Realizing our own potential to heal with Dr. Adam McLeod

Owning our Health – Realizing our own potential to heal

September 9, 2013. 7:38 pm • Section: Empowered Health

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Healing and Health: a fresh scientific approach is discussed in this conversation with First Nations healer, Adam Mcleod
Healing and Health: a fresh scientific approach is discussed in this conversation with First Nations healer, Adam Mcleod

The increasing public demand for a broader range of solutions to health problems is bringing to the forefront a deeper inquiry into what health is, and a broader array of possible ways to care for our health. Does health only originate in the human body? Does thought play a part? Is there a spiritual component? I asked these questions in a meeting with Adam McLeod who has just completed his training as a Naturopathic physician, graduating from the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine.

As a teen, McLeod made a startling discovering when he healed his mother who was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. She experienced a complete and immediate healing one-day when he lovingly touched her. This experience alarmed the family. “We didn’t understand it. My dad is an engineer, my mum in the health services; we are a scientific family. It was difficult to explain by our rigid scientific understanding of the universe. The experience was so profound that it inspired me to understand how the body works, in an effort to explain this incredible phenomenon.”

“I wanted to find out if there was a scientific basis to what happened, and this influenced my decision to go into molecular biology. At Simon Fraser University I discovered that I loved molecular biology – it is a fascinating study. The body is a sensitive instrument and is affected by the way we think, act and react in our emotions and experiences, in ways that we do not fully understand yet, or are even conscious of.” McLeod graduated from Simon Fraser University with a First Class Honors degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.

He went on to say: “How we act with intention every day is important. Do we start the day intentionally with freshness and energy, success and confidence, or do we start it by unconsciously dragging along the same old failed baggage of regret that has no purpose or use? That can hold us back.” As I understand it, the key in the healing process is what McLeod referred to often in our chat as “intention” – or conscious thinking.

In many areas of healthcare, this idea of “changing thought” or “intention” to improve our health and wellbeing is gaining attention. Mind-body and “Spirituality and Health” conferences are springing up around Canada and in many parts of the world. Mcleod has been invited to speak at many. He has presented at the Association of Complementary and Integrative Physicians of BC conferences with Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. David Suzuki. He was the keynote presenter at the Northwest Naturopathic Physicians Convention. More recently he presented in a conference with Dr. Deepak Chopra, probably one of the most well known holistic physicians.

During our interview, we explored whether the process of maintaining or regaining health is merely a human thought process? For many, including me, health has a deeply spiritual element and is tied to a relationship we each have with the divine.

To this question, McLeod responded that he is not a religious person, nor was he raised as one. “So I am not sure about where this energy that heals comes from, whether within us, or from another power source outside of us. One thing I do know is that we are all very interconnected, and so we feel and think in a connected way, often without even realizing that we are doing so. So much of what we harbour is subconscious.” McLeod continued by making the point that this connectedness is something that we are only just beginning to discover and it is an individual as well as a collective discovery. He believes it is also a science.

My own observations from my Christian perspective,  tell me we are rediscovering an age-old connection that has been clearly expressed in ancient religious texts such as the Bible. Our connection to one another (as well as our connection to the divine) is a basic principle of all major religions, and many today who feel they are “spiritual but not religious” also acknowledge it. And it is not confined only to those who hold a religious perspective.

So, how does McLeod see the work he is doing and its possible impact on the future of healthcare? “The evidence clearly shows that patients get the best results when there is collaboration amongst different health professionals, including naturopathic doctors. Patients do better when they have a healthcare team that is using different modalities together to optimize the patient’s healing.

“We should remember that we all have the same common goal of helping our patients. There should be more of an integrative approach to healthcare where multiple health professions work together ultimately for the patients benefit.”

McLeod feels strongly that this approach makes healthcare patient centered. “It is important to integrate all of these therapies together to customize a treatment protocol that is ideal for that individual patient. Energy healing can be used in conjunction with any healing modality and it helps to push the body in the direction of healing. In many cases all that is needed is that extra push in the direction of health, and energy healing is a useful tool that can promote the healing process.

“The second part of what I do is to re-empower the patient to take back control of their health – to realize their own potential to self-heal. We are not helpless.”

These ideas – that we are all connected, that we are in the driver’s seat of our health, that we are all together discovering a science of healing – give us a lot to think about.

Adam McLeod is a First Nations healer, motivational speaker, and International Best Selling author. You can read more about him on his website www.dreamhealer.com and check out his upcoming seminars in Vancouver and Victoria

Anna Bowness-Park is a Christian Science practitioner, and a blogger, writing frequently on the relationship between spirituality and health. You can read her blog at http://anna-bownesspark.ca 

 

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