3 Traditions of Healing

3 Traditions of Healing*

Which one(s) are you most closely aligned with?

I would have to say that most closely align with the Wise Woman tradition. Since I was a little girl, I have been interested in old, traditional ways of doing things. I have long had an interest in all things ancient and spent much of my childhood wishing that I could be an Indian (in my mind, as a member of the Church of Latter-day Saints of Jesus Christ [aka Mormon or LDS], this meant of Lamanitish descent which could be any of the tribes located in North America as well as the Incas, Aztecs, or Mayas). When my grandfather was told he actually did have some Cherokee blood, I was between ten and fourteen years of age and was so excited! I have since learned to accept myself for who and what I am. I have also learned that life is all about learning and that we can learn from any and every one.

Did you find this articulation of thought forms to be helpful? In what ways?

I did find this articulation of thought forms helpful. This is not the first time I have seen either this chart or one very similar to it. In thinking about the three, Scientific, Heroic and Wise Woman, I would never really have thought of myself as falling into a mostly Wise Woman philosophy. I am fascinated by science but while I find it interesting, I do not believe that science has all of the answers or even the capability of finding all of the answers on its own. The Heroic way seems to lean toward religion—it brings to mind many of the Greek and Roman myths I have read as well as some stories from the Bible. To me, it seems that the Wise Woman way is the most natural and the most likely to use or borrow bits from the Scientific or Heroic if the need exists that such would be of benefit.

What ideas stood out for you?

                The main idea that stood out for me is that we live in a toxic world which I believe has come to pass as we, as a society, have come to embrace the Scientific way. Given my personal beliefs, I think that our origins, our first fathers, had a combination of the Wise Woman and Heroic ways. From there, it is easy to see how we, speaking as a society, could have progressed to where we are today. If I had an exclusive belief in evolution, I think that the progression would have begun with the Wise Woman way and then, as religion became important to people, would have progressed to the Heroic way and from there on to the Scientific way.

How might knowing these different philosophies influence your doula practice?

Knowing these different philosophies might influence my doula practice in what I learn and how I impart to others the knowledge that I have gained. While it seems to me that I most closely align with the Wise Woman philosophy, I can see some value in the others as well. It would be good to at least be familiar with them because some of the women I work with might more easily relate to a different philosophy.

Also, women choose to give birth in different settings. I have given birth in a hospital, in my home, in the clinic of a midwife, and in my van on the way to the clinic. In the van was not by choice but the others were. A woman who chooses to give birth at home may have a completely different philosophy than a woman who chooses to give birth in a hospital. In order to be successful, I need to be aware of these differences and be adaptable without either losing sight of who I am and what I believe or pushing my beliefs on the women with whom I work.

1. The Wise Woman Tradition
The Wise Woman tradition, focusing on integration and nourishment, and insisting on attention to uniqueness and holographic interconnectedness, is another choice: a new way that is also the most ancient healing way known. A way that follows a spiral path, a give-away dance of nourishment, change and self-love. "Trust yourself."

2. The Heroic Tradition
Alternative health care practitioners usually think in the Heroic tradition: the way of the savior, a circular path of rules, punishment, and purification. "Trust me."

3. The Scientific Tradition
AMA-approved, legal, covered-by-insurance health care practitioners are trained to think in the Scientific tradition: walking the knife edge of keen intellect, the straight line of analytical thought, measuring and repeating. Excellent for fixing broken things. "Trust my machine."

(Weed, Susun. "Susun Weed's "Three Traditions and Six Steps of Healing," MatriFocus Web Magazine." Susun Weed's "Three Traditions and Six Steps of Healing," MatriFocus Web Magazine. MatriFocus Web Magazine, 2004. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.)