Once at my acupuncturist's office in Florida, she said, "Suzanna, you're a self healer." This was after something healed after she had "needled" it on the last visit.

I liked hearing that term - and I have adopted it. Especially since I practice East Asian medicine versus Western (i.e., no doctors, no prescriptions, med-free, do acupuncture for any ailment, and turn to Chinese herbs and homeopathic treatments as natural ways to heal).

Snippeteers, let's think about our crazy and complicated human bodies and souls. We heal physically and emotionally from things such as cuts, bruises, colds, pink eye, broken bones, and betrayals.

Think back to some of the things you have healed from over the years. For physical me, it's been:

• broken finger
• two C-sections
• pneumonia and a pleural effusion
• both-feet bunion surgery
• cataract surgery & eye laser surgery
• appendicitis
• detached retina surgery
• Morton Fasciitis in my feet
• stitches in my leg after falling off my bike
• a bulging disc (worse pain than childbirth - OY!!!)
• stitches in my forehead after my big sister Paula "bucked" my 9-year-old self off her back as I was riding her like a horse
• and the LARGEST bruise I've ever inflicted on my body at the brainless age of 22 when I slid down the metal part in between two staircases at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore and hit my left leg on the knob sticking up at the bottom. OUCH ... OMG OUCH! Nitwit. (My friend and I laughed ridiculously because of the numerous beers numbing us, but I sported a yellow-purple-green-black bruise from the top of my thigh to the middle of my shin!

Our bodies truly are miraculous, aren't they? They CAN sometimes self-heal.

We have gall bladders removed, Achilles ruptures, knee & hip replacements, treated for various cancers, earaches, headaches, heartbreaks, skin issues, broken nails, tennis elbows, bronchitis, sore throats, back muscle pulls, coughs, infections, and parenthood aches (no meds are gonna fix those!). And lots of DRAMA and trauma.

Oh - and grief - but I am not sure we ever heal from that.

People take shots, Tylenol, Advil, antibiotics, medicine, cough syrup, do tapping, yoga, and imagery. We may get assistance to help us heal from chiropractors, acupuncturists, doctors, dentists, cardiologists, optometrists, therapists, psychiatrists, friends, and other medical professionals. And as comedian Leanne Morgan often says, sometimes we must "take to the bed!"

Yet ultimately, it is US. It is up to us. It is OUR bodies and OUR souls which do the healing.

So whatever you need healing from ... emotional or physical ... know that it is inside of you to do it. Know that you have the power, you have the strength.

Be a self healer.