I think a lot of us are looking for ways to heal. Whether you're a "sensitive person" or a raucous, SUV-driving thug with an attitude, you're likely to wonder too, at times, like I did how you can emerge at the end of your work day unscathed. Oh, and you'll spend money on it. And, as you go along, you'll spend even more money. Because somehow new consumer goods don't give you as much lasting pleasure as increased peace of mind. A sound mind in a sound body. Resilience.

For instance, I'm reading more and more these days about a recent yoga craze. It might be a hip trend, but if you, like me, are one of these part-time yogis, let me ask you: Don't you just love someone pushing you to be good to yourself? In secret I've called my Iyengar teacher the "yoga drill sargent." Don't get me wrong. She's a marvelous person, a truly inspiring person. Still, she can come off as something of a drill sargent. But this is probably the best part about the experience. And we often need to find someone out there to help us help ourselves get through life.

She's using time-honored methods to get us to master essentials. I think we've probably even been treated to thousand-year-old jokes. They can still get knowing laughs because humans, though we have evolved, still share many common traits with our earlier counterparts. These affinities have folded themselves into the teachings of yoga. Ah yes, many before us have climbed these same steps.

Everyone has traumas to get through and pains to endure or succumb to. We do our best to weather the difficult moments. We do our best to recover from the heebie-jeebies of what is by world standards a rather cushy life here in the Internet-enabled world. But, it seems a blessed thing if we can find access to a steady dose, or source of healing. Or, as I like to think of it, a continuum of healing. After all, doesn't life deal us a continuum of pain?

Though, life is also full of happy milestones and new discoveries. I remember what a thrill it was to make my first trans-Atlantic trip at 15. I guess intuitive medicine^© is a more recent "trip" of mine. I had to wait until my 30s before I got around to this exploring. Throughout my teenage years and on into my 20's in Southern California I was always running into someone who would have me try one or another sort of meditation style or bodywork. Now, in some loose continuation of my yoga, and all that stuff, I find myself here in Northern California, trying to do my "homework" and "think about my chakras" every day. My ultimate goal is still shrouded, but the more I learn about the powers of the intuitive brain, the more I want to know—in that way.

Sometimes people snicker at the whole New Age crowd. The term "new age" has been around awhile. Though some of its ideas are certainly new, the New Age might be kind of like le Pont Neuf, the "new bridge" in Paris. In reality, it's the oldest bridge in the city. Yes, ancient rites can be yours. Ancient as they may be, they'll continue long after Andrew Weil writes his last line on optimal health and Deepak Chopra utters his last inspiring speech on connection.

The things I've been learning and will learn over the next year are both timeless and new. Today, we're a race that favors the scientific explanations behind phenomena like the Northern Lights, disease, depression. Even if we can explain it through science, we can still be enthralled, amazed—and even healed—by the mysterious forces of the earth and our own internal healing powers. We are stronger than we realize sometimes. It's nice to feel connected to those who have contributed to the accumulated knowledge of the healing arts and lived their lives as health angels.

"How do I heal?" All the time. The world is going to bombard you again and again, so healing must be a continuous process. Like brushing your teeth, taking your vitamins, and sleeping, it's key to build it into your life.