are you ready for true health? 27
(even on a cellular and subatomic level). I sought a total healing
from the Creative source that is within us all. After I fi red the sup-
posed “ best rheumatologist at Duke, ” I sought the opinion of an
allergist, because I had concurrently contracted serious allergies.
(I knew that arthritis and allergies were both autoimmune diseases,
a symptom that my body was turning against itself, and I sensed
that their timing was not a coincidence.)
After the new doctor questioned me about my dieta for forty
minutes, I thanked him for his thorough assessment and reminded
him that I wanted to know what he knew about the allergy - arthritis
connection. He turned to his prescription pad and wrote his order:
“ Count squirrels on the Eno River 2 hours/day. ”
And then, with great wisdom, he stated, “ Ms. Gurkin, you do not
have arthritis; you have a stress - induced joint condition that you
can heal if you do what you are telling your heart patients to do! ”
The longer I processed and examined my pain, via journalizing,
meditation, and prayer, the more clearly I realized that I had
crippled myself through my own unresolved habitual tendency to
be resentful of controlling people. Specifi cally, in the face of any
authority fi gure who did not respect my opinion, I would respond
with anger, turning these strident feelings inward.
What I would discover through my own healing journey was that
when I fi nally became ready to release my false belief that I was the
authority of anything and thus could let go of my resentment of
others, I would be free of certain deeply ingrained habits of body,
mind, and spirit that had caused my joints to rebel and seize up. (Some
people would call this an example of healing a control addiction.)
Being ready does not mean we will be healed instantly, but it does
fuel our tenacity, hope, and belief that all will be well if we persevere
and keep our eyes on the prize. Through each chapter ’ s lens, you
will become more and more ready and able to take full responsibility
for what your body is telling you, then for what your mind, heart,
and spirit are communicating at subtler levels. As you cleanse your
body with optimal whole organic foods and exercise, it will become
ever easier to hear from each of your aspects and to really trust
your own truth. By actually participating in the process and actively