I had been doing some Yoga exercises now and then to take care of my lower back which had been aching since a few weeks.
I realised, when the back became rather serious last week, that life was asking me to look at something that I had neglected. And after many gentler messages, if not heard, life, (in the form of the body) intensifies the pain out of true compassion. So that it may be heard.

And as I am prone to do, I reached out to many friends who are healers to understand and deal with the issue which could not be ignored any more. And I received many perspectives.. All useful and yet I needed to see something deeper..

Perspective 1 (from a gifted Autralian medical psychic who works with bio-psycho energy): Your lower back is affected by movement of your vertebrae – thoracic 9 [strained by ligaments connected to the upper portion of your arms just below shoulders] and this in turn affects 4 ribs connecting to the sternum and their movements affect the neural connections at the top of the sternum where the collar bones connect to the manubrium. All of these points are the cause of your lower back pain.

I suggest you use your finger tips and tap firmly across the top of the sternum/collar bones and up and down the sternum.
Also do the reflexology on your feet.

Perspective 2 (from a gifted healer and friend into many different forms of healing using breath, energy work, trans-generational therapy etc.) : This has something to do with a very deep rooted issue which has to do with your mother it appears. She said, ‘When I tried to send you healing (which helped) something happened which has never happened in all these years of my work. The part of the body which I put my hand on to send distant healing started aching.

I suggest you do the ‘Transgenerational healing workshop’ which should really help.

Perspective 3 (from another dear friend who is also done amazing healing for many many people including me): Back ache implies feeling unsupported and the acute pain seems to be a sharp and urgent call to align your actions with nurturing your emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.
I have a feeling that you are well aware of something that you need to stop doing, or shift direction – but are resisting. Try a few minutes of silence, allow yourself a compassionate space and let the answer be heard. Then honour it.

Perspective 4 (from a phenomenal Vaid (Ayurveda) whose work starts where the work of many other doctors ends) : I had sensed that this problem may happen with ageing. I need you to take an MRI scan so that I can see the exact problem and then it can be treated by making adjustments in the spine.

Perspective 5 (from a 4th friend who I feel is a world class and unusual naturopath and has helped doctors with radical and simple approaches)
I call it the Thymus Tap (tapping on the sternum).
It will surely be beneficial (and will also give you energy if done regularly).
Regarding the MRI, I am not a big fan of MRIs and try to keep them to a bare minimum.
I don’t believe (yet) that your problem warrants an MRI.

For starters, please send me a photograph of you standing in a relaxed manner (as if chatting with somebody).This will help me determine the source of your back pain (and we can move forward from there).

Perspective 6 (a close relative who is a Homeopath) : She said it could be a result of a postural problem or calcium deficiency. She prescribed a combination of 5 to 6 homeopathic remedies which I have been taking.

To top it all, I just read a question from a friend of mine, Suma Varughese, editor of a great magazine, Life Positive asking, ‘Wondering why we find it so hard to ask for help…’ to which I said.. looks like that certainly doesn’t apply to me!

The Final Perspective 7 (a very dear ‘old’ friend who discerns and heals at very deep levels) :He said, ‘I can sense that the back is screaming and crying. Some strong emotion from the past needs to be released and a recent development with a client which has caused you some stress seems to have triggered this. See if you can release the anger/ pain/ sadness- whatever it is- even if initially you have to pretend to get into that emotion.’ When I met him he asked if I had done this ‘homework’ – and I had not.

As the exploration and conversation became deeper, I came to see that there was this ‘inner child’ that was constantly seeking ‘help’ from outside when a lot of the answers were inside. Its also a mind thing that need to explore, find out, analyse etc. So it was yet again, time to turn inward and access my own healing power and capacity. We examined where else this pattern existed. We used EFT to release it.

Some specific simple and yet deep lessons which I am taking time to learn that this is pointing to, I see are:
1. Do less
2. Go slow
3. Make space
4. Nourish myself

A parallel was collecting a lot of books. Connecting with a lot of people. Not deleting emails. Beneath it all is some kind of holding on. These connections are my strength. And yet, like many of us have seen, each strength taken to its extreme becomes a ‘weakness’. So the question is always of balance. The last gift was .. I realised how, despite my gift in facilitation, it could deepen as I became willing to bring the appropriate use of the Zen stick to my Taoist, allowing style. And many other small insights!

What was fascinating is that the next day morning I had scheduled a session with a friend who would help me to unleash my inner child. Synchronous! And it was amazing to see how it is all coming together. And that life is carrying me and caring for me as it always does- for all of us, whether we see it or not!