Understanding Healing

Let’s dive into the meaning of healing first. Etymologically, the word "healing" comes from Old English hælan, derived from hailjan, meaning "to make whole." Healing suggests that something has been fractured or separated, necessitating a journey of reconnection and restoration. We can refer to trauma as the underlying cause for healing.

When we experience trauma, a process of separation occurs. Certain aspects of ourselves become disconnected, much like puzzle pieces scattered apart. Healing is the process of bringing these pieces back together.

The Separation Within

Let’s assume for a second that we are holders of infinity. We have the whole spectrum of colors within ourselves, but something has happened that caused a certain trait or color to be rejected.

We shape our personalities based on our natural inclinations at birth but also as a result of having to fit in or survive in a certain environment. Consequently, some traits, or colors, might have been rejected, disconnected, or hidden for the sake of survival.

This is trauma—the process of dissecting and separating within the self. Everything we suppress or reject gets stored in what Carl Jung called "the shadow"—a part of us that operates outside our conscious awareness. That is, it becomes a part of us that we do not consciously operate from. Everything we are unaware of also goes into the shadow because we have no cognition of it.

So, we carry ourselves in the world with a certain self-image, our ego—the mind’s definition of the self. At the same time, we also carry ourselves in the world as our full spectrum of energy, the complete essence we were born with, though we may be partially or completely unaware of it.

Chances are, the more we identify with our mind—defining ourselves strictly by our programming, thoughts and judgments—the denser our shadow side becomes. Everything we judge in the outside world and in other people is actually mirroring the way we relate to ourselves.

The Healing Process

The process of healing can be described in the following way:

1. Awareness – Recognizing the parts of ourselves that have been rejected or unacknowledged.

2. Listening and Empathy – Understanding these aspects and their role in our journey.

3. Shadow Exploration – Looking beyond the negative associations of our shadow to uncover the strengths hidden beneath it.

4. Acceptance – Acknowledging and embracing these parts as integral to the self.

5. Integration – Bringing the shadow into light by integrating it into our current personality in a way that resonates with every other part. Something profound happens here—because as the shadow is recognized, accepted, and loved, the emotional charge surrounding it shifts. As a result, other parts of the self that previously rejected it will also shift, leading to an internal transformation.

6. Transformation – As this part is integrated, we complete the puzzle and elevate the overall energy in our system.

As we engage in this process, we experience a shift—not just internally, but in how we relate to the world. Our perception changes, and we develop a deeper sense of peace and acceptance.

The Connection Between Healing and Spiritual Growth

To heal means to accept and to love, to make whole. This is also the essence of spiritual growth because we recognize and accept something that was once other or separate from us, as now a part of us.

As we integrate our shadow aspects, we naturally become more accepting of external situations and circumstances that we previously judged.

At its highest level, healing leads to divine embodiment. It is the process of shedding light on all shadows, recognizing that everything is part of the whole. In this state, judgment dissolves, and we move beyond the dualistic perspective of good and bad. True healing transcends polarity—it allows us to operate from our soul rather than our ego.

Is Healing Ever Complete?

If we are whole, why embark on the never-ending journey of healing?

Healing is a fascinating process—it is the path of evolution itself.

In our essence, we are wholeness at all times. However, we must learn to embody this wholeness in our physical existence.

Intellectually, the concept is simple.

Embodiment is entirely different. To fully embody love and acceptance is far from easy.

So, while we are whole from within and nothing is missing, the act of becoming whole requires practice—aligning our thoughts, emotions, and actions with this truth.

The Role of Emotions in Healing

Our emotions guide us on this path.

• If you live every moment in peace, love, and gratitude—congratulations, you are embodying wholeness.

• If you experience negative emotions, each one is a signpost indicating what needs to be integrated and accepted next.

Our bodies are incredible instruments that help us recognize what requires attention. Each emotion—energy in motion—points toward the next aspect of ourselves that longs to be acknowledged and integrated.

Healing as a Lifelong Journey

We must hold two truths simultaneously:

1. We are already whole, and nothing is missing within us.

2. Healing/spiritual growth is an ongoing process—an incremental journey of bringing unconscious aspects into awareness.

In this sense, healing is paradoxical. It both does not exist and is a lifelong journey—like an asymptote approaching an axis. No matter how much progress we make, there is always another layer to explore, another depth to uncover.

But rather than seeing this as an endless struggle, we can embrace it as the beauty of evolution itself. Healing is not just about resolving wounds—it is the path to self-realization, spiritual awakening, and ultimately, love.