Warm Summer Greetings friends,

I wanted to share some thoughts about healing because it’s is something I have experienced many, many times. And, right now I believe everyone can use a healing of some kind.

Every time I’ve healed my body, heart or mind it’s been by accessing the subtle body. I know the subtle body isn’t something everyone has accessed or knows so much about yet — I’d like to be part of changing that.

The Subtle Body is a body within the body. It exists below the layer of what is referred to as the gross body – skin, bones, tissues, organs and glands. It can be felt, not seen, it’s the energetic, vibratory expression of states of mind and heart. It can be accessed through breath, imagery, guided meditations or experienced in a deep states of meditation.

The body is much more than an anchor in practicing mindfulness of the body. It’s richly layered and nuanced – and I want to break it out of its cage. I’d love to make it more accessible and practical so that anyone can get to know, feel and find agency for themselves because of it.

There are a few spiritual traditions that teach about the subtle body and one key ingredient is the healing potential that lies within it.

Healing is a loaded term because its meaning and what it might infer is relative. But healing does begin in the body, eventually in full conscious partnership with the mind and heart.

I think we can find examples of healing in how the Buddha laid out his Four Noble Truths because it’s similar to how an Auyervedic Doctor would diagnose someone.

1. The Buddha’s 1st  Noble Truth: there is suffering, distress, stress and pain in life.

1. Medical model: There is an illness causing discomfort, pain or stress

2. 2nd Noble Truth: The etiology is clinging and craving

2. Medical: There is a cause for the illness

3- 3rd Noble Truth: Suffering can cease

3. Medical: There are remedies and a cure

4. 4th Noble Truth: The 8-fold path

4.  Medical: Here are the remedies to take

if you’re interested: Here’s a great explanation of this by my teacher Ajahn Amaro

I use these examples to take the grey out of the word healing in a spiritual or Dharmic context. It’s not fringe in this way, it’s practical and accessible.

 A Path of Healing: The Wisdom of the Somatic and Subtle Body in September is a series I designed to offer a variety of ways to heal what ails you. (because it’s online, the recordings will always be available). In this series should be something(s) that makes sense and is usable for everyone.

Another path towards healing is community. When the Buddha’s attendant Ananda said to the Buddha “I think spiritual friendship- sangha (community and spiritual friendships) is half of the spiritual path. It’s so important to our journey.”

The Buddha responded “Don’t say that, Ananda. Don’t say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life.”

Sangha/community and spiritual friends are vitally important to our quality of life and sanity, and I think especially right now.

In September I have 3 different but purposely small mentoring groups: The Thursday Group is for anyone who would like to get to know the Subtle Body in ways I would not teaching large crowds. I strongly believe these practices are best transmitted when you have direct access to a teacher, which all my groups offer.

And there are 2 other groups that you might find interesting including one specifically for clinicians.that you can read about here. Click on the mentoring groups tab and it’ll open to the different groups.

And, if you would like some somatic practices to combat anxiety and fear, join me in October:

Online or in Person at Spirit Rock, October 18: – Anxiety and Fear – They’re Not Only in the Mind: Somatic-Cognitive Strategies for Emotion Regulation

Lots to share, I hope you’ll join me sometime. And I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer till then.

Jill