The Medicine Bag

By Indigo Blue

I’ve borrowed a concept from my Native American ancestors.  It’s called a medicine bag.  The last time a deep, dark , inky, starless indigo blue hit me, I pulled together all things healing from my immediate environment.  I gathered these items—those that were gatherable, in one place.  I ordained this compilation my medicine bag. These were some of its contents:

Music.  Indeed it tames that savage beast depression.  For a while I was tamed by the bittersweet sounds of Sade’s Lovers Rock.  Now, feeling better, I celebrate myself with India.Arie.  The music of Fred Hammond and Radical for Christ is a staple in my medicine bag.

Incense.  It’s hard for a sister to get her healing on when the trash is wafting, reminding me I should have already potty trained the baby.  I take the trash out, then proceed to burn some healing into my olfactory nerves.  I use the good stuff, too.

Hydrotherapy tools.  If all else fails, I take a bath.  Complete with blue bath salts, though I’ve switched to bubble bath, since beginning lithium treatment.  I have a complete hydroptherapy room in my house.  It’s called the bathroom when everyone else uses it. 

Something indigo or blue.  For obvious reasons.  The last time I pulled out my medicine bag, it was an ikat cloth shawl.  Very scrumptious.

That was how my medicine bag looked the last time I used it.  It can and should change however, depending on the mood.  Now that I’ve shown you mine, let’s get started on yours.  This is what you need to get you going.

1. You need to know yourself.  Some of us find this hard, but it’s essential.  How can you find a cure, if you haven’t looked deeply at the wound?
2. What do you find soothing and healing that is available to you.  It can’t help you if you don’t have it.  When you’ve decided on these things, gather them together.
3. Choose items that will help your mood.  If you are hypomanic, you’ll need to mellow out.  If you are depressed, you’ll want to be uplifted.
4. Choose items that will give you a range of sensory experiences.  Often, we get too “brainy”, by this I mean we focus on what’s going on inside our heads.  Honor your body in your search for wellness.
5. Finally, remember that your medicine bag is not only for when you are experiencing some extreme of mood.  Medicine can be preventative, too!  Learn self-care techniques that will make you a more well rounded person.

Now you have what you need to get your medicine bag together.  So go!  Get yourself some healing on.  One thing, though, before you begin, remember your medicine bag is a self-care method.  It is not meant to replace your medication.  The best approach to achieving wellness is a holistic, approach.  Your medicine is one part of the whole.  Your medication is another.  Now, go.  I mean it this time.  Let the healing continue!