Not feeling well? Wondering why this particular malady has struck you in this particular way at this particular time?

Some of your questions might be answered if you can discover a part that has something to do with your illness.

There are of course a number of different reasons for illness, but I have found that quite often, there’s a part involved too.

Our parts have a number of different ways of bringing themselves to our attention, and one of them seems to be to prompt some kind of illness or bodily symptom, either acute or chronic. So when I have something going on with my body, I will often take some quiet time to ask the question ‘If there is a part of me that has something to do with (this illness/symptom), will it please come forward.’

I then wait to see what appears in my awareness. Sometimes there is nothing, just a continuation of the quietness and openness. But usually, something appears that indicates that a part is making an appearance. Sometimes I recognize a protector or exile that I already know, and sometimes I start to get glimpses of a part that’s new to me.

I take whatever appears as the first hint of the part, and invite it to let me know more about itself, and then follow its lead and work with it just as I would any part. At some point it usually becomes clear why the part has prompted the illness or symptom that I’m experiencing.

So how can it help to know the part involved? Well, we can often get to know a part that we weren’t previously aware of, or understand a known part better, all of which adds to our self-awareness, as well as the possibility of healing, relaxing and unburdening  that part.

But more to the point, attending to the part can often mean that it doesn’t need to create the illness or symptom any more, and physical healing can start to happen. Physical healing usually lags behind emotional healing, so it can take a while, but chances are good that you will find relief at some point.

Here’s a brief example that illustrates this approach. Someone I will call Anne was diagnosed with a benign uterine tumor. When she went inside and asked if there were any parts involved, a part appeared that she was already familiar with, a sexually molested child who let her know that it was located in her uterus (parts often have a location somewhere in the body). The child let Anne know that she needed comfort, softness and holding, and that there was a protector, previously unknown to Anne, that had been trying to provide all those things by creating a soft thick bed of tissue to cradle the child. When Anne connected with the protector involved, it was willing to stop creating this extra tissue if Anne was willing to take on the job of lovingly holding the child. Anne agreed, and took the child into her heart, holding her there with love. Within a week Anne’s symptoms started to lessen.

Anne also used several other treatments for her condition, including natural hormones, homeopathy, herbs and energy healing. Given that most illnesses are multicausal, this seems sensible, and is also the approach that I take.

Thus it’s not possible to know just how much the parts work contributes to healing. But given that almost all traditional healing methods, such as Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, address psyche and spirit as well as body, these kinds of multidimensional approaches would not have come down to us from so many separate traditions unless they were effective.

So I invite you – next time there’s something amiss with your body, let yourself inquire into the possibility that parts are involved. You have nothing to lose and may have much to gain.