T his stage is alluded to allegorically in the prophecy of Ezekiel. In depicting the Temple that will be rebuilt as the center of Jerusalem in the Messianic era, the prophet describes a wondrous spring whose waters will flow out of the Temple's inner chamber. Trees will grow on the banks of this river, and each tree's fruit will be for food and its leaves for healing rest. H ealing rest is the relaxation that provides release from the tensions and pressures that accompany fears and anxieties. When a person is relieved of this friction, proper flow is restored to both the physiological and psychological systems of his body.
Relaxation is thus the sine qua non of mental and physical health.
Part of this relaxation process is, of course, the psychological permission granted the person to freely express and release his worries and fears. This process ultimately leads to his psychological healing. T he source of this healing rest in the imagery of Ezekiel's prophecy is the leaf. A leaf, when compared to the tree itself or its fruit, is of secondary importance, a minor detail that is often not appreciated, even though it performs the crucial function of photosynthesis. Similarly, we generally ignore our subconscious minds and pay little heed to the crucial way it affects our lives.