Re: How our minds effect our health

[Guest guest]

Dear Tracie,

You are so amazing and inspirational! I know I have done better since

I have stopped worrying so much about what is going to happen and just

live with what happens today. "Today" isn't always easy but I am thankful I have it. People ask me how I can live with a

disease like Sarcoid and be so upbeat and not complain. I can't get

them to understand that it really isn't a choice - it is just the way I

live my life.

Thank You for being such a beautiful spirit.

Hugs

Ruth>> This has been a topic that I've wanted to discuss for along time now. > > One of the beautiful things about the human brain is that what we feed it- > in the way of our self talk, our conversations with others, as well as what we > choose to take on as gospel as to how our life is going to be-- is probably > one of the most important issues we deal with.> > In the book THE SECRET, one of the major aspects is that we create our > reality by our thoughts. This is so very powerful, and wonderful. It can also > be the razorblade that takes our life also.> > Watching friends go through serious cancers, heart issues, leukemia, > Hodgkins, paralysis, ALS, -- what amazed me most was how all of them continued to > accept what was happening to their bodies. Even as their diseases progressed, > they all lived life to the fullest. True, they had their tears and pity > parties, and anger and rages. Yet they stayed open-hearted even in this pain.> > What science is discovering is that we truly can direct the path of our > disease, and how we deal with it on a daily basis by what we think. Years ago, > Bernie Segal, M.D. wrote a book, MIND, MEDICINE & MIRACLES, that was a > mandatory read for everyone facing chemotherapy. > > What he discovered is that the patients that saw - actually visualized- > their chemo as a friend healing their cancers, did much, much better at handling > the side effects of the chemo. Those that saw their chemo as something that > was going to make them sick, experienced much more severe nausea, vomitting, > and pain. Those that affirmed the worse- experienced the worse.> > Chronic illness tests us, and these theories daily. When we FEAR what MIGHT > happen, and we get locked into that fear-- we actually are telling our minds > that we are in trouble. This makes our bodies, react in Fight or Flight. > We produce the same hormones, the cortisol, the adrenaline, the flood of white > cells to all the parts of our bodies--so that we are ready for injury or > insult. Our muscles tense, and we could leap or run from danger. > > So there you are, in your recliner, all "pumped up" and you don't have a > anything to run from-- except your own fear. Your blood pressure is up, your > adrenal is raging, your breathing has quickened, your extremities have started > to feel even more numb, or tingling, and your body is sending the message to > your heart and organs that they need to be ready for an assault. > > What happens when that assault is imagined. For us, I personally believe > that this sets up the sequence for everything necessary to build more > granulomas. All those hormones and proteins in our blood cells have been deposited in > our organs-- for no reason. Our bodies stay in full alert - that is our > immune system thinks it has to protect us-- after all- that is what we told it > with our thoughts -- so it doesn't accept the signals to stop; that is to > stop producing all the stuff to protect us. > > So what do we need to do. How do we change this pattern?> > First, we take some deep, slow breaths. Inhaling thru your nose-- feel the > coolness on your upper lip as you inhale. Exhale thru pursed lips-- slowly, > being aware that the air you had inhaled is now warmed- and spend some time > focusing on your breath. > > Secondly, we have to learn to tell ourself to STOP. When our thoughts > change to fear-- we have to literally, out loud- say STOP!. You don't have to > yell it out-- you can be gentle with yourself, but you must STOP! > > Then, you tell yourself that the thought you had is not your reality. You > aren't in danger. You are SAFE! Breath-- and repeat that you are safe. > > As you go thru your day, you need to be aware of when you have crossed over > to your fear based thoughts, and continue to tell yourself you are safe. > Even as you take your medication-- see that this is one of your healing tools. > Maybe you can visualize it calming the inflammation in your body and brain. > It's not cold, but comforting and calming. Your brain is better able to > think clearly, and the pills you've taken are helping you in every way possible. > > It's important that we also see the food we eat, the fluids we drink- as > fuel and comfort to heal our bodies. Enjoy each and every bite. Taste that > strawberry, that spoonful of yoghurt, that piece of brocolli, and celebrate the > taste, the texture. Know that the cells of nutrition in your food are making > you healthier bite by bite.> > The people that I talked about, the ones with ALS, Hodgkins, cancers, > quadriplegia-- all lived each day fully. They choose to see that waking up and > having another day here on earth was worth the journey. When fear came up, they > acknowledged it, but they did not allow it to be their "guiding light." > This was the beauty that they shared with all that came into contact with them. > > By coming back into the beauty of their souls, by honoring even the hard > days of the journey, and by celebrating and affirming that a better day was to > come- they lived their life to the fullest. They were able to accept their > disease-- and the healing was more than physical-- it was a level that all of > us deserve- true spirit(ual) healing. It was a place of loving kindness that > they shared with the universe. > > World peace-- it's the picture I see when I make a conscious choice to not > live in fear. It is what will heal us, more than medicine, more than drugs. > It is the purest form of freedom that you can have.> > This I see for all of us,> Tracie> NS Co-owner/moderator> > > > ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at > http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour>