Lola Goski – Your Body is a Garden, a holistic exploration of healing beyond the physical

The Evolution of a Healer: Beyond the Physical

In this episode of the Healing with Coherence podcast, host Mikel sits down with Lola Goski, a seasoned physical therapist, practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and craniosacral therapist based in western Canada. Their conversation explores the profound shift in how we perceive health, the intelligence of the human body, and the necessity of looking beyond the physical to achieve true, lasting healing.

A Path Unfolding

Reflecting on a career spanning nearly half a century, Lola shares that her journey into the healing arts was not a single, conscious decision, but rather a series of nudges and life experiences. Initially trained as a physical therapist, she soon found herself questioning why some patients healed while others remained stuck in chronic pain despite repeated treatments.

The turning point came in 1990, following a severe family car accident. Faced with the limitations of conventional medicine, which offered only medication for her son’s injuries, Lola began to explore acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This exploration, coupled with her subsequent training in craniosacral therapy, allowed her to move away from a rigid, symptom-focused approach toward a more holistic, integrative practice.

From Therapist to Compassionate Companion

Lola describes a significant shift in her professional identity. Over time, she has moved from seeing herself as a "therapist" – a label she feels implies a hierarchy of knowledge – to becoming a "guide" and, ultimately, a "compassionate companion."

"I’ve come to understand that my patient knows way more about their own system and their own body than I could ever imagine," Lola explains. She emphasizes that the role of a healer is not to force a specific outcome, but to act as a guide who has "walked the forest before," helping the patient navigate their own innate healing intelligence. This mutual exchange, which she calls "enlightened self-interest," transforms the practitioner-patient relationship into a collaborative journey of discovery.

The Garden of the Human System

Lola uses the metaphor of a garden to describe her approach to health. Just as a garden requires a balance of sun, water, and nutrients, the human body is a complex system of rhythms and forces.

She explains that craniosacral therapy, which focuses on the subtle movements of the cranial bones and the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, is a way of "listening" to the body’s life force. "It’s not about forcing the body," she notes. "It’s about following the body into its rhythms and holding space for it to return to its intelligent state of health."

Addressing the Roots of Dis-ease

When asked why people often struggle to return to a state of wellness, Lola identifies three primary obstacles: trauma, toxins, and conditioning.

1. Trauma: As a trauma-informed practitioner, Lola sees how unresolved emotional, mental, and physical wounds can keep a system locked in a state of distress. 2. Toxins: The environmental challenges of the modern world can overwhelm the body’s natural capacity to heal. 3. Conditioning: Early life experiences and societal training often dictate how we respond to life, creating patterns that can obstruct the healing process.

Lola shares a powerful example of a young woman who suffered from chronic back pain for a decade following a car accident. By exploring the emotional context of the accident – specifically, the shame and lack of support the patient felt as a pregnant teenager – Lola helped her unlock the emotional root of the physical symptom. Within three sessions, the pain that had persisted for ten years vanished. This, Lola suggests, is the "magic" of the body’s own wisdom when the right key is finally introduced.

Coming of Age in Healing

The conversation concludes with a reflection on the future of medicine. Lola notes that while technologies like coMra therapy provide brilliant support, the true healing occurs when the body receives, interprets, and integrates that energy.

"We’re just coming of age," Lola says, noting that the understanding of healing as a spiritual, energetic, and physical process is finally gaining momentum. By moving beyond the narrow focus of purely physical or chemical interventions, we can begin to honor the full complexity of the human experience. As she aptly puts it, we are not just physical machines, but spiritual beings having a human experience – and our capacity for healing is as vast as that reality.

The "Me-Search" of Scientific Discovery

In a moment of reflection during meditation, I realized that we conduct research because we are essentially performing "me-search." We pursue scientific or allopathic inquiry to understand the "me," and ultimately, to reach the "be." In my opinion, modern medicine is still in its infancy; it shifts its paradigms constantly – what was once considered unhealthy is suddenly deemed beneficial, and vice versa. In contrast, traditional medicines, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, have remained consistent, relying on the same principles and remedies for thousands of years.

While allopathic medicine certainly has its place – I am grateful for it when I break a bone – it is becoming increasingly clear that many people prefer holistic approaches. Decades ago, studies showed that a significant portion of the population was clandestinely seeking alternative treatments, such as herbology, without informing their doctors. Today, the "human knowing" is emerging from the shadows. It is no longer necessary to hide these choices; many patients now openly tell their doctors they are using acupuncture or other therapies, and the response is often, "Great, carry on – if it’s working for you, go for it." We are coming of age, though the process feels arduous.

Bridging the Gap: Holistic Wisdom and Modern Technology

This evolution reminds me of the relationship between modern Western civilization and the wisdom held by Native American cultures. For a long time, the "advanced" civilization has dismissed indigenous wisdom, labeling it as primitive. However, just as with the integration of allopathic and holistic medicine, true healing can only be born when these two cultures achieve a fusion. As long as one side insists on its superiority and views the other as having nothing to offer, we will fail to achieve lasting healing, settling instead for the mere suppression of symptoms.

This interrelatedness is like ripples in a pond; everything is connected. We must bring these polarities together. We are one humanity, yet we are often caught in toxic power struggles fueled by the conditioning of duality. From a Western perspective, we have been conditioned to give our power away to something outside of ourselves – whether it is a medical institution or a higher authority – forgetting that the capacity to heal, connect, and create resides within.

The Role of coMra Therapy in Integrative Practice

My journey as a practitioner has been defined by my role as a "fringe dweller," walking between the worlds of physical therapy and holistic medicine. My first acupuncture mentor, a doctor of Oriental Medicine, trained as an allopathic physician because he believed that one cannot integrate these fields without understanding both.

When I discovered coMra therapy, it felt like a seamless integration of these worlds. It combines science and technology in a way that is entirely congruent with the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I do not need to understand the complex physics behind the coMra Delta to know that it works in harmony with the body’s own intelligence. In my practice, I found that I achieved better results with less effort. More importantly, by teaching patients to use coMra devices at home, I empower them to take charge of their own health. It is a joy to hear success stories from people who have transitioned from being passive patients to becoming their own physicians and guides.

The Mystery of Coherence

When colleagues ask why I use coMra therapy when I already have lasers, magnets, and ultrasound, I explain that the combination creates a synergistic result that cannot be achieved by using these modalities in isolation. It is like a team effort; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Beyond the technical explanation, there is a profound mystery to coMra therapy. I often describe it as a "song" the device sings to the organism. Just as a mother’s voice, filled with love and intent, can soothe and heal her child, the coMra Delta reminds the cells of their original state of harmony and high vibration. It is an act of attunement. You cannot teach attunement; it is a felt sense, a knowing that transcends words. As a therapist, my role is to get out of the way and support the body’s masterpiece, much like one would refrain from altering a great painting.

Returning to the Roots

Looking toward the future of health, I envision a return to basics. We must remember that food is our first medicine and that we must cultivate a deeper connection with the Earth. While technology like coMra therapy offers amazing possibilities, it is most effective when grounded in these fundamental truths.

My closing message to anyone struggling to achieve lasting well-being is simple: Learn to love yourself. Love your unique intelligence, your brilliance, and even the parts of yourself you find difficult. From that internal love, it becomes easy to express beauty outwardly. If you forget everything else, just put your hand on your heart and acknowledge your own journey. Through all the blood, sweat, and tears, you have arrived exactly where you need to be, and that is a beautiful place to start.