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After studying the human body and mind from all different "angles" for almost two decades, it became very clear to me that we all have an unlimited capacity to heal and change. However, most of us have not learned yet how to access this self-healing power or even trust or believe in such a potential.

The following 9 keys are an opportunity for you to explore and utilize your natural ability to heal. Whether you are currently dealing with a physical, emotional or mental challenge and receiving medical treatment or not, these 9 keys will allow you to access your self-healing potential and accelerate the healing process. There is really nothing you can do wrong - just do it and enjoy.

1. Focus on health and healing rather than dis-ease.
Remember that you are not your disease ? your disease has been ?created? by your body and the body can ?uncreate? it as well.
2. Find good reasons why you want to heal.
The more incentives / motivations you come up with, the better. Pay attention to the small ?stuff? that makes life worth living (e.g. a hug from a friend, a wonderful meal, a beautiful sunset, the kindness of a loved one, the joy of being there for somebody etc.)
3. Give specific ?orders? to your body and your mind what you want it to do.
For example: If you have pain, tell the body to create ease and comfort; if you are dealing with a tumor, tell your body to let it ?melt? away; if you have emotional challenges, tell your mind and body to create inner peace, harmony etc.
4. See the disease as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Identify the metaphors of the illness ? if the illness had a message for your, what would it be. Notice the messages of the symptoms you are dealing with ? sometimes symptoms can be taken very literally (?pain in the neck?, ?heaviness in the stomach?, ?stiffness in the joints?). Also search for significant emotional events, traumas or inner conflicts that were preceding the illness. Find ways to heal these conflicts and emotions so that your unconscious mind and body are not pre-occupied and can focus on physical healing (for example through Time Line Therapy, NLP, Hypnotherapy, Counseling, Energy healing etc.).
5. Use visualizations and creative imagery to stimulate your self-healing potential.
If you are taking medication, include what you would like your body to do with the medication (e.g. maximum effect without side-effects). Books and tapes by Dr. Bernie Siegel, the pioneer on using visualization to heal, are a great resource.
6. Never give up hope and faith.
Always look for evidence that you can heal and are healing. Avoid listening or ?buying into? negative prognosis, statistics... Surround yourself with positive people, positive life and health affirming messages.
7. Use meditation and relaxation exercises on a daily basis.
Meditation and relaxation have been shown to be very beneficial to treat chronic pain, migraines, hypertension and other chronic illnesses. Relaxing the mind and the body also activates our immune system. Even 10 minutes per day will make an enormous difference. A great way to start is to simply to find a quite and peaceful place, sit back and focus simply on your breath. After one to two minutes start inhaling for 5 seconds, hold the breath for 5 seconds and the exhale for 5 seconds. You can gradually increase the times to 20 seconds. The effects of this Kundalini Yoga breathing meditation are immediate and 5 minutes of this breath replace 30 minutes of sleep. Other great alternatives to relax are self-hypnosis CDs, which directly stimulate the subconscious mind, massages and other body work etc.
8. Give your body proper nutrition and sufficient rest.
Healing occurs when our body is well rested and well nurtured. Consult your physician, naturopathic doctor, nutritionist or herbologist to find the proper way to nutritionally support your body.
9. Feed your body with joy, harmony and laughter.

Extensive research has shown how the enormous healing benefits of joy and laughter. In 1976 the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published an article by Norman Cousins, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (also known as Bechterew Disease) a painful inflammation of the spine. His case was so severe that he was given a very dim prognosis. Realizing that negative thoughts and attitudes can result in illness, Norma Cousins believed that positive thoughts and attitudes may have the opposite effect. He left the hospital and checked into a hotel where he took high doses of vitamin C and watched funny movies and shows. He found that ten minutes of laughter resulted in several hours of pain-free rest. He continued this "treatment" until he recovered. Cousins proved that laughter is a very effective medicine and added another important piece of evidence of the power the mind-body connection.