Superhealing: Engaging Your Mind, Body, and Spirit to Create Optimal Health and Well-Being (ARC) (20 page)

first place.26

A recent study investigated yoga’s ability to correct an irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibril ation. This serious, potential y life-threatening condition can be caused by work-related or emotion-

al stress as well as by certain nutrient deficiencies. It occurs when the heart’s natural electrical signals are triggered to fire off in a 128

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disorganized manner, causing the heart to quiver. When it becomes

a disorder, it requires drug therapy or sometimes invasive treatment.

Researchers found that people with chronic atrial fibril ation who did yoga experienced “significantly reduced” irregular heartbeat

episodes compared to a control group that did other forms of exer-

cise. The experimental group participants also reported lower levels of depression and anxiety, and their general health and vitality improved.27

Tai chi and qigong, which originated in the ancient Far East, are

practices that, along with yoga, are considered a form of exercise known as meditative movement. These traditions share a common

philosophy related to the movement of life-force energy, or chi, and similar patterns of movements.28

Between 1993 and 2007, seventy-seven published reports com-

pared tai chi and qigong to other forms of exercise or to a sedentary lifestyle. A recent review of these studies involving more than 6,400

participants found that tai chi and qigong improved not only the

practitioners’ quality of life but also their hearts, lungs, and immune systems. Tai chi and qigong improved physical function, raised the quality of life, prevented fal s, and enhanced the sense of self-worth and psychological health. Researchers believe that the combination of awareness, posture, and movement in these systems promotes a

state of self-awareness that is more efficient than the normal state of awareness. This activates the release of beneficial chemicals throughout the body that promote self-healing.29

Apparently, the physiological and psychological changes induced

by meditative movement profoundly enhance the body’s regenera-

tive and regulatory mechanisms on multiple levels. So keep in mind that a combination of physical exercise, meditation, and proper diet is a very effective way to trigger your capacity for superhealing.

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Superhealing with Movement

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THE SPIRITUAL BENEFITS OF MOVEMENT

Exercising is critical for optimal wellness, but it is only one part of the equation. Although exercise of any kind can help you release tension and manage stress, moving in a way that engages your spirit makes the biggest difference. When I first became health-conscious, I approached my body as though it were a machine that had fallen

into disrepair. Spiritual engagement was reserved for Sunday morn-

ing church services. What I wasn’t taking into consideration was the unimaginably powerful intelligence of Spirit, which I believe is the source that animates my being. I didn’t know yet that I could tap into this intelligence, which lies at the heart of creation and represents life itself.

The common thread that links every chapter in this book, even

this one on movement, is awareness. Much too often, we don’t pay

attention to our bodies, or if we do pay attention, it’s in a way that’s not in alignment with the true source of our wellness and healing.

The human body is worth marveling at. It is an amazing organism,

not at all like a machine. When we consciously engage in movement, wonderful things happen. Everything shifts. Our awareness gives

us the capacity to heal. Conscious exercise has been found to help people cope better and survive longer even when they have the most serious and life-threatening diseases.

Our bodies are not designed not for stagnation but for movement.

Nevertheless, isn’t it interesting that people who meditate are usual y seated and still? Their state is regenerative and restorative, so obvi-ously they are in a different state of being from your run-of-the-mill television viewer or sedentary desk worker. Perhaps the issue with being seated, then, isn’t so much the lack of movement as it is the lack of true stillness.

When we are simultaneously physical y engaged and spiritual y

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engaged, we are aligned with the true source of our being and building our health. Physical activity is protective of our health, and so is spiritual activity. Think of the Tibetan Buddhist monks
who meditate for hours on end to reach a state of
samadhi,
or union with the divine.

They can be buried alive for hours, deprived of normal amounts of

oxygen, and emerge unharmed. Think of the joggers who experience

a rush of endorphins, the brain’s natural opiates or painkillers, and report feeling high. Put the two activities together, and you have a real opportunity for superhealing. What does a jogger have in common

with a monk? An opportunity for an awakening of epic proportions.

Although brain function may, to a certain extent, determine what

a runner and a meditator have in common, I believe there is a higher energy or intelligence involved in the meditator’s activity that cannot be ful y or adequately measured at this time. Meditation engages the brain in a way that is highly beneficial to us. The brain-wave and chemical patterns related to our normal waking behavior do not.

Perhaps the true danger of the sedentary lifestyle is not the in-

activity per se but rather the lack of conscious engagement with

our spirit when we’re “vegging out.” Our culture’s typical absence of awareness and our preoccupation with tuning out with computers

and TV as a form of emotional coping may be unconscious sources

of stress that are harming our bodies. Perhaps we should tune in

to our spirits instead. This is just a hunch, but I believe it is a good one—and worth pursuing. Physical inactivity, as we know it, with

its attending risk factors for disease, may not be harmful primarily because of the inactivity, but rather because of the disruption of our spiritual activity and body awareness.

When you’re engaged in movement that brings you peace and joy,

you can gain access to the higher pathways your being that allow the high energy of spirit to clearly flow through you.

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SUPERHEALING WORK SHEET:

ASSESSING YOUR PHYSICAL ENGAGEMENT

Are you ready to move, or engage your body and being physical y,

with ever increasing awareness? It’s never too late to begin. Even exercising during an illness is helpful, but rarely are we encouraged to do so. Ask yourself the following questions:

• How much activity are you doing now?

• What sort of exercise are you doing?

• What are you doing that you enjoy?

• Are you getting a sufficient amount of exercise?

• Are you motivated to exercise?

• What physical activity are you willing to do?

• What attention do you give to your body?

• Do you listen to your body or ignore it?

• How do you feel about it?

• What are your thoughts about it?

• Do you heed the initial voice of distress, the whispers

of fear, the call for rest, and the need for relaxation?

• Do you compliment your body or focus on what you

think is flawed?

• How are you treating your body?

• How do you honor your body?

CHAPTER 6

Superhealing with Nutrition

“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

—Hippocrates

When I first became health-conscious during my twenties, I fo-

cused on using food—among other things—to create physical

health. But I shortchanged myself, because I did not give any serious thought to the effect that stress or my emotions had on my digestive system. It took me many years of practicing better eating habits and mindfulness to develop a greater awareness and appreciation of what real y matters about food and nutrition.

When I first began to focus on my health, I believed that eating a plant-based diet and exercise alone would be my path to wellness. I had never been a big meat eater, so this decision was aligned with my personal preferences. Even today I don’t eat animal protein, with the rare exception of seafood. Over time, I discovered that I needed to supplement my largely vegetarian diet with vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and probiotics. I also needed to pay close attention to my stress level and practice mindfulness when I ate. My route to superhealing and optimal wellness has had many features.

I find it interesting that there is conflicting information on the biological necessity of limiting consumption exclusively to plant-based foods, or even, as some people believe, to raw fruits and vegetables.

If you think you must eat meat, it’s important to do your best to eat meat from free-ranging, happy animals that were not raised on antibiotics or growth hormones, because those are the only kind that are 133

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healthy for our bodies to ingest. Many people choose to be vegetarian for ethical reasons, which is a different matter entirely from the concern over the nutritive content of specific ingredients. I would never advise someone who disapproves of the way a particular food arrives on the table to eat that food, because its inclusion in the diet could trigger a nocebo effect (the negative influence one can experience just from believing something is harmful). How we feel about what

we eat affects our physical responses to that food.

Even though vegetarianism has much to commend it, some peo-

ple feel deprived after eliminating meat or another ingredient from their diets. Missing a food that they like to eat or that is familiar to them causes them to become stressed and feel sad. Some people’s

bodies fare better when fish and lean meats are included in their

diets. Every individual has to determine what he or she needs, using, to some extent, trial and error.

I’ve learned that some especial y resilient people can routinely eat pretty much whatever they want to eat—including meat and all kinds of things that are not considered good for us, like sugary treats and salty potato chips—yet they do not develop the predictable illnesses that come from consuming meat and refined foods. My observations

have taught me that our bodies have a remarkable capacity to adapt to our diets if we’re not operating in a crisis mode caused by stress and environmental challenges.

That being said, the latest scientific research proves the power of a largely plant-based diet rich in phytonutrients (
phyto
means “plant”) to prevent and even reverse chronic disease. There is evidence that we benefit immensely from the regular consumption of raw fruits

and vegetables; these are filled with enzymes that aid digestion, antioxidants that protect us from cel ular degradation, and biophotons
,
the life force that originates from sunlight. These are the cornerstones

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of a superhealing nutritional plan that is appropriate for everyone.

Today, those of us who live in developed nations have more food

choices than ever before, yet we are increasingly unhealthy because of our excessive consumption of highly processed foods, which are

lacking in vital nutrients.

Does this mean we should be inflexible about our diets, never

letting a morsel of dessert, a cooked entrée, or any type of “bad”

food pass our lips? Throughout the years, I’ve discovered that we

can overdo it when we’re focusing on the purity of our food—and

for some of us, this can even become a psychological disorder. I’ve met people who refuse to eat anything that they themselves haven’t prepared, and they exhibit the fervor of zealots. Yet their strict avoidance of certain ingredients they disapprove of does not necessarily make them healthier. When people are obsessed with food, it doesn’t make them happier, either, because their minds are bound up with

constant thoughts of food.

When choosing what to eat, there is a middle ground between re-

striction and permissiveness that is a more balanced and healthier approach to nourishment. For superhealing to occur, for the ongoing maintenance of your health, and to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function optimal y on a cel ular level, you must learn to recognize and address the mental and emotional factors in your life that inform your eating habits and find a way to eat that makes you healthy and happy.

In this chapter, we’re going to discuss principles of healthy eating based on the most advanced science on how to optimize digestion and absorption, as well as the effect of food on our mental and emotional well-being. We’ll look at what to include in your diet and what to ex-clude, keeping in mind the attitudes of mindfulness, inner peace, love, and gratitude. Since everything related to nutrition ultimately comes 136

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back to digestion, we’ll start by taking a look at ways to support and improve that function.

THE GUT-MIND CONNECTION

Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, or gut—terms for the stomach

and intestines in combination—plays an important role in your

health. The stomach is where food is broken down by digestion into the different nutritional components your body needs to function

optimal y: the macronutrients of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fluids; and the micronutrients of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. After food is digested, the intestines are where nutrient absorption occurs.

If we’re lacking the acids and enzymes that aid in the digestion of specific types of nutrients, then foods such as milk, beans, onions, wheat, or fat (to name just a few possibilities) cannot be properly digested, absorbed, and assimilated. In that case, they can give us pain, flatulence, constipation, or diarrhea. Because we are individuals, not everyone is challenged by the same foods. Some of us aren’t challenged at all.