I was fortunate over this past weekend to spend four days with one of the current-day homeopathic masters, Dr. Rajan Sankaran. He has written over 24 books, given lectures all over the world and has both a teaching clinic and full-time practice which are booked out 6 months. To say that his work is inspiring doesn't even begin to convey my feeling.
Being in his presence and listening to Dr. Sankaran evokes a certain aliveness within me. His work speaks directly to my passion, which has been on my mind quite a bit over the weekend. I asked myself, is it homeopathy that I am passionate about? I am able to produce a solid "Yes" in my mind. But what is it that actually moves me about my work? What is it that gets stirred within me when I listen to or read Dr. Sankaran?
The answer is simply this. I am passionate about helping people to heal at the deepest levels of their being. This is what moves me: when I am sitting with a patient and they connect the great web of sensations and expressions throughout their lives, when we distill this down into one theme and feeling and they go, "Ah hah!" or "Oh my!". Or perhaps that thread is even lost on them in that moment, but I am able to see it and hold space for them. This is what I am passionate about. This is what brings me back to the work time and time again.
Homeopathy is the vehicle by which healing can begin in that web of awareness.
In our weekend session, through case-taking and analysis, Dr. Sankaran kept bringing us back to this: seeing only what we observe without interpretation. Our role as homeopathic practitioners is to be an unprejudiced observer which means that we do not bring our assumptions, our judgements or our interpretations into either our case-taking or our analysis. As human beings, this is a skill that continually needs to be cultivated. Our brains want to constantly assess, itemize, categorize and assume so that we can create a false sense of understanding and thus, feel safe.
Practicing homeopathy requires that we let our egoic self go and, ultimately, be unsure and unknowing. I believe this is Dr. Sankaran's secret. He repeatedly said to us, "I know nothing." As we were analyzing a case, he would ask, "What do we know about this case?". In the beginning of the weekend, answers would come from around the room. Dr. Sankaran would reply, "No, we know nothing. We still need to learn more from the patient. You only need to listen and they will tell you exactly the sensation."
Waiting, watching, drawing the true energy out - this is what I am passionate about. After spending time in this weekend's seminar, I have an even deeper appreciation and understanding of this both for myself and my patients.
Our life is as it is because we see it through the lens of our sensitivities.
My work as a homeopathic practitioner is to understand the lens through which my patients see the world. The body and physical symptoms are part of that lens. The body expresses in particular ways that match the way the mind, emotions and behaviors are in relation to the world. Homeopathic remedies shift the view through that lens and as such, help the body to release its expression also.
We watched the Master take a number of cases and were encouraged to continually go deeper to connect to the source energy - the deepest pattern of the patient. I am excited to bring this energy and deeper understanding into my own case-taking.
I want to thank Dr. Rajan Sankaran for his continued belief of "I don't know" which continues to fuel his research, teachings and understanding. Your work helps us all to release our egoic selves and continue our own deepening.
*Photo is from the JAHC Conference in Baltimore in June of this year. Dr. Rajan Sankaran and Laurie Dack, RSHom(NA), CCH are with me in the photo.
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