The Renegade Doc Comments

We did an exercise in Massage Therapy School where you sat in front of a fellow student and gazed deeply into each other’s eyes, just observing, tuned in.  You would then ask a question of the other and just listen, and watch.  You would then repeat the question, again only listening and gazing.  Finally you would repeat the question for the third time and again just listen and look into the eyes.  Upon completion, you would not comment on the other’s responses but only encourage them for allowing themselves to go deeply inside and sharing at that level.

Like many things in massage school and in the personal development world, I found that exercise challenging, frightening and yet very satisfying.

It was challenging because it was hard to sit and gaze into another’s “deepness” (the eyes are, truly, the windows to the soul) and not comment or judge or analyze (I like to do all those things, in case you haven’t figured that out about me).

It was frightening because I would make myself vulnerable, emotionally “naked”, possibly revealing thoughts, feelings, desires I had bottled up for years, not even sharing them or admitting them to myself.  And here I was, spilling them to a classmate “stranger”!

It was satisfying because this is exactly what we are on the planet to do and to be.  Father made us “naked and unashamed” to be totally and completely open with him, with ourselves and with each other, to share our deep thoughts and selves with each other in ways that would be healing and helpful for ourselves and each other.

Needless to say, the exercise brought significant insight and healing and a sense of accomplishment, but also a sense that getting this “naked” was good and healthy.

This idea of “nakedness” and healing is gaining momentum in our culture.

Recently Jay Leno interviewed Robin Williams about his latest movie, “Old Dogs,” and particularly about a scene where Mr. Williams gets nude.  He stated that the nudity was the best way to get the message across and just kind of happened when filming.  Unfortunately both he and Jay went on to make disparaging and comical remarks about nudity in general since our culture cannot handle nudity appropriately (just like I had difficulty getting “naked” with my thoughts and feelings in massage school).

Even more recently Conan O’Brien interviewed Deepak Chopra about his new book.  The whole interview was about Dr. Chopra’s ability to “read” the soul and mind of another, in this case Mr. O’Brien, and what he would recommend to bring healing.  The read on Mr. O’Brien was that he was egocentrical and of low self-esteem, needing to be pleasing to others.  Dr. Chopra’s remedy was for Mr. O’Brien to do his show naked, this removing the external need for approval and to find his approval within himself.  Again, the conversation soon equated “nude” with “sex”, a connection that our culture makes but need not since it is not necessarily connected.

[As an aside, "nude=sex" is like "snow=ski".  While skiing is done on snow, snow could also be the beauty of a mountain range in winter, sledding/sliding/snowboarding, a great way to make dessert, problems for cars without chains, the means to have a fun fight, the guts of a snowman, a ride in a sleigh, etc.  And skiing is also done on water and not just on snow.  We really need to grow up in our attitude about nudity

Back to the idea of getting open and honest with oneself, going deep within, and even perhaps getting physically nude to gain healing.  That exercise in massage school brought some healing to me.  It let me know that being open and honest, releasing old emotions and hurts, lancing an emotional “boil”, was a breath of fresh air.

The culture is beginning to figure out that taking physical clothes off can also be healing. 

There are accounts of sexually abused women who have extreme emotional issues regarding themselves and their bodies as a result, who, in a nurturing and nonsexual social nude environment, have found great healing when divesting themselves of their clothes.  It figuratively and literally allows them to regain the authority for themselves and the self esteem that was ripped from them.

Similarly, many men who have suffered with addictions to pornography and sex, when in a nurturing and nonsexual social nude environment in the company of women have found healing for their addiction.  Rather than objects of sex and control, women become real persons with real emotions and interact with these men with respect and honor.  The men, on the other hand, find themselves free to become real persons, honored and welcomed and not guilty sex perverts. 

Thought counterintuitive to our cultural training, the reality of these situations demands that we examine the possibility of offering afflicted ones, including ourselves, the option of getting spiritually, emotionally and even physically naked to help further their healing.  I have to wonder how much Tiger Woods could have found relief for his dis-ease and avoided his current socially unacceptable “nakedness”  if he had had the opportunity and encouragement to explore his deep self and needs in a healthy nude environment?

For years I have wanted to establish a residential center where people can come and find wholistic healing.  This vision has been posted on my (outdated) website, and would include food, diet instruction, assisting with and learning of gardening, supplements, counsel, massage and bodywork, and other medical helps as needed.  Now, with what I have experienced myself, and the acknowledgement of the healing power of getting truly and deeply open, it would include the encouragement to shed clothes as well as emotional and physical hurts, griefs and disappointments.

And why am I posting this, now, on my blog? Knowing that it is so countercultural and so counterintuitive? 

I honestly don’t know.  I guess it is part of my own growth as the Renegade Doc, part of my own healing, part of admitting my own passion to see people deeply and truly healed as they dare to look deeply within themselves and find the freedom and beauty and potential and healing that lies there, waiting to be brought forth.

Blessings,

Dr Jon

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