Will Yoga Cure Me? Will Yoga Heal Me?
The way you come to something almost certainly determines the way you will leave it. I have seen this many times in my private therapy practice. I meet clients that say something like, “I’ve tried everything and nothing works, but maybe you can help me.” From the get-go, it is very unlikely that any version of a therapeutic practice will help because they are already expecting that it will not! Clients that are open and curious tend to have the best and most interesting results.
The mindset of coming to a practice has everything to do with the question of healing versus curing. For the purposes of this discussion, curing means eradicating a condition, and healing means that the condition may or may not persist but the individual has come to terms with their present situation.
Curing and healing are not synonymous. You may be cured from having cancer (be in permanent remission), but you may not be healed from the experience of having had cancer or surviving it. You may be showing no outward signs of trauma (you may be cured), but you are suffering internally, struggling with anxiety, depression, or PTSD, thus proving you are not healed.
In my experience, Western medicine is incredibly good at diagnosis and curing or treating symptoms; it lacks the capacity to let a person heal. Think of personal examples, like the ones above, from your personal story.
Yoga and yoga therapy can most definitely help. Often we are very good at reducing symptoms and hopefully curing root causes. Additionally, yoga values the process of healing as a foundation to curing. I would argue that for yoga, you cannot be cured if you have not healed.
Another important point to consider when evaluating curing versus healing is your personal responsibility in that process. Oftentimes we want a simple cure: a pill, ointment, tonic that eliminates the symptoms. Ask yourself if you are equally as interested in treating the root cause. Would you be willing to make lifestyle changes that prioritize your overall well-being? Would you be willing to give up Diet Coke, chocolate, or red meat, or do you prefer to take the pill that alleviates the symptoms but does not resolve the root issue?
In yoga therapy, we meet the client where they are. We will always work to reduce symptoms first and then gauge if the client is willing to make more profound changes (yoga, ayurveda, or other modalities) that resolve the issue. Additionally, yoga therapists are there to support you on this journey, whereby you have the opportunity to heal through personal development.
If this distinction feels muddy or unclear, ask yourself if you would like to reduce suffering and dis-ease. Yoga and yoga therapy can help.