The World Needs More Healers—Not More Flakes.

This morning, elephant journal published one of my articles, The World Needs More Healers—Not More Flakes,  and it is an Editors Pick of The Week!

Here is an excerpt from The World Needs More Healers—Not More Flakes.:

I don’t know how this came to be, but somehow the new age community thinks that one has to be a flake in order to be a healer.

“I can tell you with complete certainty one can be a healer, shaman, teacher, or Reiki Master without being a flake.

The shift toward flakiness is curious. I am grateful that the dogmatic version of spirituality and religion has expanded and shifted. We have included love and joy and connection and warmth and compassion and empathy and messiness; yes, I am including messiness as an area of growth and development in the healing and spiritual communities.

The days of presenting ourselves as “perfect” or “healed” are gone, except for the coaches who have photo shoots and video sessions every day trying to show how “perfect” they are.

How did we get here? Whose idea was it that pretending you’re meditating on a rock by a river translates to, “I am physically attractive? Therefore, I can guide and teach you how to be healthy and well?” Where is the grit and deep, dark struggle that ravaged years, if not decades, of your life in the process? I don’t want to see a picture of you pretending you are “Zen” or “blissed-out. I want to know what it was like for you to hate yourself from the minute you woke up and thought about how to ruin other people’s days and lives, so you’re not the only one going through this hell?”

You can view the entire article here The World Needs More Healers—Not More Flakes.

I look forward to reading your comments on elephant journal. I also invite you to share the article if you feel moved; I appreciate it!

Other Posts you may enjoy:

Building Bridges or Building Walls

Acknowledging Pain Is Highest Form of Support

Listening as an Art and Skill to Improving Relationships

Anger A Secondary Emotion – What Are We Protecting?

Rock Stars and Groupies: Narcissistic Co-Dependence in the Yoga Teacher-Student Relationship

Michael Swerdloff

Providence Holistic Counselor, Coach and Reiki