AwarenessHeals

As we are moving into the New Year, I wondered to myself what advice I might give to encourage others to have the healthiest year ever.   And it came to me in the very greeting we give to each other at the beginning of each new year – be happy.

I am going to say it – truly happy people are healthy people.  Many scientists, doctors and psychologists have concluded this for long time now.

Deepak Chopra in his book ‘Return of the Rishi’ writes – ‘Modern medical studies repeatedly show that being happy is excellent protection against disease.’

I am going to distinguish happiness as a state of ease, peace and contentment within oneself, a quiet joy inside.  It is not the ecstatic happiness that comes and goes, although that can be part of it, but rather being comfortable in one’s own skin – grounded, relaxed, at peace – accepting of what is and  being confident to make the best of what shows up.

Happiness does not depend on having or doing anything and is not conditional on ideal circumstances.  I hear people saying ‘I’ll be happy when I am healthy’.  Actually it works the other way around.   Get happy and health follows.

Happiness is not something to strive for but rather to prepare yourself to  have show up in your life -

1)  through letting go conflict and the obstacles to being happy and

2)  through practicing and nurturing attitudes that support happiness.

Among the obstacles to experiencing happiness are thoughts, judgments and beliefs that support upset, anger, fear and  non love for self and others.  I am going to address this aspect in a separate article.  In this article, I am going to encourage you with simple ways to prepare to receive more happiness in your life.

Firstly, begin with eating well.   This is a whole topic alone.  I just want to mention here that for emotional and mental health we need to give our bodies the nutrition that will support a healthy nervous system as well as an energized, well functioning body.

Secondly it is vital to maintain regular physical activity for good brain and body health.  Numerous medical studies are showing greater mental alertness, relief of anxiety and depression by keeping the body active.

Finally, a few simple strategies for inviting more happiness into your New Year -

• wake up in the morning and choose thoughts such as ‘what I am really looking forward to enjoying today?’
• go for a walk in nature and enjoy the beauty and stillness.  Let the mind be still and just observe.
• Find ways to move your body for fun and joy – some spontaneous dance in the morning, yoga, whatever exercise or sport you thoroughly enjoy.
• Take time throughout the day for a few minutes of stillness or meditation.
• Notice your self-talk.  Find ways to encourage yourself with your accomplishments, even if they may be only part of what you have set out to do.
• Notice things that you are grateful for in all your activities and encounters through my day.

I welcome hearing of your own strategies for inviting happiness into your life.

Happiness arises in a grateful and joyful heart.   Health accompanies happiness.

Wishing your happiest and healthiest year ever!

If you have a comment about this or any blog post please visit my Facebook page.  Thank you, Nelie.

The recent celebration of Thanksgiving here in Canada has given me some reflection.

I heard a discussion about gratitude. I was intrigued by the comment that gratitude is something that has to be learned. As infants we cried when we were are hungry or in pain. Later as children we are taught to ask with ‘please’ and respond with ‘thank you’. Many of us forget to show thanks. How many times do we complain to get what we want, remark about what we don’t have and see the negative in a situation?

In times of adversity finding anything to be grateful for seems impossible. Yet just at these times more than any other, we need to reach deep to find gratitude. There is power in doing so.

Take for example, getting a disease such as cancer. The first reactions are shock, fear, disbelief, anger. Many respond with intense activity to get rid of the cancer, and once the cancer has been cut out, ‘killed’ with chemotherapy and radiation, they continue to be highly vigilant and fearful of relapse. Does this story apply to you? Are you feeling fearful and stressed? This is not a state of being that is pleasant to live with.

What might you find to be grateful for with a diagnosis of cancer?
Firstly you have to deal with what is. You cannot wish it away. Yet somehow you have to find a way to respond to it beyond fear and anger.
You can be grateful for all the other aspects of your body, your mind and your life that are whole, healthy and are supporting you.
You can be grateful for those moments in your life that you may have taken for granted.
You can be grateful for the care and treatments of your medical doctors.
You can be grateful for family and friends that are there for you and loving you.
I invite you to make a list for yourself, “In this moment/for this day I am grateful for ….”

There is much, much more that you can be grateful for.
You can be grateful for the disease itself. I don’t wish disease on you or anyone but it happens, and my knowledge allows me to understand why it has to happen. When a person experiences a high level of a particular stress or a prolonged severe stress, disease can show up. Disease is your brain’s best solution for managing the high level of stress energy which, if allowed to continue would threaten your survival within a few weeks of not eating, sleeping or paying attention to your surroundings.

Disease is a natural biological mechanism for managing stress, emotional and mental conflict. The stress energy is held in just one small region or tissue and the rest of the body can function normally. Thus the person is given time to find another way to deal with the stress.

Every disease, including every type of cancer, carries a message. The message directs you to the emotional conflict and provides you with opportunity to find another way to resolve the stress.

You can be grateful for the message that your disease carries, for it can bring you to what you need to give special attention to.
You can be grateful for what you know about yourself and your life, especially that which can help you clear the conflict and regain your health.

I have heard and read many accounts of experiences with cancer. A common theme in these stories is being thankful for the wakeup call which the cancer provided. The cancer became a sign that their life was heading down the wrong road — and that change was needed!

For example, a patient of mine got cancer of the tongue. Once he recovered from the initial shock of the diagnosis, he not only did medical treatment but also examined his life. ‘What kind of person am I? How have I treated others?’
He discovered that some of his actions and communications had been hurtful. He expressed regrets for what he had done and said and asked the people he contacted to forgive him which most happily did. He created healing for both parties.

Today he is not only alive and cancer free for 4 years but he also has grown into a better and happier person. He is no longer preoccupied with the question of the cancer returning, but rather is grateful for his new perspective on life and the kinder, more compassionate, and thoughtful person he has become.

There is power in gratitude. It eases fear and suffering. It opens the path to Love. Love is the most powerful energy for health and healing.

Use the power of gratitude and ask yourself ‘What am I grateful for in this moment and for this day?’ and keep on asking.

Here’s an special posting for October and Breast Health Awareness Month – an article I wrote earlier this year to support breast health and cancer prevention.

Is it possible that we can prevent the disease, or at least decrease the risk, by promoting breast health?  I believe the answer is yes.

In order to have true physical health and well-being, you have to have a good level of emotional health.  The one follows the other. When I think about breast health, I immediately think of promoting mental, emotional and psychosocial/spiritual well-being.

As a family physician, I began asking myself some 20 years ago why people get sick and how they can get well again.   There had to be more to treating disease, such as breast cancer, than treating the physical.  Just as we recognize the wholeness of who we are – mental, emotional, spiritual as well as physical -  there is a whole disease – mental, emotional, spiritual and physical.

I discovered that when we consider the whole disease, many more options open up. When we really use what we know about ourselves – events we experienced and their impact – we discover keys to healing our life.

I discovered that when I helped my patients heal their lives, they often healed physically.

In my search for answers to my questions, I discovered that there are over 25 years of experience of doctors, psychologists, and scientists revealing the most likely mental and emotional factors contributing to specific diseases, such as each specific type of cancer, MS, diabetes, heart disease, and more – from minor illness to major disease.  From this body of knowledge, I have learned the most likely types of stress that contribute to breast cancer.

The most important thing I learned is the following : to have good breast health healthy relationships, especially within the family home,  are key.

Here are some questions to ask yourself and reflect upon.

1. How well connected do you feel to members of your family? – partner, children, siblings, parents, close friend, or anyone you consider part of your home nest
2. How well do you feel you can express your love and receive love with those in your home nest?
3. Do you hold any strong concern for someone leaving you or for the integrity of relationships between family members?  for a major relationship coming apart?  For example between you and your partner, between father and son.
4.  Do you have concerns for the survival or future well-being of anyone in your family nest?  For example a serious illness for a child or your partner, a concern for your child’s future career because of failed exams or criminal record.
5. What patterns in relationships may you be carrying over from early childhood and your experience in your family of origin?   As much as we may consciously want healthy change, there are hidden unconscious stresses that stem from early emotional programming and result in unconscious coping reactions.

Remember it is not only what happens to you but more importantly how      you respond to what happens to you that determines the impact of any stress.

The very best advice I can give any woman (or man) for good breast health is to develop good relationship health, especially with those close to you that mean the most to you – your family.   Take workshops, or get private counseling if you feel you need it, to learn about yourself and grow yourself emotionally.  Take responsibility for your own personal well-being rather than expect a relationship to improve when the other person does the work of ‘changing’.

Complaining and blaming others or circumstances will hold you back from healthy change.  You have to be the change that you want to see in your relationships and in your life.   You are the power to create your happiest and healthiest you. 

Finally, and most importantly, the key to  relationship health is developing the resilience and personal resources to survive breakups and challenges in relationships that are an inevitable part of life.  As we develop these personal skills, challenges become breakthroughs and we can grow in compassion for ourselves and others and that is the true source of our healing.

Important – Although I am a physician, the views expressed in this article are not representative of mainstream Western Medicine.   If you have diagnosis of breast disease, be sure to seek medical advice and care.