetic frequency of my emotions could rise. If we swing between emotional extremes, getting to grips with our feelings and being aware of their impact on the body will help us to restore balance.

A significant health diagnosis like cancer may cause feelings of fear, shame, anger, guilt, resentment and a whole lot more. We must not by-pass these emotions, ignore or try to avoid them. That is suppression which can lead to repression of our emotions. Many doctors and scientists now speak about the impact of emotional suppression over a long period of time as a significant contributor to the manifestation of physical disease. By learning how to face and feel our emotions, we can arrive at a place whereby we allow all emotions, wherever they lie on the spectrum. To fully process such emotions requires our active participation. This involves reflection leading to initiating and sustaining changes which take you in the direction of health. For instance, anger is an important messenger which, when heeded, will guide us to implement much-needed change in our life. Bitterness may signal that a relationship or situation is no longer healthy for us.

A spectrum of emotions means that all frequencies are available to us. In the midst of uncertainty and fear at the beginning of my cancer treatment, I recognised the need to cultivate joy in my life. It was possible to navigate cancer treatment and to have periods of happiness. Joy is an emotion which compels us to live in the present moment. It’s very difficult to be engaged in something where you are enjoying yourself whilst

simultaneously worrying about the future or replaying regrets from the past. If you don’t believe me, try it!

When we experience authentic, genuine pleasure and find ourselves enjoying life, more of our spirit is concentrated within the Now. This highlights why joy has a higher energetic frequency – our body, mind and spirit (our whole being) are synchronised in the present moment. Our energetic body is in flow which enables the physical body to regenerate and heal much faster.

What brings you joy? If you are someone who has long ignored the part of themselves that thrives from being creative and happy, now is the perfect time to become reacquainted. Below are some suggestions but this list is by no means extensive…

Music, reading, painting, drawing, spending time with friends, spending time with children, walking, go-karting, climbing, sunbathing, travelling to and exploring new places, watching a specific genre of film/TV shows, volunteering, gardening, watching the sun rise or set…

If you are interested in a deeper and experiential understanding of the role that emotions play in our health, wellbeing and healing, you may want to consider David R. Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness as well as the three lower chakras – the root, sacral and solar plexus.