The journey of contemplation is different for each of us, but saints, mystics, and contemplative practitioners through the ages make it clear that dedicated contemplative practice can lead to real healing and freedom of body, mind, soul, and spirit. The reasons for this are multifaceted, but much of it has to do with the fact that contemplative practices have as part of their foundation detachment from all things, even good things. Contemplative practices are an honest attempt as self-emptying, not for the sake of being empty, but so that we may be filled entirely with the Peace and Presence and Love and Healing Power of God. It is sobering to recognize that we are often so full of our own thoughts and certainties and images that we leave precious little room for the Image and Mind and Truth of God within ourselves. Of course, we can always trust that God will do immense good with whatever space we will permit the Divine to occupy in ourselves, but in contemplative practice we make a serious attempt to surrender all of our interior space to God. As we gradually gain grace to give over more and more of ourselves to God in our practices, we will find that Presence touching and restoring the most wounded parts of ourselves. Compulsive habits that we once accepted as engrained parts of ourselves will come to exert less force in our lives, and we find ourselves freed and remade through simple yielding to the Divine Physician.