Healing circles are a wonderful way to come together in support of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer. Some people call them prayer circles or friendship circles. Such a gathering of friends and family can take many forms. Simply gathering together, and meditating or playing beautiful music, or sharing poems and stories can be enormously healing for everyone involved. The important point is that everyone comes with the intention to support the health of someone they love.
Often such gatherings result in people spontaneously organizing a team to bring food, help with transportation, or provide support in whatever form is needed. The assistance can be as varied as the people involved, according to their time, skills, and availability. It might include sending cards, being available for last-minute requests for help, sending e-mails, making phone calls, sharing special music or poems, running errands, help with other household tasks, or simply providing companionship.
Even if some of the individuals in the healing circle don't know each other, what they do have in common is love and concern for the person they are choosing to support. The gathering can be healing and energizing for everyone, and result in lasting bonds and friendships. The networks that are formed often go on to provide support for other people who may or may not even be involved in the original group.
As Albert Einstein famously said, "Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of each other… and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy." This bond of sympathy reflects the spirit and intention of healing circles, and is what creates their great power, effectiveness, and meaning. It also reflects the universal human impulse to gather together in times of illness that is an instinctual part of our common humanity-and has been since ancient times.
Posted
Jun 01 2007, 09:58 AM
by
DrJeremyGeffen