Migraine Headaches and Asking Why

I have always enjoyed being around children. I admire their honesty and openness. My grandchildren are two and four years old. They see wonder in everything. In fact, Briannah, the younger of “the girls” as I call them, “wonders” about everything. She is always asking “why?”
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree as the tot’s mother, Alicia, was the queen of inquisition as a child. She would ask about gravity and her father, an engineer, would answer her. She would ask me how electricity worked and I would tell her, “magic.” That’s the best answer I had for her other than the proverbial, “Go ask your father.”
I don’t ask “why” too much anymore in my everyday life. I sometimes will ask the other w’s I learned from my journalist’s handbook, who, what, where and when. But “why” seems to allude me.
However, during a recent session with Theta Healer, Tiffany Bil (www.tiffanybil.com) “why” became the question of the day. I was getting a session to help cure my migraine headaches. These skull-crushing pains have cursed me, and the majority of my family members, for years (very often migraines are hereditary.) I’ve been to family practice doctors, a neurologist, past life regression therapists and psychics to no avail. I can reduce the pain by taking imitrex and its generic brand, but the headache still press on.
One time, my friend, Lauren, and I performed a ceremony where we wrote down our thoughts about our headaches.. We dialogued and decided that part of the problem is we believed it was a connection to our past ancestors. We decided that we could honor our ancestors without engaging in the migraines they passed on through our DNA, or whatever trait comes in the headache package. After we wrote down our thoughts we burned the paper. I know this works for getting rid of other negativity. In fact, it is mentioned in my book, Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within.
Lauren reduced her headache load considerably. I got one the next day.
However, when I was in session with Rev. Tiffany Bil, she asked me how my headaches served me? What benefit was I getting from my headaches? I know when I was a kid and my mom got a headache, we were not allowed to pester her. She would lay down with the curtains drawn and not emerge until she felt better. We were not the best-behaved or considerate kids on the block, but I do remember leaving her alone when she was down with a migraine.

My children, Alicia and Brittany, were more considerate. Plus their dad would usher them away from me when I didn’t feel well. If they did sneak in to see me I would ask them to rub my feet. I think the thought of massaging my crusty heels were too much for them and I would get my rest. Sometimes as much as 12 hours.
My children are grown now and I don’t need to hide from them. But I still get headaches. However, after talking to Tiffany and having a session with her, I did become more aware of the possible “whys” that could be contributing to my migraines.

I don’t have all the answers yet, but at least I’m asking the questions. The same can be said for erasing negativity. There are times when we need to stop and ask ourselves, “How is this negative behavior benefiting me?” Once you come to grips with the fact that you are holding onto a behavior or belief system that no longer serves you, the next step is to get rid of it and replace with something more empowering.
If you are interested in learning more, please view my you tube video 3 ways to erase negativity


http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+tube%2c+erase+negativity&mid=A201AF28DD8AB5981397A201AF28DD8AB5981397&view=detail&FORM=VIRE1


Whether it is emotional or physical pain or negativity, there is no reason to suffer. There are steps you can take to enjoy a happier, more optimistic life. And if that answer isn’t a good enough response to “why?” then here’s another answer: Because I told you so, that’s why.

Headaches, Joni Mitchell and Gratitude

Today I woke up and thought of the lyrics of Joni Mitchell’s song, Big Yellow Taxi:

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
‘Til it's gone.
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot.

For the past three days I’ve had a migraine headache. I had periods of time where it wasn’t excruciatingly painful, but I never felt good enough to be productive in the way I would like to be. It was like having a perpetual hangover. And no, my headache was not alcohol induced. I rarely imbibe. Alcohol makes me sick. Plus, my days of dancing on tables and wearing a lampshade are best forgotten.

Out of desperation I finally decided to get a massage to see if that would help the pain and tension I was feeling. I couldn’t get in to see my regular physician, Andrea Weiner. I called Judy Richter, a very talented massage therapist that I highly recommend, but I couldn’t get through to her (I learned later there was something wrong with her phone). I tried three other places and no one had any openings until 8 p.m. that night, or worse yet, the following day. Yikes. I was in pain and was tired of feeling crummy.

I did a search on the internet and was able to make an appointment for later that afternoon. I had never been there before, I didn’t have coupons, no one recommended it, I just found it by searching the internet. I told the therapist that I had a headache for three days, I tripped cleaning the bunny’s cage, and I thought that may have knotted my muscles up even more.

My therapist, Carrie, worked on me and did a great job. I was definitely tense. My shoulders were about 12 inches higher than they should have been. It was as if they were stuck in a perpetual shrug. By the time she was done, I felt a lot better.

Today I woke up and felt more like myself again. I started my day as I try to every day, by declaring the many things I am grateful for. Of course, not having a headache was number one on my list. Gratitude is a huge part of happiness. I will dedicate a whole chapter to the topic in my next book, but for the time being, here is an excerpt from chapter three.

Since David was angry much of the time, gratitude wasn’t really something he had given much thought to. However, one experience really hit home.

“We were at a meeting and everyone had to say one thing they were grateful for,” said David. “One guy was living in a half-way house. He had been living on the streets. When it was his turn to share he said he was grateful that he had a clean pair of socks in his drawer. And he wasn’t kidding. Having clean socks was a luxury to this guy. It really made me stop and think about how many things I have in my life to be grateful for.”

In closing, I would like to include three tips on gratitude that I will include in the next book.

Gratitude is just as important for the simple things in our lives as it is for the more abundant things.

Gratitude keeps us humble and therefore open to the blessings of joy.

Gratitude keeps us in a positive state of mind which keeps us in a state of faith instead of fear.

And to you, my readers, thank you for reading this blog. If you enjoy it, I hope you will show your gratitude by recommending it to others.

Many thanks,

Sally