LESSON 1: HILOT DEFINITIONS

What I liked most about this lesson was that my knowledge of Tagalog was tested, and I manage to learn new and old definitions for terms that were already familiar to me, on top of new terms that I’ve never heard of. 

I also like how Hilot is being introduced not as a singular modality/technique, but rather a holistic practice that involves the synchronisation of many different techniques. After this lesson, I found myself ‘diagnosing’ little pains in my body if I knew the source, which was quite fun for me. (Example being a pinched nerve in my elbow, naipit.)

LESSON 2: MODALITIES USED IN HILOT

What stood out to me in this lesson was that divination for diagnosis in ancient traditions is universal worldwide. I didn’t know that Filipinos used to read entrails, before this lesson I only thought that the Ancient Greeks and East Africans did so. I enjoy looking for patterns and connecting synchronicities, so having a glimpse into Tawas and the procedures to be done after diagnosis is exciting.

LESSON 3: VIRTUES OF HILOT

I like this lesson because of the “code of conduct” laid out for a Manghihilot. Personally, I’ve always found it hard to follow rules when it comes to how to behave. Since I was young I’ve always just followed my own rule, “be kind”, but it’s too general and broad and can bend too easily to question. This lesson and the virtues detailed affirmed what was already in my heart, and gave it a more audible voice for me to follow.

LESSON 4: ORIGINS OF HILOT

I really like this lesson because I love history, and have been trying to read up more on the pre colonial histories and traditions of the Philippines. There is so much information that I feel overwhelmed, so this lesson was kind to my mind in a sense that there was an area to focus on. I also love mythology, so reading a new Filipino creation story that I’ve never seen before was exciting. I also find it very exciting how the breath – something that is already a common motif in a lot of mythologies and pantheons – is also present in this story with Kabunyian. I feel that this speaks about the inner unity all peoples have, literally, symbolically and subconsciously (with the repeated motif of breath in mythology).

LESSON 5: CONCEPT OF LIFE, HEALTH, ILLNESS AND WELLNESS

I learnt from this lesson that each bodily function and reactions of the body towards stimuli are interconnected and work towards the balance of the body. I think this lesson is one that really shows me that modern science and traditional healing are not worlds apart. Health and wellness being the result of the harmonious connection between the individual, their consciousness and Spirit made me look at health in a different way.

LESSON 6: THE ELEMENTS AND FACULTIES OF MAN

The cooperation between, word, thought and deed resonated with me a lot, I think especially now because I do feel quite lost in life and I’m trying to find my way back to the path meant for me. The fact that our thoughts affect our words and actions – and therefore our outlook on life and the way we go about living and interacting with others – is very important to remember in life I think. The unity of the five elements and how they build up someone is a striking image for me and something I’ve not thought or known about, especially when they are assigned to specific parts of the human form. With this, the holistic nature of Hilot is really evident, especially with the knowledge from the previous lessons.

LESSON 7: THE INDICATION AND CONTRADICTION OF HILOT

Here, the aspect of humility I feel is the main spirit of this lesson, and is an important thing to always remember. From my understanding, in Hilot we do not claim to do miracles, but rather help each other become more aligned with the path we have before us by helping with wellness and happiness. Instead of working above or against natural law, we work with it. I think this is a beautiful mindset, because in the modern world, there is a tendency to think that humans are “above” the natural world. The reality is that we are not, we are one with it. When we try to tame and own the natural world, bad things happen and imbalances create negative results, which is a sign of straying away from the Universal and Natural Law.

LESSON 8: HEALING PRACTICES AND HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEM OF HILOT

It was nice to see the evolution of Filipino healing from a divine source, to its transformation under colonisation and finally into what we are learning today. I’ve already known about amulets and kulam prior to learning this course, and have always associated them with magic. To look at them more as tools to help with healing is a welcome change in my perception of them. This lesson also gave me a different perception on the other methods of healthcare delivery, and I find the ways of classification of these methods (Preventative, Promotive, Curative/therapeutic and Rehabilitative) bring a new dimension onto these traditional methods as well for the purpose of new education.

HOW I WILL BE INTRODUCING HILOT TO THE PEOPLE AROUND ME

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I mentioned to my mother in passing that I’m learning to be a manghihilot, and she has expressed surprise but also enthusiasm. She has been asking me to give her massages more after I told her. (Haha.)

I think the completion of Unit 1 is still too early for me to decide the best way to introduce Hilot to my immediate social space. I feel that I would need to know everything first, before seeing how to incorporate it into my daily life and how and when to speak about it. However, I do feel that I will be able to incorporate Hilot, the principles, values and other aspects into my artistic practice. How I interact with the unseen world and how emotions play a part in life and in our subconscious is a common theme in a lot of my artwork. Having Hilot, a tradition from my roots, supporting my artwork in some way will be a nice integration.

A lot of people close to me already know that I’m interested in spirituality and traditions, so talking about Hilot would not be surprising to them. My close friends and I talk about these things quite often, so I think they would be the first people outside my family I will talk about Hilot to. Southeast Asia in general has very rich healing and herbalism histories, so talking about Hilot in spaces that discuss these would also be interesting as well I think, once the opportunity comes. 

I am slowly learning about the different plants and animals that live in my adopted home of Singapore, so I think this could also be something I can integrate Hilot with. I have a friend who is very interested in herbs and is growing her own; I can potentially talk to her and exchange knowledge. I know that there are medicinal native plants that the Malay people have also used in their traditional healing, so this could be a good means of discussion as well. 

I think also with social media, the opportunity presents itself. I have seen how social media can be effective in the spreading of information and education, so it is very possible to talk about Hilot here as well. 

Overall, these are all just small starting thoughts. As I progress along the course, I think I will have a better idea of how to introduce Hilot to my Singaporean friends, and also to the few Filipino friends I have with me here. I am very excited for the possibilities!