Ron Bedrick is a spiritual/energy healer who offers counseling in OPEN EXCHANGE's Health & Healing category. A graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, he has studied Christian, Sufi and Kabbalistic healing modalities, is a core faculty member at the Chaplaincy Institute for Arts and Interfaith Ministries, and teaches locally

Healing in General
Healing is about true freedom to live fully and profoundly. It is about choosing to recognize and express our essence in relationship with ourselves and others. It implies seeing clearly who we are, where we come from and what our purpose is on Earth. Healing is a process that involves shifts in our inner state to a higher, more coherent and harmonious level of functioning. These shifts can occur at any level of our being. On the physical level, they can manifest as cures for illness or the elimination of physical symptoms. On the mental level, healing can involve the elimination or weakening of limiting beliefs that block us from exercising our creative power. On the emotional level, the simple act of acknowledging feelings and accepting them without judgment constitutes healing. On a spiritual level, opening our being to receive from the indwelling Presence (however you might experience that) is always profoundly healing and is the key to healing.

The Spiritual Source of Healing
The origin of the word "healing" is the old English word hal which means whole. It implies a restoration to a former state of original integrity where injured, broken or missing parts become part of a seamless harmonious whole. Looking at the Hebrew language is also instructive as to the deeper meaning of healing. The three letters of the root for "healing" are the Resh, Peh and Aleph. These letters also spell the word "resplendence," the shining beauty resulting from balance and harmony. This state of resplendence is considered to be the spiritual source of healing. Health and healing result when all the necessary elements are in balance, creating a radiant beauty.

The three letters, when rearranged, give us another insight into the nature of healing. The Peh is a word which means "mouth" or "opening." The Aleph and Resh together spell the word for "light." Thus, when we experience the spiritual source of healing, we are open and receptive to light.

This openness brings healing and health.

How We Close Ourselves to the Light
Through our socialization and psychological development, we develop a separate sense of self—an identity. Our identity is shaped by the beliefs, ideas and learned energetic patterns, conscious or unconscious, that evolve from our experiences. This identity offers us a feeling of security, a 'life-preserver' that allows us to navigate the waters of life.

Yet, our identity is based on a limited understanding of who we are. Equally important, it limits our ability to discover who we truly are and to fully embody our essence. Holding on to our separate sense of self, we put ourselves in a box and believe that we are disconnected from others and from the creative source of life. Our self-definitions and habitual energetic patterns serve only to limit our perceptions to what we already have established as true.

How to Open to Spirit and Healing
The light of healing is available to all who wish to truly open to receive and be transformed by it. You will need an intention to heal and a willingness to explore and discover the limiting beliefs, energetic patterns and emotions that are part of your current identity structure. Trust in your healer and trust in the process of healing are also crucial elements. You will need courage to look at your fears and to examine a wide range of feelings The journey will lead you to know yourself as a unique expression of Divine creative energy that is capable of choosing to live a fulfilling life. No frequent flyer miles are offered for this journey because the value of taking this important trip is priceless beyond words.