I rolled my ankle last week…for the third time this year.
I walked out of the house and into the garage, and on the way to the car I stepped on something. For the third time!! I’m serious.
After the third time (and after I nursed my wounds and my frustration) my husband and I came up with a solution to get that hose out of the way that’s been stretched across the garage since our kitchen renovation.
Seems simple, right?
Now I’m not so likely to roll my ankle, and it can finally heal.
We all have hoses in our lives. Some hoses are things we’ve just gotten comfortable with. We mayn’t even notice them. Some we’re more deeply attached to in our unconscious mind. Others are systemic and not so easy to change.
We homeopaths call these hoses “obstacles to cure,” and we’re trained to be on the lookout for them, because they get in the way of healing. (Funny how it can take three injuries to see our own hose as clearly as we see others’).
What is an obstacle to cure?
An obstacle to cure is anything that gets in the way of your Vital Force doing what it knows how to do.
Your Vital Force is your innate healing power. It responds to internal and external stimuli / stressors in an attempt to restore harmony…all without your conscious awareness. And it’s the response-ability of your Vital Force that’s indicative of health.
Examples of obstacles to cure:
- Lifestyle factors (diet, exercise, sleep, hydration, lack of sunlight, etc.)
- Chronic use of suppressive medications
- Excessive emotional or physical stress
- Environmental factors (chronic chemical / mold exposure, poisoning, poor air quality)
- Unmet needs
- Limiting Beliefs
- Chronic suppression of emotions
- Lack of knowledge/information
- Systemic barriers (access to clean water, healthy food, safety, affordable healthcare)
- Unconscious addictions / patterns
Obstacles may be internal (from within you) or external (from outside of you).
When an obstacle is chronic, it can weaken your Vital Force and/or counteract its efforts. So, despite all the other vitality-promoting things you’re doing (including homeopathy), you may feel stuck in your symptoms.
Samuel Hahnemann emphasized this idea 200 years ago…
So…if you want to simplify (and catalyze) healing, I invite you to start by getting curious about obstacles. Where are the hoses in your life? Ask yourself:
What’s getting in the way of me embodying my inherent vitality?
From this energy of curiosity (and, I’ll add, compassion helps, too):
- Make a list of your answers to this question.
- Be honest with yourself. *This may be the hardest part. Some of our biggest obstacles are precious to us.*
- Prioritize the obstacles you perceive to be in your control, and address them accordingly, one at a time.
Finally, consider getting support…for obstacles in your control that you don’t know how to or feel resistant to change; for those that you perceive to be out of your control; and for obstacles that may be below your conscious awareness.
Know that where current life circumstances make change impossible, homeopathy can reduce susceptibility to the influence of the obstacle until it can shift. And, thankfully, homeopathy can support you in increasing your capacity to address obstacles, too.
