Three Questions for Healing

Stories of Hope and Healing

The other week I found this book on my mother-in-love’s bookshelf. I was a little burned out on the books I was reading and it really called to me. She had picked it up from the used bookshelf at the CSLCV's  bookstore.

The book is called “Coyote Medicine” by Andrew Weil, M.D. It relates the journey of a medical doctor traversing the path of both western medicine and primal spirituality, digging deep to uncover the truth about what brings health and what heals us.

I devoured the book in a weekend. I couldn’t get enough, in fact I am going to go back for a second round because there were so many ideas and stories that deserve serious contemplation.

One of my juicy tidbits that keeps revolving around in my head is this:

“Before a person can be healed, one medicine man told me years after medical school, he or she must answer three simple questions: “Who are you?” “Where did you come from?” and “Why are you here?” This California elder believed that anyone who could give clear answers to these three questions would be well.”

Who are you?

Where did you come from?

Why are you here?

Who are you?
Just how far down the rabbit hole do they expect us to go I wonder?
How do we discover and articulate the answer of who we are?
I don’t think this is one you come to a definitive answer but is important to seek the ever evolving and revealing the question brings.

Where did you come from?
This question always receives more than a little resistance from me as my ancestral heritage is unknown, but at 45 I do have a personal history that I can reveal to myself.

In our Essential Ernest class one of our assignments is to create a personal timeline. I am fully committed to this assignment and already themes are being revealed. Sometimes it’s happy and sometimes it’s a little painful but it’s an exercise I would highly recommend to anyone.

Why are you here?
We all have “Work” to do here. And I mean work with a capital W. Julie Pellegrino really nailed it with her post on Thursday. Please read her post What is Your Sacred Work?

Have fun contemplating your three questions.