DisordersoftheHands,Feet,andExtremities
HandProblems
Thehandsaresubjecttooveruseandabuse,andconsequentlythey
areacommonsitefortheoccurrenceofarthritis,particularlyinlater
years.Thisarthritisisoftenduetochronictensioninthefingers,whicheventuallycausesthemusclestofixthejointsinaparticularposition,whichsubsequentlyleadstoirritation,swelling,inflamma
tion,andjointpain.Workingwithyourhealingsystembyaddressingtheunderlying
causesoftheseproblems,alongwithregulargentleextensionofthemusclesandtendonsthatcontrolthemovementofthefingers,can
helpreverseandpreventthisproblem.Arthritisofthehandsiseasier
tomanageorcureifyoucatchitearlyandifyouincorporatemeth
odsthatworkwithyourhealingsystemintoyourdailylife. CarpalTunnelSyndromeCarpaltunnelsyndromeisachronicconditionofthewristsrelated
tooveruseofthewristjoints.Surgeryisoftenperformedinmore
severecases.However,thisconditionrespondswelltomethodsthat
workwithyourhealingsystem,suchasphysicaltherapyandgentle,persistentstretchinglikethatfoundinyogatherapy.Infact,theeffectivenessofyogatherapyforcarpaltunnelsyndromewasdocumentedinastudythatappearedintheJournaloftheAmericanMedicalAssociation. FootProblems
Yourfeetbeartheentireweightofyourbody,andifyoudonotproperlycareforthem,theycancauseendlessmisery—somuchso,
320ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
thatanentirespecialty,knownaspodiatry,existsjusttotendtothe
feetalone. Corns,HeelSpurs,PlantarFasciitis,andPlantarWarts
Corns,heelspurs,plantarfasciitis,andplantarwartsareallcommonconditionsofthefeet.Theyareoftencausedbyimproperlyfittedshoes,orimbalancescreatedbyimpropermovementwhilewalking,standing,jogging,orparticipatinginsportsandotherstrenuousactivities.Althoughtheseconditionsaresopainfulattimesthatthey
canbeincapacitating,theycanusuallybereversedquitereadilyonce
theunderlyingcausesareaddressed.Stretchingthemusclesofthe
feet,toes,andlegs;takingwarmfootbaths;goingbarefootwhen
everpossible;andapplyinggentle,soothingnaturalcreamssuchasturmericorcalendulathatsoftentheskinandsupporthealingprocessesallserveasvaluableaidstoyourhealingsystemasitworks
toalleviatetheseconditions.Additionally,wearingroomy,comfort
ableshoesandgettingregularfootmassagescanoftenhelpyourhealingsystemcorrecttheseproblems.Reflexologyisatypeofmas
sagethatinvolvesnervemeridiansthatconnectareasofthefeettootherpartsofthebody;itcanbeveryeffectiveforproblemsinvolv
ingthenervesandmusclesofthefeet. DisordersoftheSpine
Spinedisordersrepresentaspecialandmorecomplexaspectofmusculoskeletaljointdiseases.Thereare24jointsinthehumanspine,andeachoneissubjecttoapotentialproblemifitisnotproperlycaredfor. BackPain
BackpainisthesinglemostcommoncauseofworkdisabilityintheUnitedStates.Approximately100billiondollarsisspentannually
onthisproblem.Backpaincomesinvariousformsandseverityand
isassociatedwithcommondiagnosticnamessuchasspinalarthritis,spondylosis,spondylolisthesis,degenerativediscdisease,ankylosisspondylitis,scoliosis,herniatedandruptureddiscs,spinalstenosis,andsciatica.Long-standinghistoriesofpoorposture,stress,physical
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 321
abuse,repetitiveinjuries,andinadequatedietoftencontributetotheseconditions. Evenlong-standing,stubborncasesofbackpaincanbereversedif
youaddresstheunderlyingcausesandusemethodsthatworkwith
yourhealingsystem,suchasdevelopingproperspinemechanics,gentlestretching,eatingahealthy,wholesomediet,andmanagingstress.In
mypreviousbook,HealingBackPainNaturally,Iaddresstheunderly
ingcauses,treatment,andwaystopreventthiscommon,debilitating
groupofmaladiesinasimple,organizedmannerthatwillallowyoutoworkwithyourhealingsystemtoovercometheseproblems. CirculatorySystemDisorders
HeartDisease
Heartdiseaseisthenumber-onekillerintheWesternworld,andit
comesinseveralforms.Themostcommontypeofheartdisease,knownascoronaryarterydisease,iscausedbyatherosclerosis,orcloggingofthearteriesoftheheart.Coronaryarterydiseasecanleadtosuddendeathfromheartattackandclaimsmorelivesthanallotherdiseasescombined,includingcancer,diabetes,accidents,orinfections.High-fatdiets,stress,lackofexercise,repressionofangerandinhibitionofemotions,socialisolation,andalackofintimacyall
havebeenshowntobesignificantcontributingfactorstoheartdis
ease.Dr.DeanOrnish’sgroundbreakingworkonthereversalof
heartdiseasewithoutdrugsorsurgeryisbasedonaprogramthatincorporatessimple,yetpowerful,naturalmethodsthatworkwith
yourhealingsystem.Theseincludeeatingalow-fatdiet,performingmoderatebutregularexercise,practicingstressmanagementandrelaxation,andlearninghowtoexpressemotionsandsharefeelings
inasupportivegroupenvironment.Whenyoulearntoworkwith
yourhealingsystem,eventheworstandmostdangerousdiseasein
theworldcanbehealednaturally. HighBloodPressure
Alsoknownashypertension,highbloodpressureisreferredtoas“thesilentkiller.”Itisaseriouscirculatorydiseasethat,ifnottreated
322ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
properly,cancauseheartdiseaseandstroke.Thiscommondiseaseiscausedbyconstrictionandnarrowingofthearteriesandsmallerbloodvessels,whichincreasesthepressureofthebloodflowinsidethem.Theeffectissimilartowhathappenswhenyouplaceyourthumborfingerovertheendofagardenhosetospraythewateroutfurtherandfaster.Becausethesmoothmusclesthatcontrolthediameterofyourbloodvesselsare,inturn,controlledbynervesthatareconnectedto
yourbrain,yourbloodpressurecanbecomeelevatedwhenyouareunderstress.Thiscanoccurwhenyouareupset,excited,frightened,
orworried.Conversely,whenyouarecalmandrelaxed,yourblood
pressuretendstoautomaticallybecomelower.Medicinesareavailabletoartificiallycontrolhighbloodpres
sure,butmanyofthemhavesideeffectsthatcaninterferewiththequalityofyourlife.Whetherornotyouarecurrentlytakingmedications,itiscriticalforyoutoworkwithyourhealingsystembylearninghowtorelaxandmanageyourstresstohelpbringyourbloodpressuredown.Loweringyourbloodpressurethiswaywillloweryourriskofstrokeandheartdiseaseandreduceyourdepend
enceonmedications.Losingweighthasalsobeenshowntoreducebloodpressure,ashasexercise.Inadditiontocuttingoutcaffeine
andnicotine,whicharebothknowntoelevatebloodpressure,somenaturalmedicinescanaidyourhealingsystembysupportingcirculationandkeepingyourbloodvesselscalmandrelaxed. Stroke
Strokeisawell-knowncirculatorydisordermostoftencausedbyunderlyingcomplicationsoflong-standinghighbloodpressure.Theprolonged,increasedpressureinthebloodvesselsthatgotothe
braineventuallycausesthevesselstoburst,rupture,andbleed.Asecondmechanismthatcausesstrokeoccurswhensmallbloodclots,usuallygeneratedfromanirregularlybeatingheart,becomelodged
inthebrain’scirculatorypathsandclogthebloodvesselsthatnour
ishthebrain.Stroke,whichcanbeseverelyincapacitatingandevenfatal,mostcommonlyresultsinparalysisofonesideofthebody,typicallyan
armandaleg.Otherstructuresonthefacemayalsobeaffected,
suchasthetongue,mouth,lips,andcheeks.Speechandswallowing
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 323
areoftenaffected.Memorylossandlossofothermentalfaculties
canalsooccur. Forthosewhocankeeptheirspiritsupduringthehardworkof
thestrokerehabilitationphase,thebody’shealingsystemcanoften
restorethebodytopracticallynormalfunctioning,althoughthis
processmighttakemonthsorevenyears.Thebodycandothisbyaccessingduplicateinformationontheundamagedsideofthebrain
andtransferringittotheaffectedside,andconnectingnewnervepathwaystocompensateforthedamagedportionthatpreviouslycontrolledthesefunctions.Oncethebrainlearnstomakethenec
essarynewconnections,seeminglydead,paralyzedlimbsandmusclesmiraculouslycancomebacktolife.Becauseofthebody’shealingsystem,evenundercircumstanceswhereallhopeappearslost,manypeoplehavebeenabletoresumenormallivesonceagainaftertheyhavesufferedastroke. EndocrineSystemDisorders
Theendocrinesystemconsistsofimportantorgansandglandsthatproducepowerfulhormonesthatareinvolvedinawiderangeoffunctions.Becauseofitsextensiveconnections,theendocrine
systemmaybecomeimbalancedanddysfunctionalastheresultofunderlyingproblemselsewhereinthebody.Forexample,nutritionalandmetabolicproblemscanaffecttheendocrinesystem,and
viceversa.Themostcommonendocrinedisorderisdiabetes,which
isaderangementofsugarorglucosemetabolism,usuallycausedbyinsulindeficiency. ChronicFatigueSyndromeChronicfatiguesyndromeisarelativelynewdisorderthatismorecommoninwomenandalsoissomewhatbafflingtotreatbyconventionalmedicalpractices.Expertswhospecializeinthetreatment
ofthedisorderbelieveexhaustionoftheadrenalglandsmaybeanimportantfactor.Prolongedstressandalackofrestappeartobemajorfactorsinchronicfatiguesyndrome.Manypatientswiththissyndromereportextremefatigueafterlivinghectic,fast-pacedlives,
inwhichthepressuresthatsurroundthemareenormousandthey
324ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
haven’trestedorrelaxedformanyyears.Whenthebodyisunderconsiderablestressandlacksqualitysleepandrest,itisonlynatural
thatitwillsufferfromalackofenergyandeventuallybecomefatigued.Withchronicfatiguesyndrome,theremayotherconcomitantproblems,suchasyeastinfectionsandfibromyalgia,inadditiontoaccompanyingdepressionandotherpsychologicalfactorsthatfur
therdepletephysicalenergyandpreventtheconditionfromhealing
sooner.Psychologicalfactorsmightincludethefearofgettingwell
andbecomingoverwhelmedagainbythedemandsofworkand
otherresponsibilities.Thesefactorsmayserveasimpedimentstothehealingsystem’sabilitytodoitsjobinatimelyandefficientmanner. Topreventthisfromhappening,andtoworkwithyourhealingsystemtorestorenaturalhealthandenergy~itisimperativetoincor
porateadequatesleepandrestintoyourlifestyle;focusonahealthy,wholesomediet;drinkplentyoffluids;practicestressmanagement;andparticipateinaregularphysicalexerciseandmovementprogram. Diabetes
Thereareseveralwaystoclassifydiabetesandthestagesofthisill
ness.ThetwomaintypesofdiabeteshavetraditionallybeenbrokendownintoTypeI,juvenileonset,insulin-dependentdiabetesandType
II,maturityonset,oradultdiabetes,whichoftenstartsoutasnon-insulindependent,butmaybecomeinsulindependentovertime.Insulindependentreferstotheneedtoinjectinsulinfromasyringe
intoyourbodytohelpbringyourbloodsugarundercontrol. Thedangerofhighbloodsugar,whichisthecommondenominatorofalltypesofdiabetes,isthatitcandamagebloodvesselsin
theeyes,causingblindness.Itcanalsodamagethekidneys,causingkidneyfailure,andcontributetootherproblems,suchasnervedamage,andchronicskinulcersonthefeetandankles,aswell.Therealsoisastrongassociatedriskofheartdiseaseinpeoplewhosufferfromdiabetes.Adult,ormaturityonset,TypeIIdiabeteshasbeentraditionallylinkedtoobesity~adiethighinsugar,andalackofexercise.Italso
appearstoberelatedtostress,depression,emotionalupheaval,andunresolvedgrief,conditionsthatinfluencepersonalhealthhabits
anddiet,whichinturnsignificantlyinfluencethecourseofthisdisease.Althoughsomeresearchershavetriedtolinkthisformof
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 325
diabetestogeneticcauses,theevidenceclearlypointsmoretowardlifestylefactors,includingstressanddiet,sincethistypeofdiabetes
israreindevelopingcountries,butontheriseinWesterncountries. Thegoodnewsisthatthistypeofdiabetescanbereversedwhenyoucatchitearlyandapplymethodsthatworkwithyourhealingsystem.Thejuvenileformofdiabetes,TypeI,occursatamuchyounger
ageandcanoftenbesevere.Inthepast,manyexpertsbelievedthatjuvenilediabeteswasanautoimmuneillnesstriggeredbyavirusoranotherinfection,butnewerresearchpointstowardstressandderangedmind-bodyinteractionsthatoccurduringperiodsofintenseemotionalupheavalintheindividualorfamily,orduringgestation.Thischangedperspectiveisdueinparttothediscoverythatinsulincommunicatesdirectlywiththebrainandisnowclassi
fiedasaneuropeptideorneurotransmitter,ratherthanasapurehormone.Thecurrentviewisfurtherbasedonthescientificobservationthatmoreinsulincanbefoundatanyonetimeinthebrain
thaninanyotherorganorstructureinthebody.Newertreatmentsfordiabetesthataddresstheunderlying
causes,ratherthanmerelymanagethesymptoms,involvemethods
thatworkwithyourhealingsystem.Thesetreatmentsincludeeating
aproperdiet,gettingadequateexercise,practicingstress-manage
menttechniques,drinkingplentyofwater,takingnaturalmedications,andaddressingthedeeperemotional,mental,andspiritualfactorsthatmaybedrivingthisunhealthycondition.Thesestrategiesareobviouslymoreeffectiveiftheyareinstitutedinthe
earlystagesoftheillness.Insulinmayberequireduntiltheseothermethodsarewellestablished,butalargenumberofpatientshavesuccessfullyweanedthemselvesfrominsulindependenceinarelativelyshortperiodoftime.Duringmytenureasamedicalstudent
morethan20yearsago,gettingpatientsoffinsulinwasconsidered
animpossibility.Ifdiabeteshappenstoruninyourfamily,focusonincorporatingpreventivestrategiesbeforetheillnesshasachancetosurfaceinyourbody. ThyroidDysfunctionThyroiddysfunctionismorecommoninwomenthaninmen,and
itoccursfairlyfrequently.Itoccursinseveralforms,mostcommonlyhypothyroidism,orlowproductionofthethyroidhormone,
326ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
whichusuallyrequiressupplementation.Wheniowthyroidfunc
tioniscorrectedwiththyroidhormonereplacement,thereisanincreaseinmetabolism,greaterenergy,improvedmood,andlossofweight.Thesearedesirablequalitiesforanoverweightpersonwho
maysufferfromfatigueanddepression,butthelong-termeffects
ofsupplementingwiththyroidhormonewhenitmaynotbeabsolutelynecessaryareunknown.Additionally,becausethethyroidglandisunderthedomainof
thepituitarygland,whichisunderthedomainofthehypothalamusandthebrain,thyroiddysfunctionusuallyindicatesproblemshigherupthechainofcommand,whichneedtobeaddressedifone
istogettotherootoftheproblem.Unfortunately,Westernmedi
cineusuallyignorestheseunderlyingcausesinthetreatmentofthyroidconditions. Inmanycases,youcansupportyourhealingsystembyaddress
ingtheunderlyingfactorsthatmayberesponsibleforthyroiddysfunction,suchasstress,dietaryimbalances,lackofexercise,and
anunhealthylifestyle.Implementingthemethodsthatstrengthenandfortifyyourhealingsystem,assharedinpreviouschapters,can
bemosthelpful. Immune-SystemDisorders
Verylittlewasknownaboutthepowerfulandsophisticatedintrica
ciesoftheimmunesystembeforetheonsetofthedevastatingAIDSepidemic.Westillhavealongwaytogo,but,becauseofAIDSand
theHIVvirus,todayweknowmuchmorethaneverbefore. Allergies
Everypersoniscreatedasauniqueindividualandasaresultmayhavespecificsensitivitiestocertainsubstancesorenvironmentalconditions.Thesesensitivities,ifprolongedorpronounced,candevelopintoanallergy~Themostcommontypesofallergiesaffect
theskinandrespiratorysystem,andwehavealreadydiscussedthoseundertheseseparateheadings.Allergiesareoftensystemspecific.Thismeansthatonlyonesystematatimemaybesensitivetoaparticularsubstance.For
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 327
example,ifdustisbreathedintothelungs,thedustmaycausecoughing,wheezing,andarunnynose,butifitisplacedonthe
skin,dustmaynotcauseanyreactionatall.Asubstancethatcauses
anallergicrashmaynotcauseanyreactionwhatsoeverwhenitisplacedontheskin,chewed,swallowed,andeaten. Toovercomeallergiesingeneral,focusonbuildingupthehealthofthespecificsystemthatisaffectedbytheallergy.Employ
themethodsdiscussedinpreviouschaptersthatstrengthenandfor
tifyyourhealingsystemasitrelatestotheaffectedsystem. ChemicalandDrugAllergiesChemicalanddrugallergiesarecommonwithmedicationsandinmedicalsettings.Theseincludeallergiestomedicinessuchaspenicillinandotherantibiotics;mineraldyes,suchasiodine;andotherdrugsorchemicals.Theseallergiesmayshowupintheformofa
skinrash,ortheymayevenresultinaserious,life-threateningsituation.Effectiveconventionalmedicationsarecurrentlyavailableto
helpmanageandsuppresstheacutesymptomsofallergyfromwhat
evercause.Forlong-termtreatment,however,itisbetternottosuppressyoursymptoms,butinsteadtoworkwithyourhealingsystemtoovercometheallergy.Youcandothisbycarefullyobserv
inghowyourbodyinteractswitheachandeverysuspectedallergen
inyourenvironment.Eventhoughdiscoveringthetruesourceof
anyallergymayrequireabitoftediousdetectivework,ifyoucoop
eratewithyourhealingsysteminthismanner,soonerorlateryouwillbeabletoidentifytheoffendingagent,takeprecautionstoavoidfurtherexposureorcontactwithit,andeliminateitsunhealthyinfluenceonyourbody. FoodAllergies
Foodallergiesarelesscommonthanthoseoftheskinandrespira
torysystem.Foodallergiesincludeconditionsthatmaynotbetrueallergies,suchaslactoseintolerance,oneofthemostcommonofallsuspectedfoodallergies.Withlactoseintolerance,thebodylacksaspecificenzymeandissimplyunabletodigestfoodsthatcontainlactose,whichisasimplesugarfoundindairyproducts.This
enzymeislackinginthemajorityofpeoplefromtheOrientand
328ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
manyotherpartsoftheworld.Infact,lactoseintoleranceisnota
trueallergybutmerelyanormalvariantfoundincertainethnicgroups.Manyothersuspectedallergieshavesimilarstories.Manysyntheticchemicalsusedinindustryareharmfulandirritatingtothehumanbody.Becausenewsyntheticchemicalsarecontinuouslybeingintroducedintoourfoodsupply,itisnotsurprisingtofindthatfood-relatedallergiesarebecomingmorecommon.Tominimizetheriskofexposuretosuchallergens,itisimportanttoknowexactlywhatyouareintroducingintoyourbodywhenyoueat.Varietyisthespiceoflife,buttoavoidfoodallergies,avoidfoodswithchemicaladditiveswheneverpossible.Cooperatewithyourhealingsystembyeatingfoodsfromorganicandnaturalsourcesthatarefreefromchemicalpesticides,pollutants,andadditives.Youcanalsoworkwithyourhealingsystemtokeepyourdigestivesystemfreefromirritatingandtoxicsubstancesbyconsumingplentyoffluidsandfiber,andpracticinggoodintestinalhygiene. AcquiredImmuneDeficiencySyndrome(AIDS)
AIDSisanexampleofwhatcanhappentoyourbodywhentheimmunesystemisimpaired.Whentheimmunesystemiscompromised,yourbodycanbecomeafflictedbyorganismsthatcauseinfectionsanddisordersthat,undernormalcircumstances,would
notoccur.‘WheretheHIVvirusinitiallycamefromisstillcontroversial,
butitisclearthatthosewhoseimmunesystemsarealreadyimpairedandworndownareathigherrisk.Thisviruscanbefoundamongpeoplewithmultiplesexualpartners,repeatedintravenousdruguse,
orpoorpersonalhealthhabits.AIDSisentirelypreventablebypracticingsafesex,abstainingfromillegalintravenousdruguse,andavoidingbloodtransfusionsfromunknownsources.TheadditionalgoodnewsisthatmanypeoplecurrentlyafflictedwithHIVarelearningtoworkwiththeirhealingsystemstoimprovetheirhealth.Thisapproachincludesconcentratingonhealthydiets,drinkingplentyoffluids,exercising,practicingstressmanagement,includingvisualization/imagerytechniques,andrelyingonnaturalmedicinesandmodalitiesthatsupporttherebuildingandrestorationoftheimmunesystem.Many
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 329
peoplewithHIVarenowsymptomfree,and,inselectedcases,acompleteconversionfromHIVpositivebacktoHIVnegativehas
beenreported. InthebeginningmuchshamewasassociatedwithHIVinfec
tion,butthosewiththisconditionwhoareabletoloveandacceptthemselves,andtoopenuptothelovingsupportthatisavailable
fromtheirfamilies,friends,andcommunities,seemtohavethegreatestsuccessindealingwiththisdifficultproblem.Asinfectedindividualslearntostrengthen,fortif~r,andcooperatewiththeirbodies’healingsystems,itishighlylikelythatthisdiseasewillone
daybedeclaredcompletelycurable,ashashappenedwithotherdreadfuldiseasesfromthepast.AnaphylaxisAnaphylaxisisalesscommonbutmoreseriousformofanallergicreactionthatcanoccurwithbee,wasp,andotherinsectstings;jelly
fishstings;andbitesbyothervenomousanimals.Anaphylaxisalsocan
occurasareactiontoothersubstances,includingpharmaceuticals.Keepingyourmindcalmandrelaxediscriticalintheearly
stagesofsevereallergicreactionsthatmightpossiblybecomeanaphylacticreactions.Remainingcalmisessentialbecausepsycholog
icalfactorssuchasstress,anxiety,andtensioncanincreasethesymptoms.Stressmanagementandbreathingtechniquescanbehelpfulforanaphylaxis,but,asexplainedinanearlierchapter,itis
besttolearnthesetechniquesbeforeanymedicalemergencyoccurs. Topreventanaphylaxis,becarefulwithnewfoods,especiallywhen
youaretraveling,andexercisecautionwhenyouintroducenewdrugsorsubstancesintoyourbody.AutoimmuneDiseases
Thisrapidlygrowingcategoryofillnessesdescribesconditionsthat
occurasaresultofaderangementintheimmunesystemthatcauses
ittoattacknormalbodytissues.Illnessesintheautoimmunediseasecategoryincluderheumatoidarthritis,ankylosingspondylitis,lupus,Sjogren’ssyndrome,scieroderma,andmultiplesclerosis,amongmanyothers.Someresearchersfeelthatvirusesandcertainbacteriacantriggertheimmunesystemtoattacknormalbodytissues,butnewresearchsuggeststhattheseconditionsrepresentcomplexmind-body
330ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
interactionsbecausetheyalmostalwaysworsenduringtimesof
stress.Behavioralscientistsalsobelievethatautoimmunedysfunctionmaybeareflectionofdeep-seatedhostility,self-hatred,orresentmentthatcauseselementsoftheimmunesystem,actingunderordersfromthebrain,toinadvertentlyattackthebody.Thesescientistsbelievethatself-destructivethoughts,ifpersistentandprolonged,canleadtophysicalself-destructionthroughpowerfulneurochemicalsreleasedfromthebrain.Astheeminentcardiologist
Dr.RobertEliotsaid,“Thebrainwritesprescriptionsforthebody.”
Itisbecomingincreasinglyclearerovertimethatthisisindeedtrue,
sothiscurrentperspectiveisnotanunreasonableexplanationfortheoriginofmanydifficult-to-treatautoimmuneillnesses.AnkylosingSpondylitisAnkylosingspondylitisisasevereformofarthritisofthespine.Stressandemotionaltraumaappeartoworsenthiscondition.Conventionaltreatmentislargelyfocusedonsuppressingthesymptoms,anditisnotveryeffective.Workingwithmethodsthatsupportyourhealingsystem,suchasstressmanagement,gentleyogastretching,andawholesome,naturaldiet,canbeextremelyhelpfulforthiscondition.Inhisbest-sellingbookAnatomyofAnIllness,NormanCousinsdescribedhisjourneyofcompleterecoveryfromanadvancedcaseofankylosingspondylitis.Heattributedhissuccesstolearningtousethepowersofhismindandbodywhileheincorporatedother,simple,naturalmethods,includinglargedosesofvita
minCandlaughter,whichactivatedhishealingsystemtoovercome
thisautoimmunedisorder. MultipleSclerosis
InhergroundbreakingbookWhoSaidSo?AWoman’sFascinatingJourneyofSelfDiscoveryandTriumphoverMultipleSclerosis,RachelleBreslowdocumentedthemind-bodyfactorsthatcontributedtoher
owncaseofmultiplesclerosis.Shewastoldbyherconventionaldoc
torsthatherconditionwasincurable,butsheprovedthemwrong. Bylearningtoworkwithherhealingsystem,eatingahealthy,whole
somediet,incorporatingstress-managementstrategiesandpositivementalprogramming,andinitiatingotherbeneficiallifestylechanges,
shewaseventuallyabletoovercomethisso-calledincurabledisease. ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 331
Thesestrategiesareentirelyconsistentwithacomprehensivepro
grambasedontheprinciplesofworkingwiththebody’shealingsystem,andtheydemonstratewhatisalsopossibleforyou. AutoimmuneDisordersandYourHealingSystem
InadditiontotheexperiencesofRachelleBreslowandNormanCousins,
thereisnowgrowingevidence,frombothclinicalcasereportsandlabora
torydatacollectedfromvariousresearchprogramsaroundthecountry,thatimmunefunction,operatingunderthedirectionofthebrainandnervous
system,isstronglyinfluencedbyyourthoughts,attitudes,beliefs,andemo
tions.Bylearningtoharnesstheseforcesinaconstructiveway,youmaybe
abletoactivateyourhealingsystemandovercomeanyoneofanumberofdiseaseswithsuspectedautoimmuneorigins.Strategiesthatmaybeeffectiveforautoimmunedisordersincludethefollowing:
~Mind-bodystrategies,includingvisualizationandguidedimagery
~JStress-managementtechniques
~Awholesome,healthydiet
~Releaseofunhealthyemotionalbaggage
~Exercise
~Groupsupport
ffaStrengthenedsocialintimacy
~Love
Byincorporatingthesestrategiesintoyourlife,youcanworkwithyourheal
ingsystemtosignificantlyincreaseyourchancesofovercomingautoimmunedisorders. Cancer
BeforeIdiscussthestrategiesforhealingcancer,Ineedtoaddress
fourcommonmythsaboutcancer.First,cancerdoesnotcomeout
ofthebluetoattackpeoplerandomly.Italsoisnotcausedbythedemonsoffate.Aswithanyillness,therearedefinitecauses,events,
332ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
andcircumstancesthataliowcancertotakerootinthebody,eventhoughthesefactorsmayseemhidden,obscure,orelusive.Second,
cancerisnotjustonedisease,butratheranentirecategoryofill
nesses,eachwithitsownspecificcontributingcauses.Third,eventhoughcancermaycongregateinfamilies,theoverwhelmingmajor
ityofcancercasesdonothaveageneticbasis.Fourth,andperhaps
mostimportant,byallmeasurements,standards,anddefinitions,
cancerisanunnaturalillnessanddiseasethatcanbeprevented,and
inmanycasesovercome,particularlyifitiscaughtearly.Cancerappearsmorecommonlywherenature’slawsofhealth
havebeenviolated.Assuch,itisnotsurprisingtoseethehighest
cancerratesamongthemoremodern,industrializednationsoftheworld,wheresynthetic,artificialchemicalsandsubstancesareused
inabundance,andwherelifestylesarebecomingincreasinglyhectic,stressful,andunhealthy.Thisscenariorepresentsadistinctdeparturefromthesimpler,morewholesomewaysoflifethatourforefathers
andancestorsenjoyed,whencancerwasalmostnonexistent.Indevelopingnations,wherethesesimpler,healthierlifestylesarestillsomewhatmorepreservedtoday,cancerratesare,notsurprisingly,significantlylowerthanthoseinmodernindustrializednations. Tounderstandtheoriginsofcanceralittlebetter,itwillbehelp
fultorememberthefollowingimportantuniversalscientificprinciplethatoperatesinnatureandtheworldoflivingorganisms:“Anystimulusorforce,whenappliedtoasystem,willgenerateaspecificresponseinreturn.”Forexample,whenthewindblowsagainstatree,itcausesthetreetobend.‘Whenthesunshines,aplantorflowerwillgrowtowardthedirectionofthesunlight.When
thesexhormonesemittedbyfemalesofmostspeciesarereleasedin
theair,theycreateapowerfulstimulusthatattractsmaleanimalsto
theirsource.Problemsinnaturedevelopwhenartificialorunnaturalstimuli
aresuperimposedonsystemsthathavebeenprogrammedtoreacttospecific,naturalstimuliinpredictableways.Forexample,deerandfrogs,twonocturnalanimalsthatbecomemoreactiveatnight,becomemesmerizedandfreezeintheirtracksinresponsetoautomobileheadlights.Theydothisbecausetheheadlightsareartificialstimulinotpartoftheirnormalnighttimeenvironment.Thisabnormalresponsetoanunnaturalstimulusishazardoustothe
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 333
healthofbothdeerandfrogs,anditoftencausesthemtobehitand
runoverbypassingcars.Mothsgetintosimilartroublebecause
theirnighttimenavigationalsystemsarenaturallyprogrammedforstarlightandmoonlight,butnotforartificiallightsorflames,which
arenearerandofmuchbrighterintensity.Totheunsuspectingobserver,amoth’spropensitytoflystraightintoabrightlightorflameappearstobenothingshortofasuicidemission.Inreality;themovementiscausedbyanunnaturalresponsetoanartificial,unnat
uralstimulus.‘Whatoccursinthecellsofnormaltissuesinhumansandhow
thesecellsturncancerousisnotunliketheplightofdeer,frogs,andmothswhentheyareconfrontedwithunnaturalstimuli.Thestory
ofcancerbeginshere,foritishere,onthecellularlevel,thatcancer
firststartstogrow,undetectedandinvisible,untilmanyyearslaterwhenitmayfirstbediscoveredasabliponanX-rayoralumpunderneaththeskin.Beforewecancontinueourstory,itisimportantforyoutoknowmoreaboutnormalcells,howtheygrow,andhowtheyevolve. Thisinformationwillhelpexplainhowyourbodynaturallyworks,
soyouwillunderstandtheunderlyingcausesofcancermoreclearly. NormalCellularEvolution
Fromthemomentofconception,yourbody’soriginaltwocellsmul
tiply,divide,grow,andevolveintothreedistinct,primitivegerm-celltissuesknownasectoderm,mesoderm,andendoderm.Thisstageiscompletedafterjustthreeweeksofgestation.Fromthisstage,accord
ingtoprecisedivision-of-laborrequirements,yourcellsembarkupon
anorderly,supervisedjourneyoffurthermultiplication,differentia
tion,segregation,andmigration.Theyareeventuallyassignedtoaparticularorganortissue,wheretheyareprogrammedtocarryoutaspecificfunction.Forexample,aneuroninthebrainisprogrammed
toconductelectricalimpulsesanddischargeinformationtonerve
tractslocatedthroughoutyourbody.Acellinyourskinisprogrammedtohelpgrowhair,absorbsunlight,andregulatesweating
andbodytemperature.Althoughthesecellslookcompletelydiffer
entandparticipateincompletelydifferenttasks,inreality,theyhave
comefromthesameidentical,primitivegerm-celllines,which,in
thisparticularexample,isectodermtissue.Asdifferentasthey
334ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
appearandbehavewhentheyhavereachedfullmaturity,thesecellscontinuetocommunicatewitheachotherandremainfunctionallyconnectedthroughoutyourlife,throughthesameorganizingintelligencethatcreatedthem. EvolutionofaCancerCell
Cancerrepresentsadeparturefromthehighlyordered,naturalstate
ofhealththatexistswithinthecellsofalllivingsystems.‘Whenanycellortissueissubjectedtorepeatedirritationanddisturbance
fromanunnaturalstimulus,thecellbeginstorespondtothisstim
ulusbydefendingitselfagainstfurtherirritationandinjury.Insodoing,itchangesitsappearanceandfunction.Incontrasttothe
highdegreeofdifferentiationallnormalcellsexhibited,cancercells,irrespectiveoftheorganortissuefromwhichtheymayhaveoriginated,representareversiontoamoreprimitivestate.Inthisregressed
state,acancercellnolongerfunctionsinitsprevious,highlydevelopedcapacity. Ascancercellsregressfromtheirhighlydifferentiatedstructure
andfunction,andtakeonmoreprimitiveroles,theyrelinquishtheirconnectiontothenatural,orderlyformandfunctiontheyexhibitedpreviously.Itisasifthesecellsrebelagainstthecooperativeorganizationandorderlinessofthebodythatcharacterizesitsnaturalstate
ofhealthandinsteadbreakawaytoformtheirownaberrantcolony.Thesechangesdonotoccurovernight,butslowly,sometimes
overmanyyears.Thesenew,moreprimitivecellsnowreactdirectlywiththestimulusthatcausedthemtochangeandadapt,andtheybecometheirownindependent,self-assertive,abnormalmassofcells.Theseabnormalcellsmultiplyandreproduceatanacceleratedspeedtoimprovetheirchancesofsurvival.Atthecellularlevel,
cancerisnothingmorethanamaladaptiveresponsetoanabnormal,unnatural,persistent,irritating,injuriousstimulus. Let’slookatacommonexampleofhowtheevolutionofcancermightcomeaboutfromsmoking,where,inthelungs,cancerhas
beenclearlylinkedtorepeatedexposuretocigarettesmoke. oCigarettesmoke,whichisunnaturalandunhealthy,introducesharshparticlesandnoxiouschemicalcompoundsintothelungs,wheretheycauseirritationandinjurytothecellsofthelungs. ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 335
*Thecellsinthelungsattempttomendthedamagefromtheirritationandinjurythesmokehascaused.Atthesametime,
thecellsalsoattempttodefendthemselvesfromfurtherdamage
asmoresmokecontinuestoenterintothelungs. *Asthecellsworkwithoutanyresttotrytorepairthedamageto
thelungsandtopreventfurtherdamage,thecontinuedinputofsmokedisruptsnormalmechanismsofhealingandrepair. *Overthedays,weeks,months,andyearsthatapersoncontin
uestosmoke,damagetothecellsinthelungsisneverallowed
toheal.Ontopofthis,moredamageiscreatedasmoresmoke
entersintothelungs. *Thecontinuousandpersistentdamagefromthesmokecauses
thedelicatecellsthatareinthelungstoreactinadefensive,protectivemanner.Becausethecellsarenowin“survivalmode,”
thesmokebeginstochangetheirbasiccharacteristics.This
processiscalledmutation.Mutationisanadaptationresponse
ofthecelltochangesintheexternalenvironment.Inthiscase,mutationisawaythatthelungcellscanadaptandsurvivein
thefaceofthecontinuousirritationfromthecigarettesmoke. *Amushroominggrowth,characteristicofacanceroustumor,eventuallyappearsaftermanyyearsinresponsetotherepeatedunnatural,injuriousstimulusofthesmoke. *Inmanycases,ifsmokingceasesandcontinuousdamagetothe
cellsofthelungsstops,healingprocessesinthelungscan
resumeandcontinueundisturbed.Cessationoftheunhealthystimulusallowsthehealingsystemtorepairandregeneratenew,healthytissues,replacingthemutatingcellswithnormal,healthy,lungcells. Fromthisexample,itisobviousthatacancercellisnothing
morethanagoodcellturnedbadinanefforttohealfromrepeatedabuse,irritation,andinjury.Thiscelleventuallyturnstheregion
intothemonstercalledcancerthatweallsodreadfullyfear.Cancer
canoccuranywhereinyourbodythatanirritating,disruptive,unnaturalstimulusisrepeatedlyappliedtothecellsofotherwisenormal,healthytissues.Oncetheinjuriousstimulusisremoved,
336ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
however,yourhealingsystemalwayshastheabilitytorepairdam
agesandrestorenormalhealthandfunctioningtoanyorganortissueinyourbody.Unnaturalstimulithatcausecancercancomeinmanyforms. Forexample,excessiveexposuretothesun’spowerfulultravioletrays
cancauseskincancer.Excessiveradiationexposurefromatomic-bombornuclear-energyleakage,aswitnessedatbothHiroshima
andChernobyl,causescancersoftheskin,immunesystem,andotherinternalorgans.Inmostcases,however,cancerisagradualprocess,requiringmanyyearsofrepeatedunnaturalirritationandinjurytotissuesatthecellularlevel.Cancerisalsolinkedtotoxicdrugsorchemicals.Intestinalcan
cerscanoftenoccurwiththerepeatedingestionofcertainfoods,substances,orchemicalsthatcontinuallyirritatetheliningofthestomachorintestines.ThiscommonlyoccursinJapan,wherehigh
ratesofstomachcancerhavebeenlinkedtoexcessiveamountsofsmokedfish,whichcontaintoxic,irritatingsubstances.Toomuchalcoholcancauselivercancer.Certainmedicinesanddrugscanalso
causecancer,asoccurredwiththedrugDES,whichcausedthyroid
cancerinthechildrenofmotherswhotookthismedication.Additionally,theirritatingstimulusthatprecipitatescancermay
beanaturalsubstanceproducedbyyourownbody,butinexcess. Anexampleofthismightbehydrochloricacid,secretedinnormalamountsbyyourstomachduringdigestion.Duringtimesofincreasedstressandmentalagitation,however,hydrochloricacid
canbeproducedinexcess.Excesshydrochloricacidcancauseirrita
tion,inflammation,andulcersinyourstomach,andintestines,whichcanevolveintocancer.Neurotransmitters,chemicalmessengers,andotherpowerfulhormonesproducedbyyourbrainandendocrinesystemcanalso
exertanirritating,injuriouseffectonspecificorgantissues.When
stressorunhealthymoodsoremotionsrepeatedlygenerateexcessiveamountsofthesechemicalsoveranextendedperiodoftime,they
canbecomepowerfullyunhealthy,irritating,andabnormalstimuli
tothecellsofspecificorgans.Thisconstantstimulationresultsin
thedisruptionofnormaltissuestructureandfunction,andcaneventuallyleadtocancer.Thelargestnumberofcancersnowoccur
ringfallintothiscategory. ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 337
CancerPrevention
Thepromiseoffindingacureforcancerliesinunderstandingitsoriginsandfocusingmoreonpreventionthanontreatment.Manyexpertsadvocateearlyscreeningmeasurestodetectcancer;but,in
manycases,bythetimethecancerisdetected,itmayalreadybewellestablishedanddifficulttoeradicate.Althoughcanceriscertainlyeasiertotreatifit’scaughtinitsearlystages,itisstillfarbettertopreventitbeforeithasachancetotakeholdinthebody.Studiesconductedinplacesaroundtheworldwherecancerisnoticeablyabsentcanprovideimportantcluestothedirectionweneedtotakewithcancerresearchandprevention.Someofthecrit
icalfactorstoconsiderincludelifestyles,healthhabits,foods,medicines,beliefs,andmentalattitudesofthepopulationsbeingstudied.Wecanbehopefulaboutthepossibilityofacancer-freefutureifwebegintolearnfromthesecancer-freesocieties,andinsti
tutechangesinourownlivesthatsupportandstrengthenourhealingsystems,incorporateideasandmethodsfromthosecultures
thatplaceastrongemphasisonprevention,andcontinuecancerresearchandourquestforacure. WorkingwithYourHealingSystemtoHealCancer
Asourknowledgeandunderstandingincrease,morepeopletodaythaneverbeforehavegoneintocompleteremissionandhaveover
comecancer.Currently,8millionAmericanswhohavegoneintoremissionaftertheirmedicaltreatmentsarenowcancerfree.Many
ofthesecureshavecomeaboutusingconventionaltreatments,such
assurgery,drugs,andradiation,whileothersrepresentacombina
tionofconventionalandalternativetherapies.Thesemethodsincludetheuseofnaturalmedicines,exercise,dietandlifestylechanges,andspecificmind-bodytechniquesthatworktoactivate
andstimulatethebody’shealingsystem.Guided-imageryandvisualizationtechniquessuccessfullyemployedbycancerspecialistsDr. 0.CarlSimontonandDr.BernieSiegel,aswellasothers,havebeenextremelyeffectiveinhelpingmotivatedpeopleovercometheircan
cers.Learningtoexpressemotionsinahealthywayandreachingout
forlovingsupportarealsohighlyeffectiveinhelpingthehealingsystemovercomecancer.Andalthoughtherearetimeswhensur
gery,radiation,andchemotherapymaybenecessarytoshrink
338ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
tumorsandremovecancerouslesionsfromyourbodytoaidtheworkofyourhealingsystem,itisimportanttorememberthatultimatelyyoumustnotviewcancerassomethingthathasinvaded
yourbodyfromtheoutside,butrather,asadiseaseprimarilyofinternaloriginsandcauses.Externalagentsofhealingmaybehelp
ful,butyourinternalresourcesforhealingarefarmorevastandpowerful,andyoushouldnotignoreorneglectthem.Rememberthatcancerrepresentsaregressionofformandfunc
tionbyaspecificgroupofyourbody’scellsastheresultofanunhealthystimulusthathascausedthemtolosetheiruniqueidentity,design,andpurpose.Inaddition,thisunhealthystimulushasbroken
theconnectionthesecellshavetotherestofyourbody.Ifyoucandis
covertheunhealthystimulusinyourlifeandremoveit,youwillbe
wellonyourwaytohealing.Additionally,ifyoucanbringyourmentalenergies,awareness,anddesiretocooperatewithyourhealingsystemtodeepinsideyourbody,youwillbeinamuchbetterpositiontoovercomeyourillnessandreclaimyournaturalstateofhealth. Hereareanumberofeffectivemeasuresyoucantaketoheal
cancer:
oRemovealltoxic,offendingstimuliandsubstancesfromyourbody,suchascigarettesmoke,alcohol,andjunkfood,aswellas
alltoxicenvironmentalstimuli. oEatawholesomediet,withlotsoffreshfruits,vegetables,andnaturalfiber. oDrinkplentyoffluids. oExerciseregularlybutnotstrenuouslyforatleast30minutes
eachday. oFocusonyourhealingsystemandinternalresourcesforhealing. oRememberthatyourthoughtsandattitudesaffectyourphysiol
ogy.Usethepowerofyourmindtocreatehealthierinternalchemistryforyourbody. oReleasealltension,anger,hostilityresentment,andgrudgesfromyourmindandbody. oReleaseallself-destructivethoughts,allthoughtsofworthlessness
andself-condemnation,andallnegativebeliefsaboutyourself. ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 339
*Learntorelaxyourbodyandmindcompletely.Practicestressmanagementandmeditationtothepointthatyoucanaccess
yournaturalstateofpeaceandinnertranquilityregularly. *Practiceforgivenessofyourselfandothers. Useguided-imageryandvisualizationtechniquesthatareappropriateforyourcondition.Makethemdeeplypersonalanddetailed,accordingtoyourownspecificneeds.Usethesetechniquestodialoguewithyourbodyandestablishalineofcommunicationwithyourcancercells.Toboostyourconfidenceinhealing,focusontheelementsofyourbodythatarehealthyandfunctioningwell.Talktoyourhealingsystem.Enlistitshelp.Inyourinternalimagingdialogue,remindthe
cancercellsthat,basedontheprecisedivisionoflaborforwhich
theywereoriginallycreated,youvalueandappreciatetheirrole,
andthat,inthespiritofcooperationforthegreaterhealthof
yourbody,yousincerelyrequesttheirassistanceinhealing. *Usediscretionandcommonsenseinchoosingyourtreatments,
butbeopen-minded.Considerallavailablemeansatyourdisposal,includingallconventionalandnaturalmethodsthathave
proventrackrecords.Continuetofocusallyourenergiesandintentionsonreversingthediseaseprocessuntilyournatural
stateofhealthhasbeenrestored. *Understandthatreversingcancermaybeagradualprocess.For
thecancertodevelop,evolve,andgrowinyourbodywasagrad
ualprocess,andyoumustallowatleastanequalamountoftime
forthecancertodisappearbackintothematrixofyourbody’snaturallyhealthycells,organs,andtissues.JustasRomewasnotbuiltinoneday,so,too,restorationofhealthmaytaketime.Neveractoutofasenseofdesperationorhurry,becausetruehealingcannottakeplaceunderthesecircumstances.Remember
thatyourhealingsystemworksbestinaquiet,calm,relaxedinternalandexternalenvironment. *Makehealingyournumber-onepriorityinlife.Rememberthat
bybringingyourawarenessdeepinsideofyourbody,youhave
thepowertoactivateyourhealingsystemandpositivelyinflu
encethehealthofeverysingleorgan,tissue,andcell.Remember
thatyournaturalstateishealth. 340ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
ClosingThoughtsonConqueringHealthConditions
Yourhealingsystemhasbeendesignedandbuilttokeepyouhealthythrougheveryconceivablechallengelifecouldpossiblythrowyour
way.Evenillnessesbelievedtobeincurablecanbeovercomewhen
yousetintomotionthechainofeventsnecessarytostimulatetheactivityofyourhealingsystem.Naturally,thelongeryouhavehadaparticulardisease,thelongertheperiodoftimerequiredforhealing. Inthisrespect,itisimportanttocultivatethefineartofpatienceas
yousetaboutthediligentworkofincorporatingalloftheideasandmethodsoutlinedinthisandpreviouschapters.Patienceandperseverancearerequiredtosupporttheworkofyourhealingsystemso
itcanrestoreyourbodytoitsnaturalstateofhealthintheshortest
timeperiod. Aslongasyouarealive,youhavehealingpower.Evenasyou
age,therearewaystostayhealthyandovercomeillnessbykeeping
yourhealingsystemintip-topshape.Becauseyouhaveahealingsystem,ifyourcommitmentandresolvearesufficient,thereisn’tadiseaseonthefaceofthisearththatcanstandinthewayofreclaim
ingyournaturalstateofhealth. AdditionalRelaxationMethods,BreathingTechniques,andGuided-ImageryTechniquestoStrengthenYourHealingSystem
nthissectionofthebook,you’lllearnadditionaltechniquesandmethodsfortappingintotheextraordinarypowerofyourhealingsystem. RelaxationMethodstoStrengthen
andFortifyYourHealingSystem
Likeanyartistwhorequiresaquiet,peaceful,upliftingenvironment
toconcentrateandperformhisorherbestwork,yourhealingsystemdoesitsbestworkwhenyouarerelaxed.Whenyouarerelaxed,yourmind,yournervoussystem,andyourbody’sinternalenvironmentprovidetheidealbackdropinwhichyourhealingsystemcanoptimallyperformitsreparationandrestorativeworkfor
yourbody.Nature,inherinfinitewisdom,hascreatedthenaturalsleepcyclebecausetherelaxationyougetfromsleepisessentialtoyourhealthandwell-being.Whenyouaresleeping,,yourbody’sphysiologicalprocessesareminimized,yourinternalenvironmentquietsdown,andyourhealingsystemcanworkoptimallytorestoreyourhealth.Afteragoodnight’ssleep,youshouldfeelrefreshed,renewed,andinvigoratedtobeginthenewday.Whenresponding
totheirpatients’healthproblems,manydoctorswilltellthem,
342ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
“Taketwoaspirinsandcallmeinthemorning.”Theyknowthat
mostproblemsarenotasseriousthenextday,thankstothemagi
cal,healing,andrestorativepowersofsleep.Whenwehavetroublegettingtosleep,andwhenwefailtotakeadvantageofthenatural,restorativepowersofsleep,insomniacan
setin.Healthsuffersandillnesscaneasilytakeholdwhenwedon’t
getenoughsleep.Duringourwakinghours,however,itisalsoimportanttoberelaxed.Infact,oneofthemajorcausesofinsomniaistheinability
torelaxduringwakinghours.Relaxationusedtobeanaturalaspectbuiltintoourlifestyles,buttodayourlifestyleshavebecomesofast-pacedthatwedon’thavetimetorelax.Further,evenifwehadthe
time,wewouldn’tknowhowtodoit.Whenwearenotrelaxed,butareinsteadtenseorexcited,thefight-or-flightresponsecanbecomeactivated.Asyoumayrecall
fromourearlierdiscussions(seeChapter6),thefight-or-flightresponseoccurswheneverwearefrightened,tense,orfeelingthreat
enedinanyway.Thisresponseresultsinthereleaseofadrenaline,whichcausesthespeedingupofourheartbeatandbreathing,amongotherthings.Thefight-or-flightresponseisdefinitelyhelp
fulwhenourlifeisactuallybeingthreatened;however,whentheresponseiselicitedfrequentlyandsustainedovertime,itdrainsvitalenergies,weakenshost-resistancefactors,lowersourbodies’defens
es,andinterfereswiththeworkofourhealingsystems.Forthese
reasons,whentensionbecomeschronicandlonglasting,itiseasy
forillnesstostepinandinvadeourbodies.Infact,long-standingtensionisoneofthekeyunderlyingfactorsinthedevelopmentandprogressionofmanychronicdegenerativediseases. Toneutralizetheharmfuleffectsoftensionandreversethedam
agingeffectsofthefight-or-flightresponse,itisimportanttolearn
howtorelax.Insodoing,youwillbestrengtheningandfortif~ring
yourhealingsysteminamostfundamentalway. Iamcontinuallyamazedathowmanypeopledon’tknowor
neverlearnedhowtorelax.WhenIinquire,mostpeoplereportto
methattheyneedsomekindofexternalproporactivity,suchasreadingorwatchingTV,amind-alteringsubstancesuchasalcohol
oratranquilizer,oracombinationofthese,towinddownfrom
theirbusydaysandhelprelievetheirtensions.Thesemethodsand
AdditionalMethodsandTechniques 343
activitiesoftenfeelrelaxing,but,inmostinstances,themindisstillactivelyengaged.Or,atthecostofachievingmentalrelaxation,consciousness,properjudgment,andthebody’shealth(mostcommon
lytheliver’s)aresacrificed.Atbest,thesemethodsanddevicesare
onlytemporaryandachieveonlyasmallfractionoftherelaxation
thatthehealingsystemrequirestofunctionoptimally.Additionally,theyusuallyhaveharmfulsideeffectsthatneutralizewhateverben
efitstheymightcontribute. Inourhigh-speedmodernlifestyles,learninghowtorelaxis,unfortunately, alostart,andonereasonwhymanystress-andtension-relateddisordersareontheincreaseinNorthAmericaandEurope.Thesediseasesarenotintheminorleagues,either;rather,
recentresearchhasdeterminedthattheyincludesomeoftheheavi
esthittersintheannalsofinternationalpublichealth.Asmentionedearlier,amongthesediseasesareheartdisease(theworld’snumber-
onekiller),highbloodpressure,diabetes,asthma,andcancer.To
overcomethesediseasesandimproveourhealth,itisimperativethat
werelearnwhatoncewasanaturalprocess,builtintooursimpler,
moreorganiclifestyles:howtorelax. Truerelaxationinvolvesthenaturalquietingdownandcalming
ofyourmindtoapointatwhichafeelingofdeeppeaceandcomfortpermeateseverypartofyourbody.Truerelaxationimprovesyouroverallhealthbycalmingandsoothingyourbody’sinternalenviron
mentsoyourhealingsystemcanfunctionandperformatitsbest. Aswelearn,practice,andexperienceregularrelaxation,manyill
nessesanddiseasescanbetotallyeradicated,nevertoreturnagain—includingtheheavyhitterspreviouslymentioned.Manyscientificstudiescanattesttothepowerandefficacyofrelaxation,whichisanessentialingredientforlifelong,naturalhealth.Imightaddthatbeyondtheimmediatebenefitsoftheactualrelaxationpracticesandtechniques, aspillovereffectoccursintherestofyourwakinghours.Thesebenefitsaccrueovertimetoproducegreaterhealth,muchlike
ahigh-interest-bearingaccountgrowslargerandstrongerovertime. Inpreparationforpracticingtherelaxationtechniques,itisimportanttosecurea20-to30-minutetimeslotforyourselfduringwhichyoucanbequietandalone.Makesureyouwon’tbedisturbedduringthisperiod,andthatyouhavenoresponsibilitiestoattend
to—nophoneorpagertoanswer,nodiaperstochange,nostoveor
344ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
oventoturnoff,andsoon.Findaroomwhereyoucanclosethe
doorandbefreefromalldistractions.(Youmayneedtowearearplugsorheadphonesifitisnoisy. )Makesureyouarenotcold.Whateveryourposition,youmayneedtoplaceblanketsorpillowsunderyourknees,head,orbacktoensureyourcomfort.Normally,whenyouareperformingrelaxationtechniquesorbreathingexercises,itispreferabletobreathethroughyournose.Beforeyouproceedwithanyofthefollowingtechniques,youmightfindithelpfultogetasmalltaperecorderandrecordyourvoiceasyoureadtheinstructionsoutloud,slowlyandcalmly.Afteryouhaverecordedyourwords,youwillhaveyourownvoicerecorded,toguide
youanytimeyouwish.Or,ifyouwish,youcanjustreadthrougheachtechniqueonceortwicebeforeyouattempttopracticeit.ProgressiveRelaxationforYourHealingSystem
Thisisawonderfulrelaxationtechniqueforpeoplewhoarechronicallytenseor“highstrung.”Itisespeciallyusefulforpeoplewho
haveneverexperiencedwhatitfeelsliketoberelaxed.ForpeoplewhohavetroublewiththeDeepRelaxationtechniquedescribedear
lierinChapter6,ProgressiveRelaxationoffersanothersimpleyetpowerfulwaytolearnhowtorelax. TheTechnique
nLiedowninacomfortablepositionwithyourfeetaboutshoul
derwidthapart.Keepyourhandsalongthesideofyourbody,withyourpalmsfacingup.Adjustanypartofyourbodytomakesureyouarecomfortablebeforeyouproceed.Gentlycloseyoureyes,andbringyourawarenessinsideofyourbody. DNow,shiftyourawarenesstoyourfeetandtoes.Takealong,deepbreathasyoutightenandtenseallthemusclesinyourfeet
andtoes.Squeezeashardasyoucan,andholdallthemuscles
inyourfeetandtoesinatight,contractedstate.Counttoeight
inyourmindasyousqueezethemusclestight.Donotforceorstrain,butholdyourbreathasyouaresqueezing. DAfteragood,long,strongsqueeze,letgoofyoursqueezingas
youslowlyletyourbreathout.Allowthesemusclestoletgoof
AdditionalMethodsandTechniques 345
theirtensionandrelaxasyousiowanddeepenyourbreathing,gently,withoutforcingorstraining.Continuetorelaxyourmuscles,andgentlyslowyourbreathing.Witheachexhalation
ofyourbreath,allowwhatevertensionexistsinthesemusclestoleaveyourbody. Next,bringyourawarenesstoyourankles,lowerlegs,knees,
andthighs.Takealong,deepbreathasyoutightenandtenseall
themusclesinyourankles,lowerlegs,knees,andthighs.Squeezeashardasyoucan,andholdthesemusclesinatight,contractedstatewhileyouslowlycounttoeightinyourmind.Holdyourbreathasyouaresqueezing.Afteragood,long,strongsqueeze,letgoofyoursqueezingandatthesametimeslowlyletyourbreathout,allowingthesemusclestorelaxontheirown.Allowthesemusclestorelaxasyouslowanddeepen
yourbreathing,gently,withoutforcingorstraining.Continue
toletgoofallmusculareffortsofsqueezingthesemuscles.Continuetorelaxyourmuscleswhileyougentlyslowyourbreathing.Witheachexhalationofyourbreath,allowwhatevertensionexistsinthesemusclestoleaveyourbody. aNow,bringyourawarenesstoyourhips,pelvicarea,buttocks,
andlowerspine.Takealong,deepbreathasyoutightenand
tenseallthemusclesinyourhips,pelvicarea,buttocks,andlowerspine.Squeezeashardasyoucan,andholdthesemuscles
inatight,contractedstatewhileyouslowlycounttoeightin
yourmind.Holdyourbreathasyouaresqueezing.Afteragood,long,strongsqueeze,letgoofyoursqueezingwhileyouslowly
letyourbreathout,allowingthesemusclestorelaxontheirown.Allowthesemusclestorelaxasyougentlyslowanddeepenyourbreathing,withoutforcingorstraining.Continuetoletgoofalleffortstosqueezethesemuscles.Continuetorelaxyourmuscles
andyourbreathing.Witheachexhalationofyourbreath,allowwhatevertensionexistsinthesemusclestoleaveyourbody. aNext,bringyourawarenesstoyourstomach,abdomen,andchest.Takealong,slow,deepbreathasyoutightenandtenseall
themusclesinyourstomach,abdomen,andchest.Squeezethesemusclesashardasyoucan,andholdtheminatight,contractedstatewhileyouslowlycounttoeightinyourmind.Hold
346ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
yourbreathasyouaresqueezing.Afteragood,long,strongsqueeze,letgoofyoursqueezing,andatthesametimeletyourbreathout,allowingthesemusclestorelaxontheirown.Allowthesemusclestorelaxasyougentlyslowanddeepenyourbreathing,withoutforcingorstraining.Letgoofalleffortstosqueezethesemuscles.Continuetorelaxyourmusclesandyourbreathing.Witheachexhalationofyourbreath,allowwhatevertensionexistsinthesemusclestoleaveyourbody. 0Now,bringyourawarenesstothemusclesinyourmiddleand
upperback,includingtheareabetweenyourshoulderblades.Take
along,slow,deepbreathasyousqueezethesemusclesashardas
youcan,drawingyourshouldersbackslightlywhileyougentlyarchyourspine.Holdthesemusclesinatight,contractedstatewhileyouslowlycounttoeightinyourmind.Holdyourbreath
asyouaresqueezing.Afteragood,long,strongsqueeze,letgoof
yoursqueezing,andatthesametimeletyourbreathout,allowingthesemusclestorelaxontheirown.Allowthesemusclestorelax
asyouslowanddeepenyourbreathing,withoutforcingorstrain
ing.Letgoofalleffortstosqueezethesemuscles.Continuetorelaxyourmusclesandyourbreathing.Witheachexhalation,allowwhatevertensionexistsinthesemusclestoleaveyourbody. oNext,bringyourawarenesstoyourshoulders,arms,forearms,wrists,hands,andfingers.Asyoudrawinalong,deepbreath,squeezethemusclesinyourshoulders,arms,forearms,andwrists
ashardasyoucan,andholdtheminatight,contractedstate.Maketight,clenchedfistswithbothofyourhandswhileyouslowlycounttoeightinyourmind.Holdyourbreathasyouaresqueezing.Afteragood,long,strongsqueeze,letgoofyoursqueezing,andatthesametimeletyourbreathout,allowingthesemusclestorelaxontheirown.Letgoofalleffortstosqueezethesemuscles.Allowthesemusclestorelaxasyouslowanddeepenyourbreath
ing,withoutforcingorstraining.Continuetorelaxyourmuscles
andyourbreathing.Witheachexhalationofyourbreath,allowwhatevertensionthatexistsinthesemusclestoleaveyourbody. oInasimilarmanner,systematicallytense,squeeze,andthen
relaxallthemusclesinthebackofyourneckandhead,aswell
asthoseonthetopofyourhead. AdditionalNiethodsandTechniques 347
~Inasimilarway,systematicallytense,squeeze,andthenrelax
yourforehead,andallthemusclesaroundyoureyes,ears,and
jaws,andallthemusclesonyourface. ~Inasimilarmanner,systematicallytense,squeeze,andthen
relaxallthemusclesinyourbody,untilallyourmuscleshave
beentensedandrelaxedinthisfashion. *Next,allowyourentirebodytolielimpandrelaxed,withthe
onlymovementbeingtheautomatic,involuntarymovementof
yourstomachandabdomenastheyriseandfallrhythmically,inconjunctionwiththemovementofyourbreathasitflowsin
andoutofyourbody.Everytimethebreathleavesyourbody,
feelallthemusclesinyourbodyreleasingtensionandbecom
ingmorerelaxed. Nowslowlybringyourawarenesstothetipofyournose,where
yourbreathisflowinginandoutofyourbodythroughyournostrils. *Noticethegentle,flowingmovementofyourbreathasitcomes
inandoutofyourbodyatthispoint,withouttryingtocontrol
therateordepthofthemovement. *Observeyourbreathasifitweresomethingdifferentfromyourself. *Asyoucontinuetoobserveyourbreathingforatleast5to10minutes,orlongerifyoudesire,letyourmindandbodyrelaxcompletely. Afteryoucompletethisexercise,gentlyopenyoureyesandstretch
yourentirebody.Don’trushtoyournextactivity.Takethetimeto
savorthecalmandrelaxedstateyouhavejustexperienced.Knowthat
thisisnotanartificialorcontrivedstate,butratheryournaturalstate
ofbeing.Focusonremaininginthiscalmandrelaxed,naturalstatethroughouttheday,untilthenexttimeyouareabletodothisexercise.RegularlypracticingProgressiveRelaxationhelpstostrengthenandfortifyyourhealingsysteminapowerfulway.Ifyouarecurrent
lybattlingahealthdisorder,practicetwiceadayforaminimumof
sixweeks,andyoushouldseesignificantgainsinyourhealth.Ifyou
arecurrentlyhealthy,practiceProgressiveRelaxationonceadayfor
20to30minutestopreventillnessfrominvadingyourbody. 348ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
BlueSkyFloatingonYourBackRelaxation
ThisrelaxationtechniquebeginsliketheDeepRelaxationtechnique
(seeChapter6),butthismethodalsoincorporatesthesoothingnat
uralimageryofwaterandsky.Ifyouhaveanaffinityfortheseele
ments,thistechniquecanbeextremelyeffectiveandpowerful. TheTechnique
nMakesureyouareinacomfortablepositiononyourback. sKeepyourhandsalongthesideofyourbody,withyourpalmsfacingup,orfoldyourhandsontopofyourstomachandabdomen.Gentlycloseyoureyes,andbringyourawarenessinsideofyourbody. ~Noticeintheareaofyourstomachandabdomentheslightupanddownmovementthatoccursinconjunctionwiththemove
mentofyourbreathasitflowsinandoutofyourbody. oNoticethatwhenthebreathflowsintoyourbody,yourstom
achandabdomengentlyrise,gentlyexpand. oNoticethatwhenthebreathflowsoutofyourbody,yourstom
achandabdomengentlyfall,gentlycontract. oWithouttryingtocontroltherateordepthofthismovement,allowyourmindtobeapassiveobservertotherhythmicalflow
ofyourbreathasitmovesinandoutofyourbody,causingyourstomachandabdomentoriseandfall. oEverytimethebreathleavesyourbody,feelallthemusclesin
yourbodyreleasingtensionandbecomingmorerelaxed. (Note:Thereisanaturalrelaxationphaseinyourbodythatoccursduringeachexhalationofthebreath.Whenyoupaycloseatten
tiontoyourbodyanditsbreathingprocesses,youcanfeelthisrelaxationphasequitedistinctly.) oNow,bringyourawarenessdowntoyourfeetandtoes.Useyourbreathandthenaturalrelaxationphasethatoccursduringeachexhalationtogentlyrelaxallthemusclesinyourfeetandtoes. oRelaxallthemusclesinyourankles,lowerlegs,knees,thighs,hips,pelvicarea,buttocks,andlowerspine. AdditionalMethodsandTechniques 349
•Relaxallthemusclesinyourstomach,abdomen,andchest,as
wellasthemusclesinyourmiddleandupperback,including
theareabetweenyourshoulderblades. •Relaxallthemusclesinyourshoulders,arms,forearms,wrists,hands,fingers,andfingertips. •Relaxallthemusclesinthebackofyourneckandhead,andthe
topofyourhead. •Relaxyourforehead,andallthemusclesaroundyoureyes,ears,
andjaws,andonyourface. •Relaxallthemusclesinyourbody. •Continuetoobserveyourbreathing,noticingthegentleupanddownmovementinyourstomachandabdomen.Continueto
feelmorerelaxedwitheachexhalation. Now,keepingyoureyesclosed,imaginethatyouarefloatingon
thesurfaceofaquiet,serenelake,andthereisblueskyaboveand
allaroundyou. (Ifyouarenotcomfortablebeingdirectlyinthe
water,youcanimagineyourselffloatingonastrongandsecurerubberinnertubeinthewater.Aboveallelse,itisimportanttofeelcompletelysafeandsecurewiththisimageryandthistechnique.) •Asyoucontinuetobreatheinandoutinagentleandrelaxed
manner,noticehowthewaterbeneathyouissoothingandrefreshingtoyourbody.Noticehowthevastblueskyaboveyou
ispeacefulandrefreshingtogazeupon,asifyourentirebeingisembracinginfinityandmergingintotheheavens. •Noticeafeelingoflightnessandpeaceinyourmindthatextendsintoeverypartofyourbodyasyoucontinuetofloaton
thesurfaceofthewater,gazingupintothebluesky.Allowyourselftofeelthispeacefulsensationoflightnessandrelaxation
fromthetopofyourheadtothetipsofyourfingersandtoes. •Asyoucontinuetofloatonthesurfaceofthewater,lookupat
theblueskyaboveyou,andallowyourselftofeelasifyouaremeltingintotheexpansivenessoftheskyandallofcreation. •Continuetobreatheandrelax,drinkinginthepeaceandseren
ityofthisexperience. 350ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
Afteryoucompletethisexercise,gentlyopenyoureyes,andstretchyourentirebody.Makesureyoudon’trushtoyournextactivity.Takethetimetosavorthecalmandrelaxedstateyouhave
justexperienced.Knowthatthisisnotanartificialorcontrived
state,butratheryournaturalstateofbeing.Focusonremainingin
thiscalmandrelaxednaturalstatethroughouttheday,untilthenext
timeyouareabletodothisexercise.Practicingthisexerciseregular
lybringsthemosteffectivebenefits. BreathingTechniquesThatStrengthenandFortifyYourHealingSystem
Breathingisanactivitythatyouprobablytakeforgrantedbecause
yourbodycanbreatheonitsown,automatically.Itusuallydoesso
24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek,withoutyourevenbeingawareof
it.Butbreathingisapowerfulphysiologicalactivitythatcanbemodified,eithertoyourbenefitordetriment,anditcanaidorhin
derthefunctioningofyourhealingsystem. AswediscussedinChapter6,breathingworksonmanydiffer
entlevelstoinfluenceyourbody’shealthandtheperformanceof
yourhealingsystem.Andalthoughthereisnorightorwrongway
tobreathe,manypeoplehavedevelopedhabitsofbreathingthatdo
notoptimizetheperformanceoftheirhealingsystems. Onamechanicallevel,breathingaffectsyourposture.Because
themusclesofrespirationmoveyourribcageandchest,whichcon
necttothevertebraeinyourspine,everybreathyoutakeinfluences
thealignmentofyourspinalcolumn.Forexample,peoplewithasthmaandotherchronicbreathingproblemsaretypicallyshallowbreathers,andtheytendtodeveloprestrictive,hunched-forwardpositionsintheirspine,knownaskyphosis.Kyphosisfurtherrestrictsdeepbreathinganddeprivesthebodyofadequateoxygenation.An
extremeexampleofkyphosiscouldbeseenintheHunchbackofNotreDame.Breathisalsothelinkbetweenyourbodyandmind,anditexerts
apowerfulinfluenceonyournervoussystem.Forexample,whenyou
areagitatedorupset,yourbreathingbecomesshallowandrapid.Conversely,whenyouarerelaxedandpeaceful,yourbreathing
AdditionalMethodsandTechniques 351
becomessloweranddeeper.Theprocessesareinterrelated.Infact,
bypracticingslow,relaxed,deepbreathing,youcancalmandrelax
yourmindandnervoussystem,whileyou.improvetheoxygenation
ofyourbody’stissues. Bylearning‘topracticethesesimple,easybreathingtechniques,whicharebasedonancientyogatechniquesfromIndia,youcanbringmoreprana,orenergy,intoyourbody,andstrengthenandfortif~r’yourhealingsystem.Becausebreathing,forthemostpart,issuchanatural,unconsciousactivity,manypeoplehaveastrongaversiontolearninghow
tobreatheinawaythatmayinitially-feeldifferentorunnatural.However,basedonmy25yearsofexperienceasadoctorwhohasstudiedbreathing,andonnewscientificstudiesofbreathing,Ican
assure‘youthattakingacloserlookatyourbreathing,andcommit
tingyourselfto’justoneortwoofthefollowingsimple‘breathingtechniques,willenableyoutonoticeatremendousimprovementin
youroverallstateofhealth. Ofallthephysicalactivitiesyoucandotoimproveyourhealth
andinfluenceyourhealingsystem,breathingisoneofthemostpowerfulofall. BreathingTechniquesBreathingtechniquesaretraditionallydoneinasittingposition,but
youcanalsodothemwhileyou’relyingdown.Theimportantthing
istomakesure’youareinacomfortableposition.Ifyouaredoingbreathingtechniqueswhileyouaresitting,keepyourspinestraightandyourshouldersrelaxed.Ifyouaredoingthesewhileyouarelyingdown,youcanassumeasimilarpositiontothatoftheDeepRelaxation(seeChapter6)orProgressiveRelaxation(seethesection
inthischapteronrelaxationmethods)techniques.‘Whateveryourposition,youmayneedtoplaceblanketsorpillowsunderyourknees,head,andbacktoensureyourcomfort.Makesureyouarenotcold.Normally,whenyouareperformingbreathingexercises,aswithotherrelaxajiontechniques,breathingthroughyournosewheneverpossibleispreferable.Thebeautyofbreathingexercisesisthatyoucandothematnumerousintervalsthroughouttheday,fromoneminute’sduration,
upto30to60minutes,dependingonyourschedule.Obviously,the
354ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
sensationiseasierforyoutofeel.Noticethistemperaturediffer
encebetweentheairmovingintoyournoseandtheairmoving
outofyournoseasyoucontinuetobreathewiththisincreasedawareness.Continuetobreathethiswayforoneortwominutes. oAfteroneortwominutes,onyournextexhalation,asyoubreatheout,followthebreathasitleavesyournose,andseehow
faryoucanfeelitmovingawayfromyourbody. oInthebeginning,youcanplaceahandinfrontofyournoseto
helpyoufeelthemovementofyourbreath.Asyourbreathstrikes
yourhand,keepmovingyourhandfurtherawayfromyournose. Asyoucontinuetobreathe,keepmovingyourhandfurtherandfurtherawayuntilyoucannolongerfeelyourbreathstriking
yourhand. (Afteryougetgoodatthis,youwillnolongerneedto
useyourhand. )Nowbringyourhandbackslightlyuntilyoucan
stilljustbarelyfeelyourbreath.Asyoucontinuetobreathethis
way,beawareofhowfaryourbreathflowsoutofyourbody. oContinuetoholdyourawarenessatthepointatwhichyoucan
justbarelyfeelyourbreath.Continuetoholdyourawarenessat
thispoint,onlynow,seewhetheryoucandoitwithoutusing
yourhand.(Adjustingyourawarenessmaytakeafewmoments.) oAtthefurthestpointawayfromyourbodyatwhichyouarestill
abletojustbarelydetectyouroutgoingbreath,starttofocus
yourawarenessontheincomingbreath.Seewhetheryoucanbegintofeeltheslightlycooleraircomingintoyourbodyfrom
thissamepoint.Continuetofocusatthepointoforiginofthecoolerairasitbeginstoenterintoyourbody. oAsyoubreathein,followthecoolerairenteringintoyourbody
andnoticetheplaceatwhichitcomesincontactwithyour
nose.Feelthecoolerairgentlystrikingyour~noseasitenters
intoyourbody,andthencontinuetofollowthisairasitmoves
intoyourthroatandlungs.Followyourbreathfurtherintoyourbodyasitcausesyourstomachandabdomentoriseandexpand.Feelyourbreathspreadingthroughoutyourentirebodywith
eachinhalationthatyoutake. oWitheachbreathyoutake,continuetofollowyourincomingbreathasitflowsintoyourbody,watchingitcauseyourstom
achandabdomentoriseandexpand. AdditionalNiethodsandTechniques 355
tContinuetoobservethegentlemovementofyourstomachandabdomenasyourbreathflowsinandoutofyourbody. *Now,gentlyshiftyourawarenessbacktothemostdistantpoint
atwhichyoucoulddetectthemovementofyourbreath.Simultaneouslyfeelbothofthesepoints:1)thepointthatisfurthestawayfromyourbodyatwhichyoucandetectyourbreath,
and2)themostinteriorpointwithinyourbodyatwhichyou
canstillfeelthepresenceofyourbreath. *Holdyourawarenessbetweenthesetwoextremepointsasyoucontinue’toobservetheautomatic,flowingmovementofyourbreathasitflowsinandoutofyourbody. *After5to10minutes,slowlyopenyoureyes,stretchyourbody,andreleaseyourselffromyourseatedorlying-downposition. “ThePauseThatRefreshes”BreathingExercise
Thisisasimpleandeasybreathingexercisethatyoucandoanytime,anywhere,whileyouaresittingorlyingdown.Themoreyoudoit,
theeasieritgets,andthemorenaturalitfeels.Whenyouperformthisexercisecorrectly,itisextremelypleasurable.Eventhoughitissimpleandeasy,andfeelssogood,don’tunderestimateitspowerandeffectivenessinstrengtheningandfortifyingyourhealingsystem. TheTechnique
*Althoughitispreferabletosit,youmayalsoliedowninacomfortablepositionforthisbreathingtechnique.Closeyoureyes,bringingyourawarenessintoyourbody.Relaxyourshoulders
andallthemusclesinyourbody. *Bringyourattentiontotheareaofyourstomachandabdomen.Noticeintheareaofyourstomachandabdomentheslightupanddownmovementthatoccursinconjunctionwiththemove
mentofyourbreathasitflowsinandoutofyourbody. *Noticethatwhenthebreathflowsintoyourbody,yourstom
achandabdomengentlyrise,andwhenitflowsoutofyourbody,yourstomachandabdomengentlyfall. *Withouttryingtocontroltherateordepthofthismovement,
justallowyourselftobeapassiveobservertothenaturalflowof
356ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
yourbreathasitmovesinandoutofyourbody.Breathelike
thisforseveralminutes,untilyoubegintofeelasensationofrelaxationsweepingoveryourentirebody. ciNext,asyounoticeyourselfbecomingrelaxed,gentlyslowanddeepenyourbreathing,sothatthetimeofyourinhalationandexhalationareslightlyprolonged.Note,however,thatitisextremelyimportanttodothisgradually,withoutforcingorstraining.Aboveallelse,makesureyouarecomfortablewith
yourbreathing. ciNow,asyoucontinuetogentlylengthen,deepen,andslowyourbreathing,noticethatrightbeforeyourbreathflowsintoyourbody,andrightbeforeitbeginstoflowoutagain,thereisaslightpausebetweentheseseparatephasesofyourbreathing.Thesephasesareknownasinspirationandexpiration,respectively.Noticethatthereareatotaloftwopausesbuiltintoyourbody’snaturalbreathingcycle. ciAsyoucontinuetobreatheinandoutslowly,noticethesetwodistinctpausesbetweeninspirationandexpiration. ciNow,duringthenextpauseafterinspiration,rightbeforeyouexhale,gentlylengthenthetimeofthenaturalpausebeforeyoucommenceexhaling.Dothisinagentleandsoothingway,with
outforcingorstraining.Ifyoudoitright,youshouldfeelaslightlypleasurablesensation,especiallywhenyouexhale.As
youholdthispause,youmaywanttogentlypressyourtongueagainstthebackofyourteethorthetopofyourpalatetomake
surenoairescapesduringthisperiod. ciNow,afterabriefandslightbreathpauseofoneortwoseconds,whenyouhavetemporarilysuspendedmovementinyournormalbreathingrhythms,gentlyreleasethepauseandletyourbreathoutslowlyandsmoothly,asyouwouldduringnormalbreathing. ciWhenyouareready,afterthenextfullinspiration,andrightbeforeexpiration,atthetimeofthenextnaturalpauseorbreak
inyourbreathing,onceagaingentlyprolongandlengthenthis
pauseforoneortwosecondsbeforeyouletyourbreathoutnaturally,asyouwouldduringyournormalbreathingcycle. AddittonatMethodsandTechniques 357
•Continuetobreathethisway,gentlyprolongingthenatural
pausethatoccurswitheachcycleofbreathingbetweeninspira
toryandexpiratoryphases.
Extraordinary_Healing_-_the_amazing_power_of_your_body_s_secret_healing_system.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        DisordersoftheHands,Feet,andExtremities
HandProblems
Thehandsaresubjecttooveruseandabuse,andconsequentlythey
areacommonsitefortheoccurrenceofarthritis,particularlyinlater
years. Thisarthritisisoftenduetochronictensioninthefingers,whicheventuallycausesthemusclestofixthejointsinaparticularposition,whichsubsequentlyleadstoirritation,swelling,inflamma
tion,andjointpain. Workingwithyourhealingsystembyaddressingtheunderlying
causesoftheseproblems,alongwithregulargentleextensionofthemusclesandtendonsthatcontrolthemovementofthefingers,can
helpreverseandpreventthisproblem. Arthritisofthehandsiseasier
tomanageorcureifyoucatchitearlyandifyouincorporatemeth
odsthatworkwithyourhealingsystemintoyourdailylife. CarpalTunnelSyndromeCarpaltunnelsyndromeisachronicconditionofthewristsrelated
tooveruseofthewristjoints. Surgeryisoftenperformedinmore
severecases. However,thisconditionrespondswelltomethodsthat
workwithyourhealingsystem,suchasphysicaltherapyandgentle,persistentstretchinglikethatfoundinyogatherapy. Infact,theeffectivenessofyogatherapyforcarpaltunnelsyndromewasdocumentedinastudythatappearedintheJournaloftheAmericanMedicalAssociation. FootProblems
Yourfeetbeartheentireweightofyourbody,andifyoudonotproperlycareforthem,theycancauseendlessmisery—somuchso,
320ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
thatanentirespecialty,knownaspodiatry,existsjusttotendtothe
feetalone. Corns,HeelSpurs,PlantarFasciitis,andPlantarWarts
Corns,heelspurs,plantarfasciitis,andplantarwartsareallcommonconditionsofthefeet. Theyareoftencausedbyimproperlyfittedshoes,orimbalancescreatedbyimpropermovementwhilewalking,standing,jogging,orparticipatinginsportsandotherstrenuousactivities. Althoughtheseconditionsaresopainfulattimesthatthey
canbeincapacitating,theycanusuallybereversedquitereadilyonce
theunderlyingcausesareaddressed. Stretchingthemusclesofthe
feet,toes,andlegs;takingwarmfootbaths;goingbarefootwhen
everpossible;andapplyinggentle,soothingnaturalcreamssuchasturmericorcalendulathatsoftentheskinandsupporthealingprocessesallserveasvaluableaidstoyourhealingsystemasitworks
toalleviatetheseconditions. Additionally,wearingroomy,comfort
ableshoesandgettingregularfootmassagescanoftenhelpyourhealingsystemcorrecttheseproblems. Reflexologyisatypeofmas
sagethatinvolvesnervemeridiansthatconnectareasofthefeettootherpartsofthebody;itcanbeveryeffectiveforproblemsinvolv
ingthenervesandmusclesofthefeet. DisordersoftheSpine
Spinedisordersrepresentaspecialandmorecomplexaspectofmusculoskeletaljointdiseases. Thereare24jointsinthehumanspine,andeachoneissubjecttoapotentialproblemifitisnotproperlycaredfor. BackPain
BackpainisthesinglemostcommoncauseofworkdisabilityintheUnitedStates. Approximately100billiondollarsisspentannually
onthisproblem. Backpaincomesinvariousformsandseverityand
isassociatedwithcommondiagnosticnamessuchasspinalarthritis,spondylosis,spondylolisthesis,degenerativediscdisease,ankylosisspondylitis,scoliosis,herniatedandruptureddiscs,spinalstenosis,andsciatica. Long-standinghistoriesofpoorposture,stress,physical
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 321
abuse,repetitiveinjuries,andinadequatedietoftencontributetotheseconditions. Evenlong-standing,stubborncasesofbackpaincanbereversedif
youaddresstheunderlyingcausesandusemethodsthatworkwith
yourhealingsystem,suchasdevelopingproperspinemechanics,gentlestretching,eatingahealthy,wholesomediet,andmanagingstress. In
mypreviousbook,HealingBackPainNaturally,Iaddresstheunderly
ingcauses,treatment,andwaystopreventthiscommon,debilitating
groupofmaladiesinasimple,organizedmannerthatwillallowyoutoworkwithyourhealingsystemtoovercometheseproblems. CirculatorySystemDisorders
HeartDisease
Heartdiseaseisthenumber-onekillerintheWesternworld,andit
comesinseveralforms. Themostcommontypeofheartdisease,knownascoronaryarterydisease,iscausedbyatherosclerosis,orcloggingofthearteriesoftheheart. Coronaryarterydiseasecanleadtosuddendeathfromheartattackandclaimsmorelivesthanallotherdiseasescombined,includingcancer,diabetes,accidents,orinfections. High-fatdiets,stress,lackofexercise,repressionofangerandinhibitionofemotions,socialisolation,andalackofintimacyall
havebeenshowntobesignificantcontributingfactorstoheartdis
ease. Dr. DeanOrnish’sgroundbreakingworkonthereversalof
heartdiseasewithoutdrugsorsurgeryisbasedonaprogramthatincorporatessimple,yetpowerful,naturalmethodsthatworkwith
yourhealingsystem. Theseincludeeatingalow-fatdiet,performingmoderatebutregularexercise,practicingstressmanagementandrelaxation,andlearninghowtoexpressemotionsandsharefeelings
inasupportivegroupenvironment. Whenyoulearntoworkwith
yourhealingsystem,eventheworstandmostdangerousdiseasein
theworldcanbehealednaturally. HighBloodPressure
Alsoknownashypertension,highbloodpressureisreferredtoas“thesilentkiller. ”Itisaseriouscirculatorydiseasethat,ifnottreated
322ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
properly,cancauseheartdiseaseandstroke. Thiscommondiseaseiscausedbyconstrictionandnarrowingofthearteriesandsmallerbloodvessels,whichincreasesthepressureofthebloodflowinsidethem. Theeffectissimilartowhathappenswhenyouplaceyourthumborfingerovertheendofagardenhosetospraythewateroutfurtherandfaster. Becausethesmoothmusclesthatcontrolthediameterofyourbloodvesselsare,inturn,controlledbynervesthatareconnectedto
yourbrain,yourbloodpressurecanbecomeelevatedwhenyouareunderstress. Thiscanoccurwhenyouareupset,excited,frightened,
orworried. Conversely,whenyouarecalmandrelaxed,yourblood
pressuretendstoautomaticallybecomelower. Medicinesareavailabletoartificiallycontrolhighbloodpres
sure,butmanyofthemhavesideeffectsthatcaninterferewiththequalityofyourlife. Whetherornotyouarecurrentlytakingmedications,itiscriticalforyoutoworkwithyourhealingsystembylearninghowtorelaxandmanageyourstresstohelpbringyourbloodpressuredown. Loweringyourbloodpressurethiswaywillloweryourriskofstrokeandheartdiseaseandreduceyourdepend
enceonmedications. Losingweighthasalsobeenshowntoreducebloodpressure,ashasexercise. Inadditiontocuttingoutcaffeine
andnicotine,whicharebothknowntoelevatebloodpressure,somenaturalmedicinescanaidyourhealingsystembysupportingcirculationandkeepingyourbloodvesselscalmandrelaxed. Stroke
Strokeisawell-knowncirculatorydisordermostoftencausedbyunderlyingcomplicationsoflong-standinghighbloodpressure. Theprolonged,increasedpressureinthebloodvesselsthatgotothe
braineventuallycausesthevesselstoburst,rupture,andbleed. Asecondmechanismthatcausesstrokeoccurswhensmallbloodclots,usuallygeneratedfromanirregularlybeatingheart,becomelodged
inthebrain’scirculatorypathsandclogthebloodvesselsthatnour
ishthebrain. Stroke,whichcanbeseverelyincapacitatingandevenfatal,mostcommonlyresultsinparalysisofonesideofthebody,typicallyan
armandaleg. Otherstructuresonthefacemayalsobeaffected,
suchasthetongue,mouth,lips,andcheeks. Speechandswallowing
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 323
areoftenaffected. Memorylossandlossofothermentalfaculties
canalsooccur. Forthosewhocankeeptheirspiritsupduringthehardworkof
thestrokerehabilitationphase,thebody’shealingsystemcanoften
restorethebodytopracticallynormalfunctioning,althoughthis
processmighttakemonthsorevenyears. Thebodycandothisbyaccessingduplicateinformationontheundamagedsideofthebrain
andtransferringittotheaffectedside,andconnectingnewnervepathwaystocompensateforthedamagedportionthatpreviouslycontrolledthesefunctions. Oncethebrainlearnstomakethenec
essarynewconnections,seeminglydead,paralyzedlimbsandmusclesmiraculouslycancomebacktolife. Becauseofthebody’shealingsystem,evenundercircumstanceswhereallhopeappearslost,manypeoplehavebeenabletoresumenormallivesonceagainaftertheyhavesufferedastroke. EndocrineSystemDisorders
Theendocrinesystemconsistsofimportantorgansandglandsthatproducepowerfulhormonesthatareinvolvedinawiderangeoffunctions. Becauseofitsextensiveconnections,theendocrine
systemmaybecomeimbalancedanddysfunctionalastheresultofunderlyingproblemselsewhereinthebody. Forexample,nutritionalandmetabolicproblemscanaffecttheendocrinesystem,and
viceversa. Themostcommonendocrinedisorderisdiabetes,which
isaderangementofsugarorglucosemetabolism,usuallycausedbyinsulindeficiency. ChronicFatigueSyndromeChronicfatiguesyndromeisarelativelynewdisorderthatismorecommoninwomenandalsoissomewhatbafflingtotreatbyconventionalmedicalpractices. Expertswhospecializeinthetreatment
ofthedisorderbelieveexhaustionoftheadrenalglandsmaybeanimportantfactor. Prolongedstressandalackofrestappeartobemajorfactorsinchronicfatiguesyndrome. Manypatientswiththissyndromereportextremefatigueafterlivinghectic,fast-pacedlives,
inwhichthepressuresthatsurroundthemareenormousandthey
324ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
haven’trestedorrelaxedformanyyears. Whenthebodyisunderconsiderablestressandlacksqualitysleepandrest,itisonlynatural
thatitwillsufferfromalackofenergyandeventuallybecomefatigued. Withchronicfatiguesyndrome,theremayotherconcomitantproblems,suchasyeastinfectionsandfibromyalgia,inadditiontoaccompanyingdepressionandotherpsychologicalfactorsthatfur
therdepletephysicalenergyandpreventtheconditionfromhealing
sooner. Psychologicalfactorsmightincludethefearofgettingwell
andbecomingoverwhelmedagainbythedemandsofworkand
otherresponsibilities. Thesefactorsmayserveasimpedimentstothehealingsystem’sabilitytodoitsjobinatimelyandefficientmanner. Topreventthisfromhappening,andtoworkwithyourhealingsystemtorestorenaturalhealthandenergy~itisimperativetoincor
porateadequatesleepandrestintoyourlifestyle;focusonahealthy,wholesomediet;drinkplentyoffluids;practicestressmanagement;andparticipateinaregularphysicalexerciseandmovementprogram. Diabetes
Thereareseveralwaystoclassifydiabetesandthestagesofthisill
ness. ThetwomaintypesofdiabeteshavetraditionallybeenbrokendownintoTypeI,juvenileonset,insulin-dependentdiabetesandType
II,maturityonset,oradultdiabetes,whichoftenstartsoutasnon-insulindependent,butmaybecomeinsulindependentovertime. Insulindependentreferstotheneedtoinjectinsulinfromasyringe
intoyourbodytohelpbringyourbloodsugarundercontrol. Thedangerofhighbloodsugar,whichisthecommondenominatorofalltypesofdiabetes,isthatitcandamagebloodvesselsin
theeyes,causingblindness. Itcanalsodamagethekidneys,causingkidneyfailure,andcontributetootherproblems,suchasnervedamage,andchronicskinulcersonthefeetandankles,aswell. Therealsoisastrongassociatedriskofheartdiseaseinpeoplewhosufferfromdiabetes. Adult,ormaturityonset,TypeIIdiabeteshasbeentraditionallylinkedtoobesity~adiethighinsugar,andalackofexercise. Italso
appearstoberelatedtostress,depression,emotionalupheaval,andunresolvedgrief,conditionsthatinfluencepersonalhealthhabits
anddiet,whichinturnsignificantlyinfluencethecourseofthisdisease. Althoughsomeresearchershavetriedtolinkthisformof
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 325
diabetestogeneticcauses,theevidenceclearlypointsmoretowardlifestylefactors,includingstressanddiet,sincethistypeofdiabetes
israreindevelopingcountries,butontheriseinWesterncountries. Thegoodnewsisthatthistypeofdiabetescanbereversedwhenyoucatchitearlyandapplymethodsthatworkwithyourhealingsystem. Thejuvenileformofdiabetes,TypeI,occursatamuchyounger
ageandcanoftenbesevere. Inthepast,manyexpertsbelievedthatjuvenilediabeteswasanautoimmuneillnesstriggeredbyavirusoranotherinfection,butnewerresearchpointstowardstressandderangedmind-bodyinteractionsthatoccurduringperiodsofintenseemotionalupheavalintheindividualorfamily,orduringgestation. Thischangedperspectiveisdueinparttothediscoverythatinsulincommunicatesdirectlywiththebrainandisnowclassi
fiedasaneuropeptideorneurotransmitter,ratherthanasapurehormone. Thecurrentviewisfurtherbasedonthescientificobservationthatmoreinsulincanbefoundatanyonetimeinthebrain
thaninanyotherorganorstructureinthebody. Newertreatmentsfordiabetesthataddresstheunderlying
causes,ratherthanmerelymanagethesymptoms,involvemethods
thatworkwithyourhealingsystem. Thesetreatmentsincludeeating
aproperdiet,gettingadequateexercise,practicingstress-manage
menttechniques,drinkingplentyofwater,takingnaturalmedications,andaddressingthedeeperemotional,mental,andspiritualfactorsthatmaybedrivingthisunhealthycondition. Thesestrategiesareobviouslymoreeffectiveiftheyareinstitutedinthe
earlystagesoftheillness. Insulinmayberequireduntiltheseothermethodsarewellestablished,butalargenumberofpatientshavesuccessfullyweanedthemselvesfrominsulindependenceinarelativelyshortperiodoftime. Duringmytenureasamedicalstudent
morethan20yearsago,gettingpatientsoffinsulinwasconsidered
animpossibility. Ifdiabeteshappenstoruninyourfamily,focusonincorporatingpreventivestrategiesbeforetheillnesshasachancetosurfaceinyourbody. ThyroidDysfunctionThyroiddysfunctionismorecommoninwomenthaninmen,and
itoccursfairlyfrequently. Itoccursinseveralforms,mostcommonlyhypothyroidism,orlowproductionofthethyroidhormone,
326ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
whichusuallyrequiressupplementation. Wheniowthyroidfunc
tioniscorrectedwiththyroidhormonereplacement,thereisanincreaseinmetabolism,greaterenergy,improvedmood,andlossofweight. Thesearedesirablequalitiesforanoverweightpersonwho
maysufferfromfatigueanddepression,butthelong-termeffects
ofsupplementingwiththyroidhormonewhenitmaynotbeabsolutelynecessaryareunknown. Additionally,becausethethyroidglandisunderthedomainof
thepituitarygland,whichisunderthedomainofthehypothalamusandthebrain,thyroiddysfunctionusuallyindicatesproblemshigherupthechainofcommand,whichneedtobeaddressedifone
istogettotherootoftheproblem. Unfortunately,Westernmedi
cineusuallyignorestheseunderlyingcausesinthetreatmentofthyroidconditions. Inmanycases,youcansupportyourhealingsystembyaddress
ingtheunderlyingfactorsthatmayberesponsibleforthyroiddysfunction,suchasstress,dietaryimbalances,lackofexercise,and
anunhealthylifestyle. Implementingthemethodsthatstrengthenandfortifyyourhealingsystem,assharedinpreviouschapters,can
bemosthelpful. Immune-SystemDisorders
Verylittlewasknownaboutthepowerfulandsophisticatedintrica
ciesoftheimmunesystembeforetheonsetofthedevastatingAIDSepidemic. Westillhavealongwaytogo,but,becauseofAIDSand
theHIVvirus,todayweknowmuchmorethaneverbefore. Allergies
Everypersoniscreatedasauniqueindividualandasaresultmayhavespecificsensitivitiestocertainsubstancesorenvironmentalconditions. Thesesensitivities,ifprolongedorpronounced,candevelopintoanallergy~Themostcommontypesofallergiesaffect
theskinandrespiratorysystem,andwehavealreadydiscussedthoseundertheseseparateheadings. Allergiesareoftensystemspecific. Thismeansthatonlyonesystematatimemaybesensitivetoaparticularsubstance. For
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 327
example,ifdustisbreathedintothelungs,thedustmaycausecoughing,wheezing,andarunnynose,butifitisplacedonthe
skin,dustmaynotcauseanyreactionatall. Asubstancethatcauses
anallergicrashmaynotcauseanyreactionwhatsoeverwhenitisplacedontheskin,chewed,swallowed,andeaten. Toovercomeallergiesingeneral,focusonbuildingupthehealthofthespecificsystemthatisaffectedbytheallergy. Employ
themethodsdiscussedinpreviouschaptersthatstrengthenandfor
tifyyourhealingsystemasitrelatestotheaffectedsystem. ChemicalandDrugAllergiesChemicalanddrugallergiesarecommonwithmedicationsandinmedicalsettings. Theseincludeallergiestomedicinessuchaspenicillinandotherantibiotics;mineraldyes,suchasiodine;andotherdrugsorchemicals. Theseallergiesmayshowupintheformofa
skinrash,ortheymayevenresultinaserious,life-threateningsituation. Effectiveconventionalmedicationsarecurrentlyavailableto
helpmanageandsuppresstheacutesymptomsofallergyfromwhat
evercause. Forlong-termtreatment,however,itisbetternottosuppressyoursymptoms,butinsteadtoworkwithyourhealingsystemtoovercometheallergy. Youcandothisbycarefullyobserv
inghowyourbodyinteractswitheachandeverysuspectedallergen
inyourenvironment. Eventhoughdiscoveringthetruesourceof
anyallergymayrequireabitoftediousdetectivework,ifyoucoop
eratewithyourhealingsysteminthismanner,soonerorlateryouwillbeabletoidentifytheoffendingagent,takeprecautionstoavoidfurtherexposureorcontactwithit,andeliminateitsunhealthyinfluenceonyourbody. FoodAllergies
Foodallergiesarelesscommonthanthoseoftheskinandrespira
torysystem. Foodallergiesincludeconditionsthatmaynotbetrueallergies,suchaslactoseintolerance,oneofthemostcommonofallsuspectedfoodallergies. Withlactoseintolerance,thebodylacksaspecificenzymeandissimplyunabletodigestfoodsthatcontainlactose,whichisasimplesugarfoundindairyproducts. This
enzymeislackinginthemajorityofpeoplefromtheOrientand
328ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
manyotherpartsoftheworld. Infact,lactoseintoleranceisnota
trueallergybutmerelyanormalvariantfoundincertainethnicgroups. Manyothersuspectedallergieshavesimilarstories. Manysyntheticchemicalsusedinindustryareharmfulandirritatingtothehumanbody. Becausenewsyntheticchemicalsarecontinuouslybeingintroducedintoourfoodsupply,itisnotsurprisingtofindthatfood-relatedallergiesarebecomingmorecommon. Tominimizetheriskofexposuretosuchallergens,itisimportanttoknowexactlywhatyouareintroducingintoyourbodywhenyoueat. Varietyisthespiceoflife,buttoavoidfoodallergies,avoidfoodswithchemicaladditiveswheneverpossible. Cooperatewithyourhealingsystembyeatingfoodsfromorganicandnaturalsourcesthatarefreefromchemicalpesticides,pollutants,andadditives. Youcanalsoworkwithyourhealingsystemtokeepyourdigestivesystemfreefromirritatingandtoxicsubstancesbyconsumingplentyoffluidsandfiber,andpracticinggoodintestinalhygiene. AcquiredImmuneDeficiencySyndrome(AIDS)
AIDSisanexampleofwhatcanhappentoyourbodywhentheimmunesystemisimpaired. Whentheimmunesystemiscompromised,yourbodycanbecomeafflictedbyorganismsthatcauseinfectionsanddisordersthat,undernormalcircumstances,would
notoccur. ‘WheretheHIVvirusinitiallycamefromisstillcontroversial,
butitisclearthatthosewhoseimmunesystemsarealreadyimpairedandworndownareathigherrisk. Thisviruscanbefoundamongpeoplewithmultiplesexualpartners,repeatedintravenousdruguse,
orpoorpersonalhealthhabits. AIDSisentirelypreventablebypracticingsafesex,abstainingfromillegalintravenousdruguse,andavoidingbloodtransfusionsfromunknownsources. TheadditionalgoodnewsisthatmanypeoplecurrentlyafflictedwithHIVarelearningtoworkwiththeirhealingsystemstoimprovetheirhealth. Thisapproachincludesconcentratingonhealthydiets,drinkingplentyoffluids,exercising,practicingstressmanagement,includingvisualization/imagerytechniques,andrelyingonnaturalmedicinesandmodalitiesthatsupporttherebuildingandrestorationoftheimmunesystem. Many
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 329
peoplewithHIVarenowsymptomfree,and,inselectedcases,acompleteconversionfromHIVpositivebacktoHIVnegativehas
beenreported. InthebeginningmuchshamewasassociatedwithHIVinfec
tion,butthosewiththisconditionwhoareabletoloveandacceptthemselves,andtoopenuptothelovingsupportthatisavailable
fromtheirfamilies,friends,andcommunities,seemtohavethegreatestsuccessindealingwiththisdifficultproblem. Asinfectedindividualslearntostrengthen,fortif~r,andcooperatewiththeirbodies’healingsystems,itishighlylikelythatthisdiseasewillone
daybedeclaredcompletelycurable,ashashappenedwithotherdreadfuldiseasesfromthepast. AnaphylaxisAnaphylaxisisalesscommonbutmoreseriousformofanallergicreactionthatcanoccurwithbee,wasp,andotherinsectstings;jelly
fishstings;andbitesbyothervenomousanimals. Anaphylaxisalsocan
occurasareactiontoothersubstances,includingpharmaceuticals. Keepingyourmindcalmandrelaxediscriticalintheearly
stagesofsevereallergicreactionsthatmightpossiblybecomeanaphylacticreactions. Remainingcalmisessentialbecausepsycholog
icalfactorssuchasstress,anxiety,andtensioncanincreasethesymptoms. Stressmanagementandbreathingtechniquescanbehelpfulforanaphylaxis,but,asexplainedinanearlierchapter,itis
besttolearnthesetechniquesbeforeanymedicalemergencyoccurs. Topreventanaphylaxis,becarefulwithnewfoods,especiallywhen
youaretraveling,andexercisecautionwhenyouintroducenewdrugsorsubstancesintoyourbody. AutoimmuneDiseases
Thisrapidlygrowingcategoryofillnessesdescribesconditionsthat
occurasaresultofaderangementintheimmunesystemthatcauses
ittoattacknormalbodytissues. Illnessesintheautoimmunediseasecategoryincluderheumatoidarthritis,ankylosingspondylitis,lupus,Sjogren’ssyndrome,scieroderma,andmultiplesclerosis,amongmanyothers. Someresearchersfeelthatvirusesandcertainbacteriacantriggertheimmunesystemtoattacknormalbodytissues,butnewresearchsuggeststhattheseconditionsrepresentcomplexmind-body
330ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
interactionsbecausetheyalmostalwaysworsenduringtimesof
stress. Behavioralscientistsalsobelievethatautoimmunedysfunctionmaybeareflectionofdeep-seatedhostility,self-hatred,orresentmentthatcauseselementsoftheimmunesystem,actingunderordersfromthebrain,toinadvertentlyattackthebody. Thesescientistsbelievethatself-destructivethoughts,ifpersistentandprolonged,canleadtophysicalself-destructionthroughpowerfulneurochemicalsreleasedfromthebrain. Astheeminentcardiologist
Dr. RobertEliotsaid,“Thebrainwritesprescriptionsforthebody. ”
Itisbecomingincreasinglyclearerovertimethatthisisindeedtrue,
sothiscurrentperspectiveisnotanunreasonableexplanationfortheoriginofmanydifficult-to-treatautoimmuneillnesses. AnkylosingSpondylitisAnkylosingspondylitisisasevereformofarthritisofthespine. Stressandemotionaltraumaappeartoworsenthiscondition. Conventionaltreatmentislargelyfocusedonsuppressingthesymptoms,anditisnotveryeffective. Workingwithmethodsthatsupportyourhealingsystem,suchasstressmanagement,gentleyogastretching,andawholesome,naturaldiet,canbeextremelyhelpfulforthiscondition. Inhisbest-sellingbookAnatomyofAnIllness,NormanCousinsdescribedhisjourneyofcompleterecoveryfromanadvancedcaseofankylosingspondylitis. Heattributedhissuccesstolearningtousethepowersofhismindandbodywhileheincorporatedother,simple,naturalmethods,includinglargedosesofvita
minCandlaughter,whichactivatedhishealingsystemtoovercome
thisautoimmunedisorder. MultipleSclerosis
InhergroundbreakingbookWhoSaidSo. AWoman’sFascinatingJourneyofSelfDiscoveryandTriumphoverMultipleSclerosis,RachelleBreslowdocumentedthemind-bodyfactorsthatcontributedtoher
owncaseofmultiplesclerosis. Shewastoldbyherconventionaldoc
torsthatherconditionwasincurable,butsheprovedthemwrong. Bylearningtoworkwithherhealingsystem,eatingahealthy,whole
somediet,incorporatingstress-managementstrategiesandpositivementalprogramming,andinitiatingotherbeneficiallifestylechanges,
shewaseventuallyabletoovercomethisso-calledincurabledisease. ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 331
Thesestrategiesareentirelyconsistentwithacomprehensivepro
grambasedontheprinciplesofworkingwiththebody’shealingsystem,andtheydemonstratewhatisalsopossibleforyou. AutoimmuneDisordersandYourHealingSystem
InadditiontotheexperiencesofRachelleBreslowandNormanCousins,
thereisnowgrowingevidence,frombothclinicalcasereportsandlabora
torydatacollectedfromvariousresearchprogramsaroundthecountry,thatimmunefunction,operatingunderthedirectionofthebrainandnervous
system,isstronglyinfluencedbyyourthoughts,attitudes,beliefs,andemo
tions. Bylearningtoharnesstheseforcesinaconstructiveway,youmaybe
abletoactivateyourhealingsystemandovercomeanyoneofanumberofdiseaseswithsuspectedautoimmuneorigins. Strategiesthatmaybeeffectiveforautoimmunedisordersincludethefollowing:
~Mind-bodystrategies,includingvisualizationandguidedimagery
~JStress-managementtechniques
~Awholesome,healthydiet
~Releaseofunhealthyemotionalbaggage
~Exercise
~Groupsupport
ffaStrengthenedsocialintimacy
~Love
Byincorporatingthesestrategiesintoyourlife,youcanworkwithyourheal
ingsystemtosignificantlyincreaseyourchancesofovercomingautoimmunedisorders. Cancer
BeforeIdiscussthestrategiesforhealingcancer,Ineedtoaddress
fourcommonmythsaboutcancer. First,cancerdoesnotcomeout
ofthebluetoattackpeoplerandomly. Italsoisnotcausedbythedemonsoffate. Aswithanyillness,therearedefinitecauses,events,
332ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
andcircumstancesthataliowcancertotakerootinthebody,eventhoughthesefactorsmayseemhidden,obscure,orelusive. Second,
cancerisnotjustonedisease,butratheranentirecategoryofill
nesses,eachwithitsownspecificcontributingcauses. Third,eventhoughcancermaycongregateinfamilies,theoverwhelmingmajor
ityofcancercasesdonothaveageneticbasis. Fourth,andperhaps
mostimportant,byallmeasurements,standards,anddefinitions,
cancerisanunnaturalillnessanddiseasethatcanbeprevented,and
inmanycasesovercome,particularlyifitiscaughtearly. Cancerappearsmorecommonlywherenature’slawsofhealth
havebeenviolated. Assuch,itisnotsurprisingtoseethehighest
cancerratesamongthemoremodern,industrializednationsoftheworld,wheresynthetic,artificialchemicalsandsubstancesareused
inabundance,andwherelifestylesarebecomingincreasinglyhectic,stressful,andunhealthy. Thisscenariorepresentsadistinctdeparturefromthesimpler,morewholesomewaysoflifethatourforefathers
andancestorsenjoyed,whencancerwasalmostnonexistent. Indevelopingnations,wherethesesimpler,healthierlifestylesarestillsomewhatmorepreservedtoday,cancerratesare,notsurprisingly,significantlylowerthanthoseinmodernindustrializednations. Tounderstandtheoriginsofcanceralittlebetter,itwillbehelp
fultorememberthefollowingimportantuniversalscientificprinciplethatoperatesinnatureandtheworldoflivingorganisms:“Anystimulusorforce,whenappliedtoasystem,willgenerateaspecificresponseinreturn. ”Forexample,whenthewindblowsagainstatree,itcausesthetreetobend. ‘Whenthesunshines,aplantorflowerwillgrowtowardthedirectionofthesunlight. When
thesexhormonesemittedbyfemalesofmostspeciesarereleasedin
theair,theycreateapowerfulstimulusthatattractsmaleanimalsto
theirsource. Problemsinnaturedevelopwhenartificialorunnaturalstimuli
aresuperimposedonsystemsthathavebeenprogrammedtoreacttospecific,naturalstimuliinpredictableways. Forexample,deerandfrogs,twonocturnalanimalsthatbecomemoreactiveatnight,becomemesmerizedandfreezeintheirtracksinresponsetoautomobileheadlights. Theydothisbecausetheheadlightsareartificialstimulinotpartoftheirnormalnighttimeenvironment. Thisabnormalresponsetoanunnaturalstimulusishazardoustothe
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 333
healthofbothdeerandfrogs,anditoftencausesthemtobehitand
runoverbypassingcars. Mothsgetintosimilartroublebecause
theirnighttimenavigationalsystemsarenaturallyprogrammedforstarlightandmoonlight,butnotforartificiallightsorflames,which
arenearerandofmuchbrighterintensity. Totheunsuspectingobserver,amoth’spropensitytoflystraightintoabrightlightorflameappearstobenothingshortofasuicidemission. Inreality;themovementiscausedbyanunnaturalresponsetoanartificial,unnat
uralstimulus. ‘Whatoccursinthecellsofnormaltissuesinhumansandhow
thesecellsturncancerousisnotunliketheplightofdeer,frogs,andmothswhentheyareconfrontedwithunnaturalstimuli. Thestory
ofcancerbeginshere,foritishere,onthecellularlevel,thatcancer
firststartstogrow,undetectedandinvisible,untilmanyyearslaterwhenitmayfirstbediscoveredasabliponanX-rayoralumpunderneaththeskin. Beforewecancontinueourstory,itisimportantforyoutoknowmoreaboutnormalcells,howtheygrow,andhowtheyevolve. Thisinformationwillhelpexplainhowyourbodynaturallyworks,
soyouwillunderstandtheunderlyingcausesofcancermoreclearly. NormalCellularEvolution
Fromthemomentofconception,yourbody’soriginaltwocellsmul
tiply,divide,grow,andevolveintothreedistinct,primitivegerm-celltissuesknownasectoderm,mesoderm,andendoderm. Thisstageiscompletedafterjustthreeweeksofgestation. Fromthisstage,accord
ingtoprecisedivision-of-laborrequirements,yourcellsembarkupon
anorderly,supervisedjourneyoffurthermultiplication,differentia
tion,segregation,andmigration. Theyareeventuallyassignedtoaparticularorganortissue,wheretheyareprogrammedtocarryoutaspecificfunction. Forexample,aneuroninthebrainisprogrammed
toconductelectricalimpulsesanddischargeinformationtonerve
tractslocatedthroughoutyourbody. Acellinyourskinisprogrammedtohelpgrowhair,absorbsunlight,andregulatesweating
andbodytemperature. Althoughthesecellslookcompletelydiffer
entandparticipateincompletelydifferenttasks,inreality,theyhave
comefromthesameidentical,primitivegerm-celllines,which,in
thisparticularexample,isectodermtissue. Asdifferentasthey
334ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
appearandbehavewhentheyhavereachedfullmaturity,thesecellscontinuetocommunicatewitheachotherandremainfunctionallyconnectedthroughoutyourlife,throughthesameorganizingintelligencethatcreatedthem. EvolutionofaCancerCell
Cancerrepresentsadeparturefromthehighlyordered,naturalstate
ofhealththatexistswithinthecellsofalllivingsystems. ‘Whenanycellortissueissubjectedtorepeatedirritationanddisturbance
fromanunnaturalstimulus,thecellbeginstorespondtothisstim
ulusbydefendingitselfagainstfurtherirritationandinjury. Insodoing,itchangesitsappearanceandfunction. Incontrasttothe
highdegreeofdifferentiationallnormalcellsexhibited,cancercells,irrespectiveoftheorganortissuefromwhichtheymayhaveoriginated,representareversiontoamoreprimitivestate. Inthisregressed
state,acancercellnolongerfunctionsinitsprevious,highlydevelopedcapacity. Ascancercellsregressfromtheirhighlydifferentiatedstructure
andfunction,andtakeonmoreprimitiveroles,theyrelinquishtheirconnectiontothenatural,orderlyformandfunctiontheyexhibitedpreviously. Itisasifthesecellsrebelagainstthecooperativeorganizationandorderlinessofthebodythatcharacterizesitsnaturalstate
ofhealthandinsteadbreakawaytoformtheirownaberrantcolony. Thesechangesdonotoccurovernight,butslowly,sometimes
overmanyyears. Thesenew,moreprimitivecellsnowreactdirectlywiththestimulusthatcausedthemtochangeandadapt,andtheybecometheirownindependent,self-assertive,abnormalmassofcells. Theseabnormalcellsmultiplyandreproduceatanacceleratedspeedtoimprovetheirchancesofsurvival. Atthecellularlevel,
cancerisnothingmorethanamaladaptiveresponsetoanabnormal,unnatural,persistent,irritating,injuriousstimulus. Let’slookatacommonexampleofhowtheevolutionofcancermightcomeaboutfromsmoking,where,inthelungs,cancerhas
beenclearlylinkedtorepeatedexposuretocigarettesmoke. oCigarettesmoke,whichisunnaturalandunhealthy,introducesharshparticlesandnoxiouschemicalcompoundsintothelungs,wheretheycauseirritationandinjurytothecellsofthelungs. ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 335
*Thecellsinthelungsattempttomendthedamagefromtheirritationandinjurythesmokehascaused. Atthesametime,
thecellsalsoattempttodefendthemselvesfromfurtherdamage
asmoresmokecontinuestoenterintothelungs. *Asthecellsworkwithoutanyresttotrytorepairthedamageto
thelungsandtopreventfurtherdamage,thecontinuedinputofsmokedisruptsnormalmechanismsofhealingandrepair. *Overthedays,weeks,months,andyearsthatapersoncontin
uestosmoke,damagetothecellsinthelungsisneverallowed
toheal. Ontopofthis,moredamageiscreatedasmoresmoke
entersintothelungs. *Thecontinuousandpersistentdamagefromthesmokecauses
thedelicatecellsthatareinthelungstoreactinadefensive,protectivemanner. Becausethecellsarenowin“survivalmode,”
thesmokebeginstochangetheirbasiccharacteristics. This
processiscalledmutation. Mutationisanadaptationresponse
ofthecelltochangesintheexternalenvironment. Inthiscase,mutationisawaythatthelungcellscanadaptandsurvivein
thefaceofthecontinuousirritationfromthecigarettesmoke. *Amushroominggrowth,characteristicofacanceroustumor,eventuallyappearsaftermanyyearsinresponsetotherepeatedunnatural,injuriousstimulusofthesmoke. *Inmanycases,ifsmokingceasesandcontinuousdamagetothe
cellsofthelungsstops,healingprocessesinthelungscan
resumeandcontinueundisturbed. Cessationoftheunhealthystimulusallowsthehealingsystemtorepairandregeneratenew,healthytissues,replacingthemutatingcellswithnormal,healthy,lungcells. Fromthisexample,itisobviousthatacancercellisnothing
morethanagoodcellturnedbadinanefforttohealfromrepeatedabuse,irritation,andinjury. Thiscelleventuallyturnstheregion
intothemonstercalledcancerthatweallsodreadfullyfear. Cancer
canoccuranywhereinyourbodythatanirritating,disruptive,unnaturalstimulusisrepeatedlyappliedtothecellsofotherwisenormal,healthytissues. Oncetheinjuriousstimulusisremoved,
336ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
however,yourhealingsystemalwayshastheabilitytorepairdam
agesandrestorenormalhealthandfunctioningtoanyorganortissueinyourbody. Unnaturalstimulithatcausecancercancomeinmanyforms. Forexample,excessiveexposuretothesun’spowerfulultravioletrays
cancauseskincancer. Excessiveradiationexposurefromatomic-bombornuclear-energyleakage,aswitnessedatbothHiroshima
andChernobyl,causescancersoftheskin,immunesystem,andotherinternalorgans. Inmostcases,however,cancerisagradualprocess,requiringmanyyearsofrepeatedunnaturalirritationandinjurytotissuesatthecellularlevel. Cancerisalsolinkedtotoxicdrugsorchemicals. Intestinalcan
cerscanoftenoccurwiththerepeatedingestionofcertainfoods,substances,orchemicalsthatcontinuallyirritatetheliningofthestomachorintestines. ThiscommonlyoccursinJapan,wherehigh
ratesofstomachcancerhavebeenlinkedtoexcessiveamountsofsmokedfish,whichcontaintoxic,irritatingsubstances. Toomuchalcoholcancauselivercancer. Certainmedicinesanddrugscanalso
causecancer,asoccurredwiththedrugDES,whichcausedthyroid
cancerinthechildrenofmotherswhotookthismedication. Additionally,theirritatingstimulusthatprecipitatescancermay
beanaturalsubstanceproducedbyyourownbody,butinexcess. Anexampleofthismightbehydrochloricacid,secretedinnormalamountsbyyourstomachduringdigestion. Duringtimesofincreasedstressandmentalagitation,however,hydrochloricacid
canbeproducedinexcess. Excesshydrochloricacidcancauseirrita
tion,inflammation,andulcersinyourstomach,andintestines,whichcanevolveintocancer. Neurotransmitters,chemicalmessengers,andotherpowerfulhormonesproducedbyyourbrainandendocrinesystemcanalso
exertanirritating,injuriouseffectonspecificorgantissues. When
stressorunhealthymoodsoremotionsrepeatedlygenerateexcessiveamountsofthesechemicalsoveranextendedperiodoftime,they
canbecomepowerfullyunhealthy,irritating,andabnormalstimuli
tothecellsofspecificorgans. Thisconstantstimulationresultsin
thedisruptionofnormaltissuestructureandfunction,andcaneventuallyleadtocancer. Thelargestnumberofcancersnowoccur
ringfallintothiscategory. ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 337
CancerPrevention
Thepromiseoffindingacureforcancerliesinunderstandingitsoriginsandfocusingmoreonpreventionthanontreatment. Manyexpertsadvocateearlyscreeningmeasurestodetectcancer;but,in
manycases,bythetimethecancerisdetected,itmayalreadybewellestablishedanddifficulttoeradicate. Althoughcanceriscertainlyeasiertotreatifit’scaughtinitsearlystages,itisstillfarbettertopreventitbeforeithasachancetotakeholdinthebody. Studiesconductedinplacesaroundtheworldwherecancerisnoticeablyabsentcanprovideimportantcluestothedirectionweneedtotakewithcancerresearchandprevention. Someofthecrit
icalfactorstoconsiderincludelifestyles,healthhabits,foods,medicines,beliefs,andmentalattitudesofthepopulationsbeingstudied. Wecanbehopefulaboutthepossibilityofacancer-freefutureifwebegintolearnfromthesecancer-freesocieties,andinsti
tutechangesinourownlivesthatsupportandstrengthenourhealingsystems,incorporateideasandmethodsfromthosecultures
thatplaceastrongemphasisonprevention,andcontinuecancerresearchandourquestforacure. WorkingwithYourHealingSystemtoHealCancer
Asourknowledgeandunderstandingincrease,morepeopletodaythaneverbeforehavegoneintocompleteremissionandhaveover
comecancer. Currently,8millionAmericanswhohavegoneintoremissionaftertheirmedicaltreatmentsarenowcancerfree. Many
ofthesecureshavecomeaboutusingconventionaltreatments,such
assurgery,drugs,andradiation,whileothersrepresentacombina
tionofconventionalandalternativetherapies. Thesemethodsincludetheuseofnaturalmedicines,exercise,dietandlifestylechanges,andspecificmind-bodytechniquesthatworktoactivate
andstimulatethebody’shealingsystem. Guided-imageryandvisualizationtechniquessuccessfullyemployedbycancerspecialistsDr. 0. CarlSimontonandDr. BernieSiegel,aswellasothers,havebeenextremelyeffectiveinhelpingmotivatedpeopleovercometheircan
cers. Learningtoexpressemotionsinahealthywayandreachingout
forlovingsupportarealsohighlyeffectiveinhelpingthehealingsystemovercomecancer. Andalthoughtherearetimeswhensur
gery,radiation,andchemotherapymaybenecessarytoshrink
338ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
tumorsandremovecancerouslesionsfromyourbodytoaidtheworkofyourhealingsystem,itisimportanttorememberthatultimatelyyoumustnotviewcancerassomethingthathasinvaded
yourbodyfromtheoutside,butrather,asadiseaseprimarilyofinternaloriginsandcauses. Externalagentsofhealingmaybehelp
ful,butyourinternalresourcesforhealingarefarmorevastandpowerful,andyoushouldnotignoreorneglectthem. Rememberthatcancerrepresentsaregressionofformandfunc
tionbyaspecificgroupofyourbody’scellsastheresultofanunhealthystimulusthathascausedthemtolosetheiruniqueidentity,design,andpurpose. Inaddition,thisunhealthystimulushasbroken
theconnectionthesecellshavetotherestofyourbody. Ifyoucandis
covertheunhealthystimulusinyourlifeandremoveit,youwillbe
wellonyourwaytohealing. Additionally,ifyoucanbringyourmentalenergies,awareness,anddesiretocooperatewithyourhealingsystemtodeepinsideyourbody,youwillbeinamuchbetterpositiontoovercomeyourillnessandreclaimyournaturalstateofhealth. Hereareanumberofeffectivemeasuresyoucantaketoheal
cancer:
oRemovealltoxic,offendingstimuliandsubstancesfromyourbody,suchascigarettesmoke,alcohol,andjunkfood,aswellas
alltoxicenvironmentalstimuli. oEatawholesomediet,withlotsoffreshfruits,vegetables,andnaturalfiber. oDrinkplentyoffluids. oExerciseregularlybutnotstrenuouslyforatleast30minutes
eachday. oFocusonyourhealingsystemandinternalresourcesforhealing. oRememberthatyourthoughtsandattitudesaffectyourphysiol
ogy. Usethepowerofyourmindtocreatehealthierinternalchemistryforyourbody. oReleasealltension,anger,hostilityresentment,andgrudgesfromyourmindandbody. oReleaseallself-destructivethoughts,allthoughtsofworthlessness
andself-condemnation,andallnegativebeliefsaboutyourself. ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 339
*Learntorelaxyourbodyandmindcompletely. Practicestressmanagementandmeditationtothepointthatyoucanaccess
yournaturalstateofpeaceandinnertranquilityregularly. *Practiceforgivenessofyourselfandothers. Useguided-imageryandvisualizationtechniquesthatareappropriateforyourcondition. Makethemdeeplypersonalanddetailed,accordingtoyourownspecificneeds. Usethesetechniquestodialoguewithyourbodyandestablishalineofcommunicationwithyourcancercells. Toboostyourconfidenceinhealing,focusontheelementsofyourbodythatarehealthyandfunctioningwell. Talktoyourhealingsystem. Enlistitshelp. Inyourinternalimagingdialogue,remindthe
cancercellsthat,basedontheprecisedivisionoflaborforwhich
theywereoriginallycreated,youvalueandappreciatetheirrole,
andthat,inthespiritofcooperationforthegreaterhealthof
yourbody,yousincerelyrequesttheirassistanceinhealing. *Usediscretionandcommonsenseinchoosingyourtreatments,
butbeopen-minded. Considerallavailablemeansatyourdisposal,includingallconventionalandnaturalmethodsthathave
proventrackrecords. Continuetofocusallyourenergiesandintentionsonreversingthediseaseprocessuntilyournatural
stateofhealthhasbeenrestored. *Understandthatreversingcancermaybeagradualprocess. For
thecancertodevelop,evolve,andgrowinyourbodywasagrad
ualprocess,andyoumustallowatleastanequalamountoftime
forthecancertodisappearbackintothematrixofyourbody’snaturallyhealthycells,organs,andtissues. JustasRomewasnotbuiltinoneday,so,too,restorationofhealthmaytaketime. Neveractoutofasenseofdesperationorhurry,becausetruehealingcannottakeplaceunderthesecircumstances. Remember
thatyourhealingsystemworksbestinaquiet,calm,relaxedinternalandexternalenvironment. *Makehealingyournumber-onepriorityinlife. Rememberthat
bybringingyourawarenessdeepinsideofyourbody,youhave
thepowertoactivateyourhealingsystemandpositivelyinflu
encethehealthofeverysingleorgan,tissue,andcell. Remember
thatyournaturalstateishealth. 340ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
ClosingThoughtsonConqueringHealthConditions
Yourhealingsystemhasbeendesignedandbuilttokeepyouhealthythrougheveryconceivablechallengelifecouldpossiblythrowyour
way. Evenillnessesbelievedtobeincurablecanbeovercomewhen
yousetintomotionthechainofeventsnecessarytostimulatetheactivityofyourhealingsystem. Naturally,thelongeryouhavehadaparticulardisease,thelongertheperiodoftimerequiredforhealing. Inthisrespect,itisimportanttocultivatethefineartofpatienceas
yousetaboutthediligentworkofincorporatingalloftheideasandmethodsoutlinedinthisandpreviouschapters. Patienceandperseverancearerequiredtosupporttheworkofyourhealingsystemso
itcanrestoreyourbodytoitsnaturalstateofhealthintheshortest
timeperiod. Aslongasyouarealive,youhavehealingpower. Evenasyou
age,therearewaystostayhealthyandovercomeillnessbykeeping
yourhealingsystemintip-topshape. Becauseyouhaveahealingsystem,ifyourcommitmentandresolvearesufficient,thereisn’tadiseaseonthefaceofthisearththatcanstandinthewayofreclaim
ingyournaturalstateofhealth. AdditionalRelaxationMethods,BreathingTechniques,andGuided-ImageryTechniquestoStrengthenYourHealingSystem
nthissectionofthebook,you’lllearnadditionaltechniquesandmethodsfortappingintotheextraordinarypowerofyourhealingsystem. RelaxationMethodstoStrengthen
andFortifyYourHealingSystem
Likeanyartistwhorequiresaquiet,peaceful,upliftingenvironment
toconcentrateandperformhisorherbestwork,yourhealingsystemdoesitsbestworkwhenyouarerelaxed. Whenyouarerelaxed,yourmind,yournervoussystem,andyourbody’sinternalenvironmentprovidetheidealbackdropinwhichyourhealingsystemcanoptimallyperformitsreparationandrestorativeworkfor
yourbody. Nature,inherinfinitewisdom,hascreatedthenaturalsleepcyclebecausetherelaxationyougetfromsleepisessentialtoyourhealthandwell-being. Whenyouaresleeping,,yourbody’sphysiologicalprocessesareminimized,yourinternalenvironmentquietsdown,andyourhealingsystemcanworkoptimallytorestoreyourhealth. Afteragoodnight’ssleep,youshouldfeelrefreshed,renewed,andinvigoratedtobeginthenewday. Whenresponding
totheirpatients’healthproblems,manydoctorswilltellthem,
342ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
“Taketwoaspirinsandcallmeinthemorning. ”Theyknowthat
mostproblemsarenotasseriousthenextday,thankstothemagi
cal,healing,andrestorativepowersofsleep. Whenwehavetroublegettingtosleep,andwhenwefailtotakeadvantageofthenatural,restorativepowersofsleep,insomniacan
setin. Healthsuffersandillnesscaneasilytakeholdwhenwedon’t
getenoughsleep. Duringourwakinghours,however,itisalsoimportanttoberelaxed. Infact,oneofthemajorcausesofinsomniaistheinability
torelaxduringwakinghours. Relaxationusedtobeanaturalaspectbuiltintoourlifestyles,buttodayourlifestyleshavebecomesofast-pacedthatwedon’thavetimetorelax. Further,evenifwehadthe
time,wewouldn’tknowhowtodoit. Whenwearenotrelaxed,butareinsteadtenseorexcited,thefight-or-flightresponsecanbecomeactivated. Asyoumayrecall
fromourearlierdiscussions(seeChapter6),thefight-or-flightresponseoccurswheneverwearefrightened,tense,orfeelingthreat
enedinanyway. Thisresponseresultsinthereleaseofadrenaline,whichcausesthespeedingupofourheartbeatandbreathing,amongotherthings. Thefight-or-flightresponseisdefinitelyhelp
fulwhenourlifeisactuallybeingthreatened;however,whentheresponseiselicitedfrequentlyandsustainedovertime,itdrainsvitalenergies,weakenshost-resistancefactors,lowersourbodies’defens
es,andinterfereswiththeworkofourhealingsystems. Forthese
reasons,whentensionbecomeschronicandlonglasting,itiseasy
forillnesstostepinandinvadeourbodies. Infact,long-standingtensionisoneofthekeyunderlyingfactorsinthedevelopmentandprogressionofmanychronicdegenerativediseases. Toneutralizetheharmfuleffectsoftensionandreversethedam
agingeffectsofthefight-or-flightresponse,itisimportanttolearn
howtorelax. Insodoing,youwillbestrengtheningandfortif~ring
yourhealingsysteminamostfundamentalway. Iamcontinuallyamazedathowmanypeopledon’tknowor
neverlearnedhowtorelax. WhenIinquire,mostpeoplereportto
methattheyneedsomekindofexternalproporactivity,suchasreadingorwatchingTV,amind-alteringsubstancesuchasalcohol
oratranquilizer,oracombinationofthese,towinddownfrom
theirbusydaysandhelprelievetheirtensions. Thesemethodsand
AdditionalMethodsandTechniques 343
activitiesoftenfeelrelaxing,but,inmostinstances,themindisstillactivelyengaged. Or,atthecostofachievingmentalrelaxation,consciousness,properjudgment,andthebody’shealth(mostcommon
lytheliver’s)aresacrificed. Atbest,thesemethodsanddevicesare
onlytemporaryandachieveonlyasmallfractionoftherelaxation
thatthehealingsystemrequirestofunctionoptimally. Additionally,theyusuallyhaveharmfulsideeffectsthatneutralizewhateverben
efitstheymightcontribute. Inourhigh-speedmodernlifestyles,learninghowtorelaxis,unfortunately, alostart,andonereasonwhymanystress-andtension-relateddisordersareontheincreaseinNorthAmericaandEurope. Thesediseasesarenotintheminorleagues,either;rather,
recentresearchhasdeterminedthattheyincludesomeoftheheavi
esthittersintheannalsofinternationalpublichealth. Asmentionedearlier,amongthesediseasesareheartdisease(theworld’snumber-
onekiller),highbloodpressure,diabetes,asthma,andcancer. To
overcomethesediseasesandimproveourhealth,itisimperativethat
werelearnwhatoncewasanaturalprocess,builtintooursimpler,
moreorganiclifestyles:howtorelax. Truerelaxationinvolvesthenaturalquietingdownandcalming
ofyourmindtoapointatwhichafeelingofdeeppeaceandcomfortpermeateseverypartofyourbody. Truerelaxationimprovesyouroverallhealthbycalmingandsoothingyourbody’sinternalenviron
mentsoyourhealingsystemcanfunctionandperformatitsbest. Aswelearn,practice,andexperienceregularrelaxation,manyill
nessesanddiseasescanbetotallyeradicated,nevertoreturnagain—includingtheheavyhitterspreviouslymentioned. Manyscientificstudiescanattesttothepowerandefficacyofrelaxation,whichisanessentialingredientforlifelong,naturalhealth. Imightaddthatbeyondtheimmediatebenefitsoftheactualrelaxationpracticesandtechniques, aspillovereffectoccursintherestofyourwakinghours. Thesebenefitsaccrueovertimetoproducegreaterhealth,muchlike
ahigh-interest-bearingaccountgrowslargerandstrongerovertime. Inpreparationforpracticingtherelaxationtechniques,itisimportanttosecurea20-to30-minutetimeslotforyourselfduringwhichyoucanbequietandalone. Makesureyouwon’tbedisturbedduringthisperiod,andthatyouhavenoresponsibilitiestoattend
to—nophoneorpagertoanswer,nodiaperstochange,nostoveor
344ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
oventoturnoff,andsoon. Findaroomwhereyoucanclosethe
doorandbefreefromalldistractions. (Youmayneedtowearearplugsorheadphonesifitisnoisy. )Makesureyouarenotcold. Whateveryourposition,youmayneedtoplaceblanketsorpillowsunderyourknees,head,orbacktoensureyourcomfort. Normally,whenyouareperformingrelaxationtechniquesorbreathingexercises,itispreferabletobreathethroughyournose. Beforeyouproceedwithanyofthefollowingtechniques,youmightfindithelpfultogetasmalltaperecorderandrecordyourvoiceasyoureadtheinstructionsoutloud,slowlyandcalmly. Afteryouhaverecordedyourwords,youwillhaveyourownvoicerecorded,toguide
youanytimeyouwish. Or,ifyouwish,youcanjustreadthrougheachtechniqueonceortwicebeforeyouattempttopracticeit. ProgressiveRelaxationforYourHealingSystem
Thisisawonderfulrelaxationtechniqueforpeoplewhoarechronicallytenseor“highstrung. ”Itisespeciallyusefulforpeoplewho
haveneverexperiencedwhatitfeelsliketoberelaxed. ForpeoplewhohavetroublewiththeDeepRelaxationtechniquedescribedear
lierinChapter6,ProgressiveRelaxationoffersanothersimpleyetpowerfulwaytolearnhowtorelax. TheTechnique
nLiedowninacomfortablepositionwithyourfeetaboutshoul
derwidthapart. Keepyourhandsalongthesideofyourbody,withyourpalmsfacingup. Adjustanypartofyourbodytomakesureyouarecomfortablebeforeyouproceed. Gentlycloseyoureyes,andbringyourawarenessinsideofyourbody. DNow,shiftyourawarenesstoyourfeetandtoes. Takealong,deepbreathasyoutightenandtenseallthemusclesinyourfeet
andtoes. Squeezeashardasyoucan,andholdallthemuscles
inyourfeetandtoesinatight,contractedstate. Counttoeight
inyourmindasyousqueezethemusclestight. Donotforceorstrain,butholdyourbreathasyouaresqueezing. DAfteragood,long,strongsqueeze,letgoofyoursqueezingas
youslowlyletyourbreathout. Allowthesemusclestoletgoof
AdditionalMethodsandTechniques 345
theirtensionandrelaxasyousiowanddeepenyourbreathing,gently,withoutforcingorstraining. Continuetorelaxyourmuscles,andgentlyslowyourbreathing. Witheachexhalation
ofyourbreath,allowwhatevertensionexistsinthesemusclestoleaveyourbody. Next,bringyourawarenesstoyourankles,lowerlegs,knees,
andthighs. Takealong,deepbreathasyoutightenandtenseall
themusclesinyourankles,lowerlegs,knees,andthighs. Squeezeashardasyoucan,andholdthesemusclesinatight,contractedstatewhileyouslowlycounttoeightinyourmind. Holdyourbreathasyouaresqueezing. Afteragood,long,strongsqueeze,letgoofyoursqueezingandatthesametimeslowlyletyourbreathout,allowingthesemusclestorelaxontheirown. Allowthesemusclestorelaxasyouslowanddeepen
yourbreathing,gently,withoutforcingorstraining. Continue
toletgoofallmusculareffortsofsqueezingthesemuscles. Continuetorelaxyourmuscleswhileyougentlyslowyourbreathing. Witheachexhalationofyourbreath,allowwhatevertensionexistsinthesemusclestoleaveyourbody. aNow,bringyourawarenesstoyourhips,pelvicarea,buttocks,
andlowerspine. Takealong,deepbreathasyoutightenand
tenseallthemusclesinyourhips,pelvicarea,buttocks,andlowerspine. Squeezeashardasyoucan,andholdthesemuscles
inatight,contractedstatewhileyouslowlycounttoeightin
yourmind.
Overuse and abuse of the hands.
What is the primary cause of arthritis in the hands?
Back pain.
What is the most common cause of work disability in the United States?
Learning to relax and manage stress.
What is the key to overcoming anaphylaxis?
Cultivate relaxation and mindfulness through breathing and visualization.
What is the most important thing to do to prevent cancer?
High-fat diets, stress, and repressed emotions.
What is the primary cause of heart disease?