Mind, body, emotions and spirit: reaching to the ancestors for healing

Abstract

This paper is a discussion of the meaning of the personal integrated inner body, mind, emotions and spirit dialogue from an Aboriginal perspective and the importance of placing this in a collective positioning of mental health and psychological treatment. The Aboriginal/Native American concept of the Medicine Wheel and the presence of balance and free will that are associated with it, burning tobacco, the power of story and the sweat lodge are used to ground and situate this discussion and demonstrate how traditional healing and the inner dialogue are linked. A discussion is offered as to the integration of traditional healing practices in counselling and psychotherapy and also how traditional healing is a culture and community based form of traditional counselling and psychotherapy. How the engagement of the inner dialogue of the body, mind, emotions and spirit helps to heal individuals, families and communities is discussed.

Keywords:

• inner dialogue
• traditional healing
• Medicine Wheel
• sweat lodge
• burning tobacco and story-telling
• counselling and psychotherapy