by Amanda Woodmansey, Melbourne, Australia
I can remember feeling unwell all of my life, and when I was old enough, searching for answers to my physical and mental anguish. I had followed a religion as faithfully as I could, believing at the time that it was my shortcomings that were the cause of my woes, and not the impossible quest to be good within an extremely misogynous organisation.
I did everything; joined charity groups, practised yoga, married, had kids, built a house, worked, made peace between family members, kept quiet, went to the doctors, was part of a wide community, was very exhausted and extremely depressed. My doctor prescribed anti-depressants and visits to a psychologist, and I worked on all sorts of strategies suggested by them. When I was 28, I discovered the amazing lightness of not eating dairy or gluten and many of my ills went away, but not the depression or exhaustion. I gave up searching for answers for wellness, and discovered that alcohol made everything feel fine. My friends had all found the same path to happiness and everything went along nicely at socially acceptable levels. I had no obvious terrible traumas. My husband and family were lovely. My childhood had been happy.
The women around me practised the impossible notion of being all things to all people and I joined them. In fact, I had been trained to join them all my life.
In 2002 my family moved to Byron Bay and had a lovely time. I went back on anti-depressants, and when I wasn’t on those I was drinking alcohol. I had a market stall and studied Visual Arts at university. I was the best managed version of myself.
In 2005 I was introduced to Serge Benhayon. All of the things he said made sense, and so much had already been my experience. I had just never trusted that my own experience and my own body were messages for me. In a way I was annoyed to hear someone who made it clear that personal responsibility was the key to good health. I had been counting on genetics after measuring the odds and looking at relatives who had lived recklessly and had appeared to get away with it.
Serge speaks of harmony in the body. He speaks of having found the way to live in a true livingness that belongs to all of us and is found within all of us. He speaks of personal responsibility and of loving ourselves. He speaks of the joy that is possible and constant if we let it into our lives. He teaches that all is energy and so, all is because of energy. Serge also lives exactly what he teaches and so do his family, and he is inspirational in his way of life.
After years of the absence of love in the way I treated myself, the full realisation of where I had led myself was obvious and hard to take. It would be a great fantasy to think that someone else could take it all away, but that is not the case, and Serge has explained that quite clearly. I realised how much I needed to change my life and how far my ‘idea of well’ had strayed from true wellness.
In 2007 I discovered I had thyroid cancer with some complications which recurred in 2008. I was able to clearly see the path that led to that, and I was also able to take an active role in my own healing. I was operated on several times and underwent radiation treatment twice. At no stage was it ever suggested by Serge or the team at Universal Medicine that I should not do as medical science suggested in the treatment of this disease. Serge and the practitioners at Universal Medicine were extremely supportive throughout that time and beyond, and I chose to have healing sessions with them to support my healing at the same time as following the course of action prescribed by the medical specialists. It also certainly improved my prospects to have been living a much healthier, alcohol and drug free life for the two years before this event.
Not at any stage in the courses and talks or in private sessions, have I heard the claim that Serge or Universal Medicine offers a cure for cancer and I did not expect one. What I found was the support to change my life in all the loving ways needed, with the support of people who had themselves changed their lives, to live with the greatest integrity.
It was also fortunate that my partner of 32 years was in tune with the truth of the way of living that we had found through the inspiration of Serge and his family. Our relationship was so enriched by the true love, joy and playfulness we found in ourselves.
We are all free to choose our own way of life and sometimes this causes upheavals. The important thing is to make a choice.
It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones. Perhaps there is less challenge to the way we are living when we see lousy choices in those around us.
Serge Benhayon has shown us that joy and love are possible without compromise. He’s shown us that these things are possible within a busy working and family life. We can choose to live the way we are naturally made to live in this modern world, and when we choose love it gives those around us the opportunity to see that perhaps there is another way.
Recently my partner and I moved back to Melbourne to be closer to our families. If we were part of a cult, this would not be possible. We still live with the joy we have within us. We live as part of the world and not separate from it. There is no perfection and we face challenges every day, but the difference is that we deal with stuff as it happens and we don’t numb ourselves or check out.
I am far more gentle with myself and don’t beat myself with recriminations. I do not suffer depression ever, and am sometimes tired but never exhausted. There is a joy in my life and a willingness to allow others to choose their own way.
I am very grateful to Serge Benhayon for inspiring me to trust my own feelings and for encouraging my voice to be heard.
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
We were discussing this at a Well-being for Women event today that is what is Well-being or you could say true wellness. What I felt was this is in how I know the essence of who I am yet I do not live this I skirt around the parameters on the outside occasionally checking in or looking over/feeling to see my essence is still there. So true well-being or wellness for me is nothing about what we do but about truly connecting or re-connecting to who we are and living from here with zero holding back which is what Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine live every moment. Great to hear how much you were supported when you needed it.
The turnaround in your life is so very inspirational and an example of a true lived experience that the medical profession ought to be studying in great depth. You have not done anything way out, or hard to understand, you have simply chosen to take deeper care of yourself than you used to; there is nothing strange about that in the least although many seem to think it so. “The path to true wellness” undeniably begins when we make the choice to treat ourselves with love.
“We are all free to choose our own way of life and sometimes this causes upheavals. The important thing is to make a choice” – I agree, and what seems to often happen is we forget that we are making choices at every moment. Being aware of the fact that we are making choices every moment our breath naturally calls for more responsibility in our part and that awareness we fight against. It’s like we would rather think we are powerless as to make any real change than embracing the full spectrum of power/responsibility that is ours to claim.
I love this Amanda; ‘I was the best managed version of myself’ and we need to be very much in control and full of ideals and believes to live this version.
Love this blog, Amanda! Such awesome, awesome honesty. These two statements deliver a kick up the pants to us all:
‘I was the best managed version of myself.’
‘…I was annoyed to hear someone who made it clear that personal responsibility was the key to good health. I had been counting on genetics after measuring the odds and looking at relatives who had lived recklessly and had appeared to get away with it.’
Both say it all in terms of how we approach life: if I function I’m OK, and I’ll get away with it for as long as I possibly can – and that could be for lifetimes.
Thank goodness for Serge Benhayon, master slackness-buster!
There are two energies in the world. Whichever energy we align to determine how well we will take care of ourselves. Divine energy will lead us to love ourselves and care for ourselves; the opposite energy will lead us to abuse ourselves. It is all in what we align to.
‘I had followed a religion as faithfully as I could, believing at the time that it was my shortcomings that were the cause of my woes, and not the impossible quest to be good within an extremely misogynous organisation.’ Amazing isn’t it that we leave our own love behind and try to be good because we are led to believe we are not enough. The moment we choose to let this go our life starts to change and every day life with loving ourselves as a foundation starts to be our medicine to all our woes.
Amazing going from continuously suffering with depression to not at all. Today as part of a webcast we were discussing health and how being ‘healthy’ has changed over the years and what this meant at different stages of our lives. I would say that the majority in the world (or maybe not even the majority!) are this ‘I was the best managed version of myself.’ .. the best managed version of ourselves .. which is not true health at all. Also I agree how crazy is it that ‘it is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones.’ Why object to people living healthy and not objecting to all the disregard and abuse that go on!
This article shows me that no matter what you do or where you are if you don’t truly deal with things then they will follow you or keep cycling back around to you so you can truly deal with them. It doesn’t matter what you choose in life or how you choose it, it all flows back to you in some way so you can choose for it to support you or you can choose for it to not. At times it maybe difficult to look at some things or to take a deeper look at others but as we are realising these things aren’t new or fresh but have been there for a long time. I am a lot of people speak of the fact that they knew something was up all along and with the true support of Universal Medicine they were able to finally nail what they had already seen and deal with it. This was my experience as well, I had a sense and at times more of glimpse that things were right but didn’t know how to go any further with it. At times we all need support to break through a feeling we are having and Universal Medicine is there for that support.
I agree Amanda, there is more objections from people around us when we start to make healthier choices in life as the reflection of responsibility is too much for some to deal with so it is easier to resist and attack, However, living with this knowingness we can meet any of these challenges without giving up reflecting the truth from our hearts.
I too find that ‘It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones.’ At least this has been the case from friends and family. It is like if a I am somehow struggling with life that because that is ‘normal’ then that’s ok yet as soon as I do really well then suddenly something must be up and any weakness or flaw is almost honed in on with the bigger picture of how great I am doing being ignored. It is crazy really.
Thanks Amanda, I can understand your realisation of where your choices had led you, this has also been hard for me to face at times but the flip side is the empowerment that comes from taking full responsibility for myself.
‘It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones.’ This is so true Amanda, no one is objecting to drunkenness and the horrible consequences of that lifestyle choice, however people get very rattled when you say you don’t drink and will try and persuade you to just have one. Its all back to front.
‘I had just never trusted that my own experience and my own body were messages for me’ – this is so relatable. We are the expert, the authority of our own life and our body, the very thing we have been having a direct experience of since the moment we are born, yet somehow, we allow leeway for doubt, ignoring, disbelieving, overriding what is so obviously being communicated loud and clear.
Depression is born of a contraction within us when we make the choice to withhold the expression of the great love that we are. Medication can assist but what truly restores life back into an exhausted and depleted body is the willingness to commit to our life and our love.
Reading from where you came to where you are now is incredible and commonly unheard of. Many people who suffer depression and exhaustion have this for the whole of their life but you changed this around with the support of Universal Medicine and the way of living they presented – truly amazing.
“The women around me practised the impossible notion of being all things to all people and I joined them. In fact, I had been trained to join them all my life.” I could really relate to this, I too had women all around me growing up, not just women in my immediate family, who all championed working hard, having it all, career, family, perfect house, clean, tidy and go on holidays 3 times a year. If you had all of that, then you were ‘happy’. It wasn’t about connection, support or feelings. This left an incredible hole and always left me feeling like there was something wrong with me. That is no longer the case, I understand that we are always whole and that we have everything inside that we need – always, but I didn’t feel that when growing up.
Thank you Amanda, people need to see this in the world, ‘ when we choose love it gives those around us the opportunity to see that perhaps there is another way.’
This made me smile as I recognised this old pattern, how common and harmful it is, ‘The women around me practised the impossible notion of being all things to all people and I joined them.’ Great to call it out.
“It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones.” Choosing to be self-loving appears to be the true rebel in this society, how ironic is weird?
“Serge also lives exactly what he teaches and so do his family, and he is inspirational in his way of life.” Serge Benhayon offers the inspiration of a way of livingness that brings us back to the true love of who we naturally are.
‘It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones. ‘ Very true Amanda, it’s crazy how making unloving choices has become ‘normal’ in society and when we begin to make loving choices people feel exposed in their unloving ways even when you are not judging them in anyway – what a powerful reflection to offer others.
“We are all free to choose our own way of life and sometimes this causes upheavals. The important thing is to make a choice.” Only when we start to listen to our inner voice and then go forth accordingly can we find out what truth is for us and deepen it with every step more.
I also found it quite humbling to realise the lack of love in the way I had lived and treated myself. Possibly the hardest part of all to swallow is the ideals, ‘shoulds’ and beliefs we have bought into, to make up for the lack of love. In no way do these crumbs make up for having real love and care for yourself, as they always keep you wanting, and needing to do more.
I don’t think there is any coincidence that you considered your shortcomings to be the cause of your woes. I don’t think any major religion puts its hand up and admits that it instils in us a feeling of not being good enough, being a sinner, guilt or failure. Wouldn’t it be liberating to realise that the religions themselves are flawed and in following their doctrines there is no way you can succeed. It is only through the body connection to the soul that we can know God and this has been hidden from us for too long.
Yes, the major religions have a lot to answer for.
You ask such a great question here Richard and as one who has also given up drinking alcohol I have also asked the question many times. Why is it that when you stop so many of those around you cannot handle it, and often do anything they can to get you to have a drink – just one? Initially I got quite cross with this reaction but eventually I came to understand that me not drinking was simply reflecting back to them that perhaps this was something that they needed to do too, but the thought of going there was just way too hard; that I totally understood and once I did being around those drinking alcohol was way easier and I felt no judgement at all.
Like you Amanda, when I came to realise that where I was in my life was a result of all the choices I had ever made, “the full realisation of where I had led myself was obvious and hard to take”. But although it was hard to accept in the beginning there was a part of me that I began to connect to that did not want me to beat myself up, but simply take hold, with both hands, the amazing opportunity I was being presented to change my live, and change it did. The day I met Serge Benhayon was undeniably the day I finally stepped, with every part of me, onto the path to “true wellness”.
“The important thing is to make a choice.” Wise words. It’s important to define that there is a choice. If we are not choosing what health, wellbeing and vitality we want in our life we automatically choosing a lesser version of health.
I agree, it is important we decide what we want out of life and then put that at the forefront in our lives. We are essentially always choosing to live a life based on love or not love and then the rest follows and plays out.
“I had just never trusted that my own experience and my own body were messages for me.” This is big. We lead a life not trusting ourselves.. but what are we choosing to listen to and trust? If we listen to our mind’s thoughts I find as you clearly pointed out Amanda all looks to be fine and dandy when in fact and in body there is another message.
You might of read about this in the Bible, or book, or maybe someone has said so however, if we truly listen we will hear what our body tells – the truth.
Agree Richard, it is not about the facts but rather main stream thinking not wanting to be disturbed.
We can choose to look at those around us and at even ourselves who are living ‘recklessly’ and in disregard of their body and think that we are all appearing to get away with it. But in our hearts do we really feel this is true?
Being able to trace the path of condition is of great help to be able to truly grasp why do you have what you have and what is to be done and to renounce in order to heal.
You bring up something that is a bit of a blush moment for humanity and that is that we tend to not be very reflective of the way we live our lives and then when we get an illness or disease we do not really connect the two. Sometimes there is almost an outrage when it is suggested that we are the cause of the illnesses and diseases that appear in our bodies. I’m not sure why there is such a resistance here, maybe it’s us not being willing to be responsible for the way we live and maybe we are a bit ashamed that we are not living as fully as we could hence the need for the body to give us a reminder that it’s not being used to its full potential. Either way looking away will not make the ill go away.
Thank you Amanda for sharing your story, I love this line “I am far more gentle with myself and don’t beat myself with recriminations. ” this is such a common practise the self bashing, I have often gone into my head to berrate myself for not getting it right, it is beautiful to come to understand that mistakes are there for our learning, and then we can accept what has been shown with gentleness and love for we are not perfect beings.
Amanda, I love the way you have written this, you have shared such a positive yet simple message, that we are in control of our own lives and health and it isn’t random – even when we think we might be getting away with things ultimately our bodies tell the story. In regards to Serge Benhayon, he shares a simple message but one that gets ignored in favour of a juicy headline on reincarnation or curing cancer. It is a wonder why the simple message that we can change our health outcomes by listening to our bodies and living with respect for ourselves and all those we are in relationship with (everyone) is so hard for so many to hear. Is it the responsibility of knowing we are creating everything we experience that is hardest to bear.
It certainly is a loving choice Amanda and I am inspired by you and the loving choices you make. I love the truth of what you have expressed here;
“We can choose to live the way we are naturally made to live in this modern world, and when we choose love it gives those around us the opportunity to see that perhaps there is another way.”
It continues to amaze me that often when you make the loving decision to begin to look after yourself, removing food and substances from your diet that are harmful to your body, going to bed earlier, etc that the reaction from those around you is very negative and critical. As you say Amanda, perhaps it is because in seeing you making these self loving choices they may have to look at the choices that they are making and realise it is time to make a few different choices of their own, and that’s not a choice they are ready to make.
Thankyou Amanda for sharing your story. I loved this line “Serge Benhayon has shown us that joy and love are possible without compromise.” This is so very true and something that inspires me everyday, as does the reflection of Natalie Benhayon and how she lives as a woman in this world, without any compromise of herself.
If as children we were encouraged to make self loving choices I am sure that the health of the world would be in a much more robust state than it is at present, there would be no long hospital waiting lists and the medical system would not be currently overwhelmed by the developing tsunami of diabetes cases. And to think this could all come from the choice to teach children to take responsibility for their precious bodies.
‘It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones’. I agree with this. No one ever questioned my dietary choices when I was eating…overeating…all the popular, fatty, sugary, processed foods and drinking alcohol regularly. But when I started to change I got quizzed about it. ‘Why don’t you drink?’ was a common theme as if not drinking is a reason for being suspicious of someone. ‘Why do you drink?’ I’d like to ask them – but at present, it is normal to do so and hence this seems to make it acceptable and ok. I feel very much more ‘alive’ and present in life having chosen not to drink alcohol, and drop other things from my diet that didn’t feel good to my body. My body was, and is, a great marker of what truly serves us in terms of our diet for it always gives us honest feedback…like hangovers.
As I read this blog I could feel the simplicity of the truth that comes from within us – when we choose to look for it there. I had experiences of depression too, then I got on with the desperate search for a solution and I did seem to feel better when I was working towards that solution. But nothing allowed me to feel the fullness of the truth that we already have and are within that I have experienced through the teachings and presentations of Serge Benhayon. Through his own connection to the Love that he is and lives, others are offered the opportunity to choose to reconnect to the love they are and the fullness of their true beingness. It is incredibly simple and a very beautiful way to be.
I love what you have shared Amanda – our only true path is led by the love inside us – every loving choice a step closer to revealing the depth of us. It is our responsibility to know this depth, to know that there is so much more to us than we could ever have imagined. Healing yourself of cancer is massive and it’s really beautiful to read how you achieved that.
What a difference it makes when we gently take responsibility for every aspect of our lives. The most challenging thing in doing this is that it goes against the grain of the set up in place, whereby illness isn’t seen to be anything more than bad luck and genetics. Yet we normalise behaviours that make illness almost inevitable. It is remarkable as Amanda states how much can be changed just through the removal of dairy and gluten from the diet. It is such a great starting point for addressing ill health and allows for a platform to build true wellness if the willingness is there to deeply look at how we live.
‘It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones. Perhaps there is less challenge to the way we are living when we see lousy choices in those around us.’ Beautifully put and completely exposing the lack of personal responsibility for our own choices that lies beneath many an objection, where the objection itself is only made to avoid the truth of the reflection on offer.
When we take an honest and active role in our own healing process just as you did Amanda and embrace the wisdom of both conventional medicine and true complementary medicine we become far more open to why we became ill in the first place and this understanding allows the pathway to true healing and true wellbeing.
I can relate to what you have written Amanda and your expression is much appreciated, The Ageless Wisdom really does work as many of us have displayed
‘There is a joy in my life and a willingness to allow others to choose their own way.’ Amanda, the surrender and acceptance you are living with stands out through these words. It is not always easy to allow another their choices yet it is one of the most beautiful and harmonious ways we could be in our relationships and offers a holding of another in love.
Agreed Linda – this was the biggest thing for me to discover – not only that I ‘had’ a choice but that I was responsible for my choices (& not a victim as I had made myself out to be) – what a game (or should I say ‘life’ !) changer!
There is definitely a game playing out when we choose to be the victim leaving us in a rut and “thinking’ this is the only way to be. Discovering that we are the game changes and leaders brings out a whole new perspective about life and how we choose to live it.
Beautiful quote “I realised how much I needed to change my life and how far my ‘idea of well’ had strayed from true wellness.” So true. What is true health? – society has a version of wellness that is a shadow of our true potential.
Relying on alcohol for simulation, numbing and to fit in with society is accepted by many as ‘normal’. I used to drink frequently and many of my friends did around me “I gave up searching for answers for wellness, and discovered that alcohol made everything feel fine.” We all condoned it and made it ‘normal’ there where moments in my life when I did have a ‘personal’ thought that perhaps this wasn’t quite right but I continued for over 10 years of my adult life, drinking ‘socially’ and working, as many do. The monotonous of it began to impact on me, I kept feeling there was more to life, and I can safely say there is…I have changed many of my behaviours and patterns that many ‘think’ are ‘normal’ to a new ‘normal, one that supports my body. Alcohol has been let go of and I no longer feel the need to make excuses for myself socially, this is how strong this issue is embedded in our society, for more than 5 years after deciding not to drink the opinions about why I did not and how it was strange, impacted on me. My choice of course, but it really indicates the pressure that many face when beginning to make choices to self-care.
“I kept feeling there was more to life, and I can safely say there is…”, I love how you say that with your authority, Samantha! It really resonates.
Taking true responsibility for our own wellness “We can choose to live the way we are naturally made to live in this modern world, and when we choose love it gives those around us the opportunity to see that perhaps there is another way.” Amanda this is so true, when we are connected to ourselves and live from that inner knowing it is a joy to be living, and a great reflection for others to see that there is a different way to live.
Yep it’s crazy to think that there are so many objections to living responsibly and present to living recklessly, I tried the latter for ages and no one would say a word, change that and it’s like adding fuel to the fire …
Very true that there’s a bafflingly disproportionate level of brouhaha about a way of living that is more gentle, simple and life-enhancing than there is about the modern day plagues befalling humanity today of our own making – obesity, diabetes, cancers, heart disease to name but four. Seriously, are we so arrogant that we’ll pooh-pooh something that clearly works with the body – and in full support of any conventional medicine too – in favour of truly confronting our own irresponsibility for the relationship we’ve been running with our bodies?
“He’s shown us that these things are possible within a busy working and family life. We can choose to live the way we are naturally made to live in this modern world, and when we choose love it gives those around us the opportunity to see that perhaps there is another way.” So true Amanda. Serge Benhayon is an inspiration to all of us to live with love and it is our responsibility and pleasure to share this way of living as an inspiration to others.
Thank you for sharing Amanda
” What I found was the support to change my life in all the loving ways needed, with the support of people who had themselves changed their lives, to live with the greatest integrity.” I too have found this in Universal Medicine – the support of true family, as have many of us – finding our way back to true wellness through our loving choices.
This is lovely sueq2012, ‘the support of true family’ I have felt this in my experience of Universal Medicine, the presentations and the student body that has grown around it. It has and is inspirational to observe those choosing to express with love in their lives.
“What I found was the support to change my life in all the loving ways needed, with the support of people who had themselves changed their lives, to live with the greatest integrity.” This is exactly what Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine present to us. Responsibility for our own choices ultimately supports us in a true healing and opens our awareness to a deeper level of self; the innate love and joy within.
It IS most definitely trusting our feelings, that leads us to a truer way of life. I love what you’ve shared about the support you’ve received from Universal Medicine during illness. The practitioners and Serge Benhayon NEVER judge, tell one what to do or condemn you for getting sick. Yes we need to take responsibility for our choices and the part we have had in any illness, but all along if we chose to ask for support from Universal Medicine, we receive it in spades and with a strong dose of Truth and Love.
The fact that no judgment is expressed by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine practitioners is gold, it is so supportive to feel it. It allows space for us to know that we are not our issues and dramas and that underneath them remains something unbroken, full of light and love, our soul. This has been my experience.
Amanda, your experiences here are something we can all relate to I am sure. Taking responsibility and that is true responsibility for our actions is not always easy the face of all the times we have so clearly chosen to not make those same choices. It is my own experience and clearly yours as well that choosing to heal and take these steps of truth and love are well worth every moment even if at first it may seem a bit challenging.
Amanda, It is truly amazing how our life changes when we commit to love, and allow that love to be part of every choice we make.
To look at ones choices, to accept that we are not perfect and will make mistakes, choosing to be gentle not condemning when we do make mistakes and addressing situations and feelings that are disturbing are all very real and tangible choices that lead to a vitality and form of true wellness. It may sound all too much but there are hundreds (and growing) cases of where from one man showing that it can be done the student body has also been able to do and expand and grow upon. Each an example that shows that regardless of our previous choices and relationship and connection with the love that we are, with others, the ‘self’ we create, the world, the universe (basically everything) we can always choose to go back and re-choose in and from that love that we are.
I love that we can go back and re-choose when we make a mistake, without beating ourselves up about ‘being wrong’
Absolutely Leigh Matson, “we can always choose to go back and re-choose in and from that love that we are.” I agree it is inspirational to observe and so know that it can also be true for ourselves, we can choose love, no more hanging on to problems, issues and identities, there is a freedom in making choices, and in any moment we can choose love. Serge Benhayon has been sharing his path of return and now many others are also walking their path of return, to their true essence and divinity.
When we have lived a disregarding way of treating our bodies, it is difficult in the beginning to start to take responsibility for ourselves and look at and feel how we have been living, but boy oh boy is it worth it, and the vitality and vital health that come from making those choices.
Thank you for sharing your very inspirational story Amanda, what a remarkable complete change you have made to your life, all through the choice to choose you, and personal responsibility.
I have read a number of blogs like yours Amanda and can see that clearly there is a common thread that indicates that the way we are living, leads to exhaustion and depression. With the many people in our world suffering from depression, this awareness is so important.
I have now read many stories like yours, where long term depression becomes a thing of the past. It is great to read that there is no magic pill, no amazing claims or guru, just inspiration to lead a loving and truly healthy life. It doesn’t make sense that living this simple gentle way ruffles feathers when there is so much craziness in the world that barely causing eyebrows to be raised. But I find a lot in life is the opposite of sense.
Thank you Amanda. It’s very inspiring to feel how solid you are, and it was very timely to be reminded of the importance of making conscious choices.
Thank you Amanda for sharing your story ‘The path to true wellness.’ Your journey from ill health to wellness is truly inspiring.
What an incredible journey and transformation Amanda, nothing short of miraculous. Meeting Serge Benhayon, as for so many, was not only the turning point in my life but the biggest blessing one could ever receive.
Your previous way of living captures how most live, a life of function and just holding it together, while on the outside appearing to have it all sorted, but underneath feeling the angst and tension of not living a life of truth. It was beautiful to read how you changed your life around through the support of Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon.
Self care is the cornerstone of healing. We heal ourselves and it is very simple and easy, but we are good at making thing complex. We often give our power away to someone else to heal us, but that is old school. Now it’s up to us, we are responsible and it’s time to love and nurture ourselves.
Deep down people know that drinking alcohol does not solve the problem, but as a society we just don’t know how to get out of the hole we have dug.
I agree Matthew, when I used to drink I would often say to my friends, we are only here in this bar at this hour because of the belly full of alcohol and drugs. I definitely knew deep down that I wasn’t having so called ‘fun’, merely numbing and burying the fact that I was deeply miserable.
A way of living in harmony and joy within ourselves, with others and in life without compromise is what Serge Benhayon presents. Thank you for summing up the work of Universal Medicine Amanda. Before coming across these teachings I lived in constant blame or excuse of everything for everything in my life. Even the ‘good’ moments felt fake and would keep me in the trying and ‘not good enough’ way of being. But now with the understanding that we are all masters of our own lives I need not live in depression or blame because I am the only one keeping myself in that. Moments of emotions or extreme reactions that would last weeks now may only last 30 minutes because I am choosing to not hold myself in that any longer. The awareness of the quality of my choices has been one of the most life changing keys I have learnt and am still developing with the ever present support of Universal Medicine.
Thank you Amanda for sharing your story. When we find a way that supports us to return to who we truly are it is such a blessing, even when those around us do not always accept the changes. The important thing is to remain true to ourselves and to maintain self respect and this way others can choose to eventually begin to see our light and in my experience the love in the relationship has deepened.
Wow Amanda, the journey you’ve been through and shared with us is incredible. Your choice to attend Universal Medicine has clearly supported you and your family in such an amazing and loving way.
To rediscover the joy we carry within is truly a blessing.
I agree Amanda, people seem to have more of an issue with it when we start to live healthily and start to lovingly support our selves than if we trash ourselves with alcohol, drugs or food. They don’t feel that this is unnatural, but when I changed my diet, exercise regime and sleep rhythm – because I discovered it makes me feel better – they started to worry about me.
What a beautiful and inspiring sharing Amanda of your path to true wellness. I know with the love and support offered by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I have been able to make choices which have transformed my life in amazing ways as well.
I was the best managed version of myself. – this line jumped out at me I feel like that is all that most people aim for these days. When I met Serge I was presented with the energetic truth that there is so much more.
I can relate to being raised in the illusion that I had to be a ‘good’ person, leading a ‘good’ life, self sacrificing for others. Yet, the very notion of being a ‘good’ person places unrealistic expectations on people and straight away assumes that the person is somehow flawed to begin with. It has been both a challenge and a relief to understand through Universal Medicine presentations that that the starting point for living life, i.e. with true health and well being, stems from a basis of non critical self love. As we develop this, the impact on everyone and everything around us is awesome!
It is powerful that you say Serge has ‘shown’ you a way to live and not ‘taught’ or ‘preached’ a way to live. This really does show how truly inspirational a living example of a way of life can be.
‘It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when makes all the worst ones.’ This is true Amanda there is a lot of acceptance of ill behaviours in the world and much less acceptance of choosing true vitality. Your blog shows it is possible to live a vital life its all a question of choice.
Another amazing story Amanda of how the Way of the Livingness completely changes our lives for the better. Old friends I bump into have been astonished at the change in me, some make fun of me, some seem to want to pity me thinking my life must be boring now I don’t drink or party, but my life has never felt so full and I never felt so good.
Thanks Amanda for sharing your powerful story. I have found my life is so much richer for having listened to what Serge Benhayon has presented over the years and then applying the key messages to my life.
Thankyou Amanda for sharing so honestly how living a life based on responsibility and integrity is so much more enriching and joyful and is the ‘path to true wellness’ instead of simply hoping dumb luck and the genetic dice rolls our way. Every choice we make is recorded by our body and it is wishful thinking to believe otherwise. To believe that how we choose to live everyday and that all our lifestyle choices doesn’t accumulate and affect our body and being is living life with an arrogance and ignorance that cannot but eventually catch up with you.
Wow Amanda there is so much power in this blog, what really stood out for me were the words taking responsibility for self. I know from my experience this can feel a most challenging task, but it is also the most loving choice we can make once we commit to ourselves. I continue to be inspired by the amazing choices others have made as it shows me what is truly possible in life. Thank you.
Without Serge Benhayon we would be without the most loving, tender man I have ever met who is an inspiration to all he meets.
It is such a blessing to the world that Serge Benhayon is presenting the way he lives to humanity and that there are people who have chosen to make their lives about the same, to dedicate their lives to the ageless wisdom that lives within. Thank you for being one of these Amanda Woodmansey and that by the way you are living you give people who live around you the opportunity to see that there is another way to live our lives in the busy working and family lives we have nowadays.
‘I am far more gentle with myself and don’t beat myself with recriminations. I do not suffer depression ever, and am sometimes tired but never exhausted. There is a joy in my life and a willingness to allow others to choose their own way.’ Me too Amanda!
Thanks for sharing your story Amanda. I have also noticed that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst choices. Making the unhealthy, careless choices is generally more ‘normal’ in today’s society, so when you stand out and start bringing more love into your life, it can cause some tension around others who are then shown that they don’t have to live like everyone else and accept the ‘normal’ way of being…drugs, alcohol, stress, unhealthy food etc. It is still worth showing others, and not hiding, the different simple practical choices that are possible, as the potential effects of making healthy, loving changes are well worth the effort.
An inspiring blog Amanda. It is interesting what you say about there being more reaction from people about someone making more loving supportive choices. All it is really is an opportunity to choose to be inspired by the choices of another and go their ourselves. Sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t. The choices you have made and continue to make Amanda are a testament to the inspiration that Serge Benhayon and all from Universal Medicine show every day.
Great comment Jennifer. Serge Benhayon so lovingly reminds us that we all have a choice in everything. We have a choice in every aspect of our lives in that we are constantly making choices every moment. He just simply presents truth and love, if we choose that or not it is always entirely up to us.
Amanda, I love your blog, your honest representation of how you lived and how meeting Serge Benhayon offered you something different, although challenging to hear. It is indeed amazing the people react more to those deciding to live in a loving gentle way than those who live in a reckless, unconsidering one. As you beautifully put it we are indeed free to change our life and that does cause upheaval but the important thing is that we choose – I love that, such a simple truth. Thank you for sharing your blog and how you’ve turned around your life, it’s beautiful.
‘We are all free to choose our own way of life and sometimes this causes upheavals. The important thing is to make a choice.’
Yes the upheavals may be first found but then along comes the awareness and revelations.
We seem to learn along the way that we are awesome and being responsible for oursleves is not a chore but a precious opportunity.
Thank you Amanda for sharing your amazing story. 🙂
It is only once we take responsibility for our lives that we are able to truly change them, as you mention, “It would be a great fantasy to think that someone else could take it all away”.
Awesome blog Amanda. I love how you have summed it all up in this line “We are all free to choose our own way of life and sometimes this causes upheavals. The important thing is to make a choice.”
Absolutely agree Brooke. Amanda’s blog is a beautiful testimony of a loving foundation of responsibility and choice.
Universal Medicine has supported so many people in the way you describe Amanda, to understand we have a part to play in our health and a responsibility in that – and that by taking responsibility we can totally turn things like long held depression around. It is funny how people freak out when you decide to live a healthier life. Saying no to a piece of cake or a glass of wine can really start shock waves. Your right though, it is much more comfortable for everyone if we are treating ourselves with food and alcohol because this is normal. Very interesting.
I agree Kate. People get uncomfortable if you make a healthier choice and they have not. Shock waves are felt by all and we all get to feel our choices.
Good point Kate, many people are not ready to take responsibility for their lives so it is easier to keep abusing their bodies and like others to reflect the same so to confirm that this behaviour is normal. Making loving choices and taking care of self is the reflection they don’t want to see but is so needed for their healing and evolution.
Awesome comment Kate. It is true, I find that most people freak out because they feel challenged by someone who is making loving choices because it disturbs their comfort by what is reflected upon them.
Thanks for a wonderful sharing Amanda. The changes you have experienced since taking responsibility for your choices are inspirational. Thank you
I loved not only what you wrote about living as part of the world and not separate from it but how there is now joy in your life and a willingness to allow others to choose their own way, how could anyone possibly have an objection to that? I could honestly never tire of reading the extraordinary stories that people share of their life before meeting Serge Benhayon and the profound and inspiring changes that are made since. Thank you so much for sharing yours.
In every moment of everyday we are offered ongoing opportunities to make our own ‘choices’, the outcomes of which belong to us. Thank you Amanda for sharing your truth – a beautiful and honest sharing about life, connection to self, health and real relationship.
Harmony, we all wish for it. Harmony in the body and all around us. Serge Benhayon presents, this is our natural state… and we hear a similar answer everywhere in religions and new age philosophies… Do we ever stop and ask ourselves: “If harmony is our natural state – how is it possible to loose it in the first place?!” Only Serge Benhayon has clearly answered this question to me and thus opened the door to lived harmony in my life.
“It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones. Perhaps there is less challenge to the way we are living when we see lousy choices in those around us” – so true. And I so love this – “There is a joy in my life and a willingness to allow others to choose their own way.” Thank you, Amanda.
Thank you Amanda, your story is very familiar. The sense of normal being challenged big time by the realisation that in truth is deeply abnormal and the coming to a complete new understanding of life and anew normal which feels very different from the old one and much much better.
Amanda, I really liked your key message of us all having choice and that self responsibility is a powerful healer in conjunction with both conventional and complementary medicine. Thank you.
Wow Amanda I wish I could take you to my workplace as a true role model for patients with depression!!!! Your appearance and your story will remind them that personal responsibility is the key to good health and not the gens. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
What a change from being on anti-depressants to not feeling depressed anymore!
It’s also true what you said about moving… If Serge Benhayon was a cult leader how does he control people who are apart of the Esoteric Work everywhere in the world like Melbourne, Perth, London, USA, Canada, Mackay, Tasmania, UK, Germany and many, many more!!
Thank you Amanda for a beautiful story about choosing love and joy and living it each day.
Amanda, it is very inspiring to read of the choices you have made, to bring your life back into harmony.
Like others commenting here Amanda, I resonated with the following line too “We live as part of the world and not separate from it. There is no perfection and we face challenges every day, but the difference is that we deal with stuff as it happens and we don’t numb ourselves or check out.” Hear hear!
I love this blog, so clear. What particularily stood out for me was the fact that what Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine present just makes so much sense, as in we know it, can feel it and have felt it before, it’s just a matter of trusting, as you say ” so much had already been my experience. I had just never trusted that my own experience and my own body were messages for me.”
How very true. I felt so many things and always knew what truly was going on wherever I was, but I just overrode it. Looking back I can say that I did everything to avoid taking responsibility.
I so enjoyed reading your blog Amanda, I am inspired by you and what you have expressed. The following quote really resonated with me;
“We still live with the joy we have within us. We live as part of the world and not separate from it. There is no perfection and we face challenges every day, but the difference is that we deal with stuff as it happens and we don’t numb ourselves or check out”
Thank you Amanda.
What a beautiful voice you have Amanda, thank you for sharing it with us this way. A great point you raise here about the reaction some people have to those making loving choices. I feel it shows how all the choices we make, make a much greater impression than we may realise.
It is interesting when we choose to truly care for ourselves, how this can bring up much in others. I have felt it for myself both ways….from people reacting to my loving choices and from me reacting to others making their own loving choices. All it confirms to me is that we do know what is true for us and sometimes to feel that we have not chosen it for ourself is quite a sting.
This is an awesome testament to your ability to self-reflect Amanda and to the very real and super ordinary support offered by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. It is an indictment on the state of dishonesty today that there is more objection to making loving choices than harming ones!
When you say people around you may feel challenged when you make loving choices as it shows them where they are not choosing the same for themselves, it rings true for me. It’s crazy when nobody questions you when you’re ‘trashing’ yourself with alcohol – but when you choose not to drink alcohol, for example, it is questioned! That seems very back to front to me.
You are very honest and humble Amanda.
It is amazing how we resist something so simple and true. Thank you for sharing this Amanda
Thank you Amanda, I love this line “We live as part of the world and not separate from it. There is no perfection and we face challenges every day, but the difference is that we deal with stuff as it happens and we don’t numb ourselves or check out.” Universal Medicine has just as in your case showed me the way to go.
Beautiful blog Amanda, your personal experiences are a great example of the huge impacts our choices have on our health and wellbeing, and we can all make a different choice, no matter what our choices were before. Never too late to start taking responsibility.
Beautifully and clearly expressed. Thank you for sharing the practical and deeply caring way of life that Universal Medicine presents.
Great blog Amanda, that there are often more objections to making healthy lifestyle choices than to unhealthy and unloving lifestyle choices is something that also stands out to me in my life. I agree with you that it might be uncomfortable to see someone making loving choices when you yourself are not, the easiest way to not have to look at why you yourself are not making those loving choices is through objecting that the person saying it is silly to do that.
Amanda you have over come so much by taking responsibility for your choices, this is something I am working through for myself I know I just have to allow the love in me to support the choices I make and trust I know how to do this. Thank you for sharing your inspirational story.
What a truly inspirational story, thank you for sharing you Amanda.
Amanda, this is awesome and I could quote you on so much as this was truly from the heart lived and breathed in full. I can’t believe there’s only 21 responses to this as I would imagine it speaks to so many. I’ll be back for another read soon, there are so many gems within your words. Thank you.
This blog is absolute gold Amanda. You single handedly expose so many of the lies circulated in the media about Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon simply by sharing your personal experience. I am amazed by how you have changed over the past few years, each day you are more beautiful and radiate more ease, harmony and grace. You are an absolute inspiration. This blog is going on Facebook right now!
Thank you Amanda – I especially appreciate what you shared about the support you received from Universal Medicine to make healthy choices when you received your cancer diagnosis and that at no time was any claim made by Universal Medicine that it could cure your cancer. Add to that conventional medical treatment was supported not contraindicated.
“It is interesting that there are more objections to one choosing a gentle, healthy way of life than there is when one makes all the worst ones.” Great blog showing us that we are our own medicine and although I have found this brings up challenges for us all in seeing the way we have been living, keeping steady in that choice and a healthier way of life often then becomes an inspiration to others to give it a try too.
There seems to be a theme here across the blogs on depression: 1) nothing else had worked 2) self responsibility is the key factor 3) Serge supported with love but never took away (or even tried to), take away your autonomy. Great blog, and a great piece of evidence that the way we live is our medicine.
Amanda, your lived experiences shared here clearly show the truth regarding allegations about Serge Benhayon. Beautiful expression, and how your life changed; it is indeed a joyful read, thank you
A journey back to love and joy, beautifully expressed. thank you Amanda.
An amazing change in how you live your life and the benefits you receive as a result.
Thank you for sharing your amazing turnaround and I love how you describe the support offered to you ‘ What I found was the support to change my life in all the loving ways needed, with the support of people who had themselves changed their lives, to live with the greatest integrity.’ Truly inspirational.
It is great to read that you have turned your life around and found that there is a different way to live. Very inspiring thank you.
Thank you Amanda, I enjoyed reading about the changes you have made and especially your dedication to being in life.
What a great inspiring story Amanda. Thank you.
Thank you Amanda for showing that your choice to re-locate to be closer to your family would not have been possible if Universal Medicine were a cult. There have been some allegations of this nature and from what I know of cults and cult leaders Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine are the absolute antithesis of this.
Amanda, what an awesome sharing of your journey. I so relate to what you say about being all things to everybody, I so know this, and indeed have tried in vain to practice my own version of it for years – it’s not worked fortunately, so now I’ve looked at being more tender and loving with me. It really does make a big difference.