Article ~ Interview with James Keeley

Editor: James Keeley is one of two keynote speakers scheduled to appear at the September 29 Conference for Wellness Through Natural Living in Harrisburg. James is originally from Dillsburg and now lives in Virginia. Conference Presenter Committee Co-Chair Sharon Marquart spoke with James about his work for the Fall issue of the Networker.

SM: What is spiritual healing?

James: So many modalities of healing are available to us today. Everything from allopathic medical care to homeopathy, bodywork, psychotherapy, nutrition, and many others are employed to change states of disease and unhappiness to ones of health and balance. If a person is sick, these modalities seek to find out what is causing his or her sickness and what remedy will return him or her to health. While great attention is placed on remedying the symptoms and reasons for peoples‚ suffering, their Experience or what it means for them to be going through these times of pain, are often overlooked.

Not only does someone going through a serious illness or difficult life event have to contend with what is happening, he or she also has to deal with what it feels like to be going through these events and the painful beliefs and conclusions these experiences generate.

Inside of every upsetting situation is what it means to the person going through it. Each of us is unique in our relationship to life, and what upsets one person about being sick or having a difficult time in a relationship may make no sense to another. No matter what we are upset about though, we all have one thing in common. We are upset because we feel as if a situation cuts us off from what we need and we consciously or unconsciously believe these events force us to live in a way that is not fulfilling. For example, a person who is diagnosed with a serious illness may be upset about losing their mobility because they feel helpless, which to them means they are a useless burden on others. Someone going through a hard time in relationship may be upset because they feel let down and decide it means that there is no one they can rely on.

The foundational principle of spiritual healing is that while difficult things do happen to us, none of these things cuts us off from the support of the Divine. Behind every situation we go through is the hand of the Divine giving us what we need to move through it in harmony. There are many times in life, however, when we are not aware of this support. Getting sick, having trouble in our relationships, losing a loved one and other painful events can be devastating and leave us feeling cut off and alone.

Spiritual healing focuses on the areas of our lives where we feel "as if" we are cut off from what we need. I refer to these feelings as issues because they are the ideas and beliefs that issue forth from us when we are faced with challenging circumstances. These unsupportive ideas form the basis of our experience and must be treated before we can truly think, feel and act in a positive way that naturally leads to healing and resolution.

SM: What is spiritual second opinion?

James: Spiritual healing tells us that if what we believe about a painful situation makes us feel unfulfilled, then we are in need of guidance and support. For many people the highest form of guidance and support is to be found with the Divine. Admitting that the beliefs we have about the painful events of our lives are not supportive opens the door for Divine guidance. I refer to this process as getting a spiritual second opinion.

We admit to the pain in our beliefs and open to the Divine, saying, „What I believe this situation means for me hurts and therefore I know I am in need of guidance and support. I don‚t have the answers. All I know is that what I believe about this situation is keeping me from feeling whole.

Instead of putting our attention on these unsupportive ideas anymore, we shift our attention to the highest and most beautiful reality we can conceive of and allow that reality to show us what is truly supportive. At this point we are not trying to come up with the answers but are in a completely receptive state.

I recently worked with a client who had a stroke and the left side of their body was not coming back in the way the doctors said it would. That‚s what was happening on the outside. As a spiritual healer I want to know what upsets him most about it because that is what he is truly up against as an individual. Through conversation I discovered that he was upset because he felt like half a man.

When he had to face this feeling of being only half a man, the unsupportive idea that issued forth from him was that this meant he was just dead wood hanging around waiting for the end. Obviously, this idea of being dead wood hanging around is not a very full place to approach healing from. I am always interested in the correlation between these unconscious ideas that I call „issues‰ and what‚s happening in the body.

He then had to evaluate whether or not the idea that he was dead wood was supportive or not supportive. When he decided for himself that this was not the foundation from which he chose to live his life he could open to the Divine for that spiritual second opinion.

When he opened his heart to the Divine he saw that he had a tremendously rich and beautiful spirit that had been with him since the day he was born. He also was shown that he still had very important work to do and if necessary his spirit would drag his body to the finish line. He had this great sense of vigor and within a few moments he felt strength returning to his body.

SM: So you guide people into reframing their situation, to finding the light within their life regardless of the situation?

James: Not only finding the light in their situation, but filling their hearts with that light. This allows them to feel, think and act from a foundation of wholeness and peace. When we take actions based in peace, this produces peace and healing in our lives. If we take actions based in upsetting issues, we just get more to be upset about. So many people are trying to heal their bodies, lives and relationships from a foundation in which they believe they do not have what they need to be whole and respond in a balanced way.

By caring for the individual who is going through the painful circumstances, and not focusing solely on the outward manifestation of his or her problems, a transformation of their character can take place. In the end, people not only become free from pain but discover that no pain can truly trap them. This insight comes as a result of receiving Divine support.

SM: How do you work with clients?

James: I work with individuals or groups and it's more of a conversation style. I seldom use hands-on-healing. So if I am talking with someone and they tell me they had a stroke, or they have migraines, or they haven‚t been able to get pregnant, or are having trouble in a relationship, I‚m interviewing them to find out what is most upsetting about their situation. People may be going through the same circumstances and be bothered for different reasons. I interview them to find out what it is about their circumstance that is weighing most on their heart.

In spiritual healing we say that adversity introduces us to ourselves. Once I understand what upsets a person about their circumstances, we can discover the unsupportive beliefs and ideas that issue forth when they face these circumstances. Whatever unsupportive ideas come up are the ones that must be transformed before the person can grow into someone who has the internal resources to respond to their painful circumstances in a balanced way and leave their pain behind.

SM: Where were you trained, James?

James: I have studied spiritual healing since 1995 at the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism. I now serve as a faculty member.

SM: What started you into getting into this line of work? Or calling?

James: It is a line of work, a calling and a blessing in my life. I guess what drove me to it was a sense that when I looked around as I was choosing a career, most of the people I knew didn't seem fulfilled. So as I searched, I said, "Do I want to do this? Do I want to do that?" And with each person I looked at, I did not get a sense that they were loving their life and work.

As I searched, I asked myself, "What is it that is really going to fill my heart?" I became a seeker. I began to study herbalism, Native American studies and a natural way of living. One thing led to another and I began to say, " What is it that is going on inside of people?" As the spiritual aspect of life opened to me, I got a sense that there was something very deeply missing. I didn‚t know what it was but I was certainly going to find it.

SM: I can hear that you speak with passion, and life is much more rewarding and you have a real desire to be in this line of work.

James: For me the real reward comes when I find someone who feels like their life is really over or they truly have believed that they are trapped, and in a one-hour session they realize they were never trapped and they have everything they need. They are poised for an incredible level of richness, not when and if they do or change something, but right now. Right now they can take an action that will lead to unity and harmony in their lives. When I see someone realize that they are free and that they‚ve been free and they can shrug off this idea that they weren‚t, and really step into what‚s possible for them, it gives me a thrill and opens my heart in gratitude.

SM: What is your role as spiritual healer?

James: My position is to support those who long for a happy, joyful and successful life. There is a difference between longing for wholeness in our lives and achieving it. And that difference is found in the journey of becoming an individual who has the internal resources to live our heart‚s longing without effort or struggle.

The healing process that I‚ve written about is really the means to move from "longing to be whole" to that of experiencing wholeness. There are obstacles along the way. Spiritual healing is simply a process of moving through those obstacles and getting to who and what we want to be. I see myself as a facilitator of the longings in people's hearts.

SM: Tell me about your book, "Walking With God."

James: The book came out of people attending my workshops and asking me if the information was written down. I would answer that you can get a little here, a little there. My clients and workshop participants encouraged me to write it in a book. I set my intention to write a book that tells readers that whenever anyone calls, God responds. This follows the wisdom from many spiritual traditions that tell us that if we take a step towards the Divine, the Divine runs toward us. This book is about how to take that step and receive the Divine support and guidance that comes running in response. The book offers a step-by-step process for moving from struggle and pain to healing, resolution and fulfillment. In addition I share how to maintain your life so that the sense of being supported in all of your life becomes second nature.

Learning how to take the time to remember our connection to the Divine heals the one core issue we all carry, whether or not we are aware of being loved and supported at our core. When this issue is addressed, we are able to respond in a balanced way to the difficulties of our lives rather than struggling against what is painful. We then experience healing, happiness and fulfillment as the natural results of walking with God.

If you are interested in finding out more about spiritual healing go to www.howtowalkwithGod.com where you can download the first chapter of James's book. Sharon Marquart is a LIFE-Living In Full Expression personal coach.