HE ALTH & HE ALIN G


The radical road to recovery Thinking that you got something right on drugs seems


counterintuitive, and I would never have dared make such an outrageous claim in my early post-drug days. Like most drug users, I had been brainwashed into believing that drugs are bad, which means that everything you feel and do on drugs is bad and, by default, you are bad. I would probably have stuck to that script too if I hadn’t


decided to study Chinese medicine. Although one of the major attractions of study was the opportunity to reinvent myself as a wholesome new-ager, I found everything about Chinese medicine so fascinating that I threw myself into it with the same dedication I had once applied to scoring drugs. I read everything I could get my hands on, from the ancient books on Chinese medicine to obscure texts on Daoism – the philosophy underpinning traditional Chinese medicine. I was immediately taken with the Daoists; a group of


colourful, eccentric rebels, who sought to live in harmony with nature, crack the cosmic code and escape reality. These were my kind of people. Chinese medicine was my kind of medicine too. The therapeutic platform is neutral. It is based on the belief that organ imbalances contribute to physical and emotional pain and restoring organ function creates health and happiness. There is no ‘Let’s get to the bottom of your problem’ stuff, no making amends and no judgment. Why anyone chose to take a particular path, action or substance is not considered relevant. After I graduated and accidentally began specialising


in addiction recovery, I saw first-hand how this neutral therapeutic approach avoided the emotional traps that delving into ‘why’ creates. But my clients – mainly people who had become caught in a relapse and rehab cycle – were still concerned with ‘why’. They wanted answers. This inspired me to start thinking beyond the commonly accepted reasons. I returned to my study of the Daoist mystics, made the cosmic connection between drugs and destiny, and then everything changed.


Why you chose to take a particular substance is not relevant


Finding your cosmic self The Daoists believe that life is meant to be spent as a quest to


find the ‘cosmic self’ and that being in altered states plays a key role in this process. The word ‘cosmic’ was overused in the hippie era, and for many it still conjures up images of flower children, psychedelic substances and tree hugging. From the Daoist perspective this would be a correct association though, as being cosmic means being more than normal, feeling more than ordinary, and seeing more than ‘reality’. This is what the hippies wanted and what every drug user still wants. While I was thinking about the contemporary application


of being cosmic, it struck me that it’s not actually the drugs you want, it’s the way they make you feel. Heightened sensory perception, the expansion of consciousness, overwhelmingly powerful feelings of bonding and love, are all experiences of your cosmic self; so what you really want is access to your cosmic self. Once I made this connection I added ‘cosmic’ back into my vocabulary, abandoned the idea of neutrality and, scandalously, began working with what drug users got right. A seismic shift occurred. Instead of following the old script –


quit drugs or alcohol; engage in a daily battle against powerful urges; finally resign yourself to a half-life spent focused on what you got wrong, and what you will never have again – recovery became an opportunity to recapture heightened states and continue the journey of discovery. ‘Find your cosmic self,’ became the new recovery goal.


Be more than normal, feel more than ordinary, and see more than reality


The chi factor Finding your cosmic self is experiential, and achieving altered


states again is a part of the recovery plan. This is where chi comes into the picture. Chi is what creates drug highs. In the West, chi is usually translated as ‘energy’, but this is too limited a concept. You can get energy from chocolate; you can’t get a psychedelic adventure though. Chi is better defined as being simultaneously energy,


information and consciousness. Drugs flood your system with this mix, which is why they can magically convert the dull


SACRED EARTH HOLIDAY RETREAT 19th - 23rd October 2015


Join Prem & Jethro from Sacred Earth for a five day retreat at Laughing Buddha Retreat Centre, Ballina - Northern NSW, Experience five days of yoga, blissful mantra singing, meditation, Zen Thai Shiatsu, ceremony, heart dance, workshops, delicious food, laughter & plenty of free time to dive deeply into the experience of yourself…


E:sacredearthparadise@gmail.com Full details at www.sacredearthmusic.com


Download your free music samples at www.sacredearthmusic.com/livingnow


24 OCTOBER 2015


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