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Writer's pictureJacey Alexandra Sloan

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MENTAL & EMOTIONAL LINKS TO YOUR PHYSICAL PAIN


Photo Credit: Kate Moss


Emotions are energy-in-motion, and while emotions are temporary, they often get held in the body without proper release or processing for far too long. Just like food, your body needs to digest experiences and emotions properly. If a thought or emotion is held long enough without proper processing, it will inevitably create a blockage in the body and manifest into physical form.


According to Louise Hay, only two mental patterns contribute to dis-ease: fear and anger. Anger can show up as impatience, irritation, frustration, criticism, resentment, jealousy, or bitterness. While fear can show up as anxiety, tension, nervousness, worry, doubt, insecurity, not feeling good enough, or unworthiness. In You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay says that faith and love are the cures for fear.


It's important to remember emotions are energy, and energy can be transmuted by shifting thoughts into a higher vibration. When a new thought is held as a belief long enough, the energy will begin to shift, alleviating the symptoms and dis-ease.


Below is an essential guide and some common examples of physical symptoms, the mental pattern that may be at the root of them, and new thoughts to help shift the energy, taken from Louise Hay's book. You can purchase Louise Hay's book below to access the complete A-Z encyclopedia of symptoms here.


Aches


Probable Cause: Longing for love. Longing to be held.


New Thought Pattern: I love and approve of myself. I am loving and lovable.


Acne


Probable Cause: Not accepting the self. Dislike of the self.


New Thought Pattern: I am a Divine expression of life. I love and accept myself where I am right now.


Addictions


Probable Cause: Running from the self. Fear. Not knowing how to love the self.


New Thought Pattern: I now discover how wonderful I am. I choose to love and enjoy myself.


Adrenal Problems

See Also: Addison’s Dis-ease, Cushing’s Dis-ease


Probable Cause: Defeatism. No longer caring for the self. Anxiety.


New Thought Pattern: I love and approve of myself. It is safe for me to care for myself.


Anxiety


Probable Cause: Not trusting the flow and process of life.


New Thought Pattern: I love and approve of myself, and I trust the process of life. I am safe.


Arm(s)


Probable Cause: Represents the capacity and ability to hold the experiences of life.


New Thought Pattern: I lovingly hold and embrace my experiences with ease and with joy.


Back


Probable Cause: Represents the support of life.


New Thought Pattern: I know that life always supports me.


Back Problems


Lower: Fear of money. Lack of financial support.


New Thought Pattern: I trust the process of life. All I need is always taken care of. I am safe.


Middle: Guilt. Stuck in all the stuff back there. “ Get off my back.”


New Thought Pattern: I release the past. I am free to move forward with love in my heart.


Upper: Lack of emotional support. Feeling unloved. Holding back love.


New Thought Pattern: I love and approve of myself. Life supports and loves me.


Bowels


Probable Cause: Represents the release of waste.


New Thought Pattern: Letting go is easy.


Bowel Problems


Probable Cause: Fear of letting go of the old and no longer needed.


New Thought Pattern: I freely and easily release the old and joyously welcome the new.


Cancer


Probable Cause: Deep hurt. Longstanding resentment. Deep secret of grief eating away at the self. Carrying hatreds. “What’s the use?”


New Thought Pattern: I lovingly forgive and release all of the past. I choose to fill my world with joy. I love and approve of myself.


Cold Sores


Probable Cause: Festering angry words and fear of expressing them.


New Thought Pattern: I only create peaceful experiences because I love myself. All is well.


Colds


Probable Cause: Too much going on at once. Mental confusion, disorder. Small hurts. “I get three colds every winter,” type of belief.


New Thought Pattern: I allow my mind to relax and be at peace. Clarity and harmony are within me and all around me. All is well.


Constipation


Probable Cause: Refusing to release old ideas. Stuck in the past. Sometimes stinginess.


New Thought Pattern: As I release the past, the new and fresh, and vital enter. I allow life to flow through me.


Ears


Probable Cause: Represents the capacity to hear.


New Thought Pattern: I hear with love.


Earache


Probable Cause: Anger. Not wanting to hear. Too much turmoil. Parents arguing.


New Thought Pattern: Harmony surrounds me. I listen with love to the pleasant and the good. I am a center for love.


Elbow

See also: Joints


Probable Cause: Represents changing directions and accepting new experiences.


New Thought Patterns: I easily flow with new experiences, directions, and changes.


Epstein-Barr Virus


Probable Cause: Pushing beyond one’s limits. Fear of not being good enough. Draining all inner support. Stress virus.


New Thought Pattern: I relax and recognize my self-worth. I am good enough. Life is easy and joyful.


Fatigue


Probable Cause: Resistance, boredom. Lack of love for what one does.


New Thought Pattern: I am enthusiastic about life and filled with energy and enthusiasm.


Gas Pains


Probable Cause: Gripping. Fear. Undigested ideas.


New Thought Pattern: I relax and let life flow through me with ease.


Hyperthyroidism

See also: Thyroid


Probable Cause: Rage at being left out.


New Thought Pattern: I am at the center of life, and I approve of myself and all that I see.


Hypothyroidism

See also: Thyroid


Probable Cause: Giving up. Feeling hopelessly stifled.


New Thought Pattern: I create a life with new rules that totally support me.


Impotence


Probable Cause: Sexual pressure, tension, guilt. Social beliefs. Spite against a previous mate. Fear of mother.


New Thought Pattern: I now allow the full power of my sexual principle to operate with ease and joy.


Insomnia


Probable Cause: Fear. Not trusting the process of life. Guilt.


New Thought Pattern: I lovingly release the day and slip into peaceful sleep, knowing tomorrow will take care of itself.


Liver


Probable Cause: Seat of anger and primitive emotions.


New Thought Pattern: Love and peace and joy are what I know.


Menstrual Problems


Probable Cause: Rejection of one’s femininity. Guilt, fear. Belief that the genitals are sinful or dirty.


New Thought Pattern: I accept my full power as a woman and accept all my bodily processes as normal and natural. I love and approve of myself.


Migraine Headaches


Probable Cause: Dislike of being driven. Resisting the flow of life. Sexual fears.


New Thought Pattern: I relax into the flow of life and let life provide all that I need easily and comfortable. Life is for me.


Neck Problems


Probable Cause: Refusing to see other sides of a question. Stubbornness, inflexibility.


New Thought Pattern: It is with flexibility and ease that I see all sides of an issue. There are endless ways of doing things and seeing things. I am safe.


Parasites


Probable Cause: Giving power to others, letting them take over.


New Thought Pattern: I lovingly take back my power and eliminate all interference.


Seizures


Probable Cause: Running away from the family, from the self, or from life.


New Thought Pattern: I am at home in the Universe. I am safe and secure and understood.


Sinus Problems


Probable Cause: Irritation to one person, someone close.


New Thought Patterns: I declare peace and harmony indwell and surround me at all times. All is well.


Sore Throat


Probable Cause: Holding in angry words. Feeling unable to express the self.


New Thought Pattern: I release all restrictions, and I am free to be me.


Stomach


Probable Cause: Holds nourishment. Digests ideas.


New Thought Pattern: I digest life with ease.


Sty


See also: Eye Problems


Probable Cause: Looking at life through angry eyes. Angry at someone.

New Thought Pattern: I choose to see everyone and everything with joy and love.


Ulcers


Probable Cause: Nursing old hurts and shocks. Building remorse.


New Thought Pattern: I love and approve of myself. I am at peace. I am calm. All is well.


Yeast Infections


Probable Cause: Denying your own needs. Not supporting yourself


New Thought Pattern: I now choose to support myself in loving, joyous ways.


This is by no means an exhaustive list, Louise Hay's encyclopedia addresses many more symptoms and probable causes, and while the last major revision of the list was completed in 1988, Louise Hay stated that she sees no reason to add any more patterns and advises people to become their own investigator and healer. She recommends asking yourself: Is it one of the forms of fear, or is it one of the forms of anger? Are you willing to release those thoughts? Are you ready to replace those thoughts with positive affirmations? Loving yourself will also contribute greatly to healing your body, for love heals, and one of the biggest things I have learned throughout the years is that self-love is at the root of all healing.


I have referenced Louise's book regularly for over ten years for myself, family and friends, and I find I am always learning something new. I highly recommend adding this book to your self-healing library.



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