Understanding & Working With Your Digestion Intuitively

Digestion in Ayurveda is called Agni or the digestive ‘fire’. Agni is considered of utmost importance. If working well, it gives good health. If digestion malfunctions, it gives rise to ‘ama’ or toxins, which can and do contribute to the cause of ill health, along with unresolved trauma, among other key factors. Critical to good digestion is to know when to eat, how much to eat and how to eat.

The How

How you treat digestion is very important. What you eat is important, but even the best foods are of little value if you cannot digest them. Ayurveda places great emphasis on your awareness of, and attention to, your digestion.

Your Past Conditioning

When you were young you were probably pressurised to eat at a certain time, irrespective of your hunger, and to ‘clean your plate’ and you may have learnt to eat as a reward or eat to be sociable. If so, you may now be out of touch with your body’s needs for food and be eating out of habit, or for emotional reasons.

A New Way ~ learning to tune in to your digestion

The only true reason for eating is physical hunger, though in our modern society we eat a lot for pleasure, enjoyment and social celebrations too.  In order to be more sensitive and aware of your body’s signals however, no matter why you’re eating, the following exercise is very useful, to help avoid unnecessary eating and over-indulgence.

You must first start to feel your stomach. Allow yourself to get hungry by delaying eating. When hungry, put your attention in the area of your stomach and notice what you feel. You may not feel anything or you may be aware of an emptiness, a true hunger in this space. At this point, have a meal. After the meal, place your attention on your stomach again. You should now notice a significant contrast. From these two extreme spaces of contrast, with considered and intuitive practice,  you can learn the difference between an empty stomach (when hungry) and a full stomach (when satiated).

Going Forwards ~ stages of digestion

From now on, make a point of always checking your stomach before and after eating.  As you do this over the coming days and weeks you’ll become aware of your ‘hunger level’.

Your stomach has two functions – to hold food after a meal and to begin digesting. As your stomach digests, it slowly empties. After a meal your stomach should be no more than three-quarters full, leaving room for churning the food and for digestive juices to do their job with optimal function.

Two hours later your stomach may be half full and after another few hours, it will be quarter full. A quarter full is the point at which your stomach has finished digesting the previous meal and is now just emptying. So it’s only now the stomach is truly ready to digest again. It is at this point that it sends us signals of hunger.

Common mistakes

So many of us (myself included at one point) are eating far too much between meals, snacking and grazing, eating little and often, believing it’s a good thing to do.  Whereas in actual fact, it’s just sending confusing signals to the digestive system, because it then doesn’t know what stage it’s at within the whole digestive process. As a result, we then begin to see all kinds of digestive issues showing up in their early stages and if subtle enough and left undetected, they become worse over time, until chronic and more of an issue to undo and heal.

Tuning In ~ fulfilled or filled full…?

However, if you continue to check your stomach, by putting your attention in that area of the body, you become more aware. You begin to recognise when your stomach is full, three-quarters full, half full, quarter full or empty. As you do so you will become more and more tuned in and even be able to predict your hunger. When you feel half full it will be up to two hours before you will feel hungry. When quarter full, you will shortly feel an appetite.

For good digestion, it is most important to eat when hungry. If you eat before true hunger arises you’re expecting your stomach to finish digesting the previous meal and yet, at the same time, to start digesting a new meal. This upsets digestion. The second most important lesson is to stop eating when three-quarters full. Overeating leaves no room for churning and digestive juices and so digestion is compromised. It is like putting too much coal on the fire. A simple question to remember after the meal is: are you fulfilled or are you filled full? ‘Fulfilled’ feels good. ‘Filled full’ is a heavy discomfort in the stomach and a general feeling of dullness and lethargy.

Final Vignettes

If you truly tune in and listen to your stomach you will over time develop better-eating habits. Gradually you will tend to eat at the right time, when hungry, and eat the right amount. At this point, you will learn from listening to your stomach the amount you should eat for breakfast which satisfies but leaves you hungry for lunch, which should be the main meal of the day, eaten around 12pm to 1 pm because this is when digestion is at its strongest. Then you will eat appropriately at lunch to leave you with a hunger for your lighter evening meal, ideally eaten by 7 pm. Only if hungry should you snack between meals.

Another important consideration for digestion is the way you eat. Ayurveda considers it essential to sit and relax. Only when you relax can your body concentrate on digestion. Therefore do not watch TV, read a newspaper, book or magazine or even scroll through a screen while eating. Also do not eat if you’re having an argument or have become emotional. The best scenario is gentle company enjoying a meal together or else eating quietly on your own.

Lastly, make sure you’re also eating appropriately for your constitution, for you as a unique and individual being. Eating foods which do not suit you and your individual make-up, no matter how healthy they may have been labelled, will not support a healthy digestive system and ultimately feed your mind and body fully if they’re not the right foods for you. So make sure you’ve done your research and are not just following the latest celebrity trend.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Having lived most of my life with food sensitivities and intolerances, I’ve been there, done that and done a lot of research and training…e.g. raw foods are not for most people despite what mass media may say, especially if you already have issues like constipation, insomnia, anxiety or dry skin. Similarly, spicy, hot, acidic foods are not much use to someone with reflux, skeletal aches and pains or skin issues like eczema. Or if you struggle with deep depression, lethargy and obesity, foods like mushrooms are not going to help you. I could write a whole other blog post on this…and perhaps I will soon. For now though, just remember, there is not a one-size-fits-all remedy. We all have to do our own research and find what works for us.

If you would like some extra help and guidance, do get in touch, where we can discuss your specific needs and make an individual plan to suit you.

And if you haven’t already, join me on Instagram for more regular sound bites.

Our Sense of Touch & Contact – what our epidermis is really saying to us

I was six weeks old when my journey with skin symptoms began. It was eczema on my face…specifically around my mouth and on my cheeks. I was unexpectedly taken off my mother’s breast at six weeks, subsequently developing the characteristic redness of eczema on my face and also a very obvious intolerance to dairy formula milk. Coincidence? Read on…

The Sensory Skin System

The epidermis (the top layer of our skin) is predominantly responsible for sensory perception such as temperature, pressure, and touch. It covers the underlying dermis layer of skin (where acne develops from). 

In terms of embryology, the epidermis originates from the ectoderm, which is part of the new brain and is therefore influenced and controlled from the cerebral cortex brain relay, or more specifically, the sensory cortex.

Why is this significant? 

With the new scientific research which has been growing in the last few decades, and is now known as the new biology, we have come to realise and understand that there is a direct link between specific organ tissue, brain relay and embryology which indicates that our human needs are biological needs deeply rooted in our unconscious mind.

The symptoms which show up for us individuals are a result of a body-mind-social connection (see previous posts about this). Therefore, our symptoms are a direct reflection of our perception of unfulfilled biological needs e.g. emotions such as feeling safe, secure, accepted, confident etc – which in turn determine our values and beliefs and thus equate to why we experience, what to us as individuals, are perceived as conflict shocks and stress triggers at the moment they happen.

The Brain

The cerebral cortex part of the brain (the outer layer, which forms part of the new brain) is related to and concerned with the social part of our lives. It’s all about our relationships, both one-on-one relationships and in the greater family or tribe/community/society we’re part of; how we communicate in these relationships; how we fit into the hierarchy within this space and network; and having a sense of belonging in all of this.

When in balance, everything flows, The focus is for the greater good; it taps into our spiritual selves; we are present within and on the outside with others and we have a sense of being and meaning in all we’re doing, for the highest good of all. 

Currently, our world is experiencing quite the imbalance in this area of life (and in all areas to be fair, with what’s going on globally). We’re seeing, feeling and hearing a lot which is creating a lot of stress within us, which is often being felt like a separation from the true sense of being and meaning in life; it feels like a loss of contact with the greater good of all. 

Six Root Causes

As discussed in previous posts, there are six main root causes of symptoms which show up for us and usually it is a combination of two or more, which are out of balance within us, when we do present with symptoms, such as eczema, hives, measles, psoriasis, warts etc. 

Briefly, these six root causes are the organ itself – how healthy is it?; stresses going on for us; emotions we’re feeling; beliefs we have about life and the world we live in; the social side of life (including work, home and outside social circles); and our lifestyle (which includes what we eat, what physical activity we do, our personal care products and rituals etc). 

Stress trigger themes

From the mind-body-social functional medicine perspective which I work from, there is a biological stress trigger (conflict) theme linked to every organ and organ tissue in our body, which is connected to a specific brain relay, and this determines the level at  which the conflict is being felt at. 

With the epidermis layer of the skin, the theme is experienced as what is described as a separation conflict. This can be a loss of physical contact, from something or someone we want to be connected with and or to; or it can be a separation we would like to have or indeed need from someone or something which we do not want or like in some way shape or form. 

So for example, like myself, at six weeks of age, I was suddenly separated from my mother’s breast and it was an unexpected, dramatic and isolating moment for me, where I didn’t have a strategy to fix or resolve it at that time. These four components are what constitute that stress trigger in our system – we call it a UDIN moment (Unexpected, Dramatic, Isolating, No Strategy). 

Babies often experience this conflict when they’re separated from the mother at birth (e.g. being in ICU or given up for adoption). A separation conflict can occur in utero as well.

For an infant, the mother is the most important attachment presence in their young life, because of their connection during pregnancy and in the initial stages post-partum. Because of this connection and bond, it’s the mother who is perceived as the one to protect her child – she’s there on many levels to prevent stress and conflicts from happening. Therefore, it’s often the case, when a small child has a separation conflict, the mother was usually absent when the stress occurred.

Examples can be when a new sibling is born who appears to get more attention; when parents separate and children are split between homes; children not being able to see friends; separation from a toy or pet they like to snuggle. It’s also a pivotal time if the mother returns to work and the child is put into the care of others at nursery or a nanny or even another relative.

In parallel, elderly people may feel separated from their tribe/family if they move into a care home or following the death of a spouse or close companion.

Fears can also provoke the conflict e.g. fear of losing touch or contact with someone (maybe they’re moving away) or a feeling of rejection by a person because of an argument can trigger the conflict.

In a similar way, this theme also includes wanting to separate or cease contact from someone i.e. you really want to but for whatever reason, you’re unable to push or get away from that someone (literally or metaphorically). e.g. an abusive partner or parent or a bully at work or school.

Furthermore, it also refers to that desire/need/want to separate from something close to the skin e.g. glasses; a face mask; an item of clothing or a hat; shoes (such as bowling alley rental shoes); a soiled/wet baby’s nappy. By the same token, this theme also includes the feeling of being separated from something you’re unable to touch or feel close to any more e.g. a wedding ring, a musical instrument, a golf club (or similar sports item).

The Stress Phase

During this first phase, right after the trigger, the top layer of our skin, the epidermis, ulcerates where the separation/contact stress is felt. This is usually completely unnoticed because this is all happening in our subconscious and is a very sudden and automatic response to the emotive feeling.

However, when this stress phase is prolonged, signs of an imbalance will begin to surface, such as dry, rough, flaky, pale skin and coldness due to poor blood circulation.

If this stress phase becomes chronic, the skin starts to crack, which may include bleeding in more severe cases, leading to ulceration. Ichthyosis, which is identified by its fine scaling symptoms, indicates a chronic intense stress phase.

Another example of this prolonged stress phase is what is commonly known as dandruff on our scalp. When this is more intense and chronic, deep ulceration of the epidermal skin causes hair loss i.e. alopecia.

Other Stress Phase Aspects

Another common symptom which occurs in this stress phase, though not associated with epidermal skin issues in general medicine, is a short-term memory loss. The purpose of this is to temporarily forget the person we’ve been separated from by inhibiting the memory. In children, this shows up with challenges in learning and focusing…nowadays labelled as attention deficit disorder (ADD). In adults, chronic separation conflicts can lead to dementia.

Vitiligo is another symptom I’ve been managing since I was about 20. This happens because the ulceration (mentioned above), extends into the deepest layer of the epidermal skin, where melanin is produced, or not as the case is with vitiligo. The stress of this type of separation is perceived by the individual as feeling especially intense or brutal, e.g. physical abuse or torn from a loved one. The symptoms show up where the separation is felt by that individual. Hair also turns white in these areas. For me, my armpits are almost totally white, along with some smaller patches on my arms, legs and shoulders. That said, because I’m working on the associated stress triggers for me, the pigmentation has begun to return.

The Restorative Healing Phase

In the first part of the restorative healing phase, the affected skin location turns pinkish/red, before a slow repigmentation process begins in the second part of this phase. However, if you’re being retriggered by the original stress during this time, hyperpigmentation can occur – café-au-lait spots.

Another aspect of the first half of this healing phase is the skin swelling up, becoming red, inflamed, irritated, itchy, and sensitive to touch. This is because the ulceration from the stress phase is now being repaired through prolific cell growth. Unfortunately for those of us who know this only too well (me), this often includes small fluid-filled type blisters. Provided you don’t experience any retriggering stresses, the skin is able to further heal and repair in the second half of this phase. Those blisters will dry up and the skin returns to normal.

What is important to realise in this healing phase, however, is the skin does develop the characteristic rash we see in cases such as hives, eczema, lupusmeasles, dermatitis, herpes, chickenpox, impetigorosacea, rubella and psoriasis. Though all slightly different, they all have the same separation/contact stress trigger theme in common.

Location – the significance

When the separation is unwanted e.g. unable to cuddle a loved one, the symptoms most often appear on the inside of arms, hands, fingers, or legs. On the contrary, wanting to break contact/separate from someone, typically appears on the outside of arms, hands, elbows, legs, knees, shinbones, or ankles, to metaphorically push or kick the unwanted away.

Furthermore, depending on the detail of the stress and perception of the afflicted, skin rash symptoms can also be more pinpointed in where they appear e.g. the scalp, face or lips (i.e. cold sores); the chest, stomach, genitals (external); feet and toes; and the back.

When all over (which is what I experienced when the eczema was at its worst in my late 20s – head to toe, cracked and bleeding) a widespread skin rash indicates general stress being experienced as a whole. In this case, what is also important to know is this can also be caused by poisoning e.g. from medication i.e. the body as a whole wants to separate from this poison within.

When rash symptoms are chronic and recurring, it is due to the original stress being retriggered in some way. e.g. when I was suddenly taken off my mother’s breast at six weeks and given formula milk (derived from cow’s dairy) I not only developed eczema on my face, where I felt the separation from my mother’s breast, but I also developed a very obvious intolerance to cow’s dairy, which was subsequently removed from my diet. Therefore, what is important to realise is, foods or pets or plant pollen, for example, are often associated aspects of a separation conflict, because they were present at the time the stress was triggered and thus, an unconscious association is formed, as part of our fight or flight stress response, to help keep us safe.

Specifics

Rosacea and lupus, which generally appear on the nose, chin, and cheeks, are most often associated with a separation to do with the face e.g. loss of contact felt on the face or wanting someone to literally or metaphorically get out of your face. Nerve pain is also often experienced in the healing phase with facial skin rashes.

As we know with chickenpox (me again), measles and rubella, the rash covers most of the body. These general separation conflicts are more frequently encountered by young children because they tend to feel more vulnerable regarding separations from the tribe/family/unit (e.g. around home or at school).

Chickenpox is felt much deeper than measles and rubella because it goes
deeper into the epidermal skin layer. The length of the stress phase also impacts on the severity of symptoms too e.g. rubella is milder than measles. Other aspects also play a role with what symptoms occur as well e.g. if the child feels particularly isolated or abandoned, the blisters will appear worse or if the healing phase is intense, a high fever could also present.

Contrary to modern medical dogma, when we look at the science of human biology and embryology, coupled with the epigenetic science of the mind-body-social connection, these apparent contagious childhood viruses are actually the healing phase of separation conflicts being experienced by many children at the same time.

These communal separation conflicts can be and often are either school-related (e.g. a separation associated with a friend at school) or home-related impacting all children in a family.

For example, if you look at the statistics, measles typically appears after the settling in period of starting anew at nursery or infant school and the child has become familiar with their new teacher and made some friends. They’re also now comfortable with their new schedule of parents dropping and picking them up.  The skin rash indicates that the stress of the separation has been resolved for the child. What spreads is the perceived notion/belief/emotion of not being allowed or not wanting to have contact with someone who has the infection. Supposed outbreaks in schools, for example, are often associated with the fear of coming in contact with an infected child i.e. wanting to separate/not have contact. It can also be the loss of being connected with a new best friend.

Psoriasis occurs because there are two conflicts involved. One is in the stress phase causing the flaky skin, while the second one is in the healing phase manifesting as the inflammation. Combined, it shows up as white/silvery patches on a thicker red skin surface.

Warts happen due to an on-going healing phase, because of being re-stressed.  Skin tags are similar to warts. Genital warts suggest continuing separation conflicts of a sexual nature.

Remember: the healing phase is also interrupted when steroid-type creams are applied to the skin. This is why the inflamed rash appears again after the application is stopped.

My Own Journey

Having experienced eczema, chickenpox, impetigo, hives, cold sores, vitiligo and childhood warts, I’m very familiar with the themes of separation and unwanted contact, as well as how hard it is to live with these very visual symptoms on so many levels.

Looking over my own life, it’s clear and obvious where all these symptoms were activated and triggered. As such, coupled with the new biology knowledge and actually doing the deeper emotional work to heal those then unresolved emotional hurts, I’m happy to say I rarely if ever experience any symptoms nowadays. My vitiligo still has some work to complete. It’s in hand though and I’m well on my way to it also being a thing of the past.

As mentioned above, to ensure you’re getting to the root cause, all six key areas need to be explored and balanced for optimal results e.g. for a while, I thought consuming a healthy wholefood diet, being physically fit, doing work I love in a place I loved living in was enough. It soon became apparent the inner work needed to be done as well though. So my suggestion is to explore and cover all bases from the beginning, to avoid the setbacks I experienced.

To find out how I can help and support you, get in touch now.

 

Don’t Panic Mr Mainwaring! Don’t Panic!

For what it’s worth, here are a few ideas to add to the pot, to help those who are concerned about this so-called global virus.

First of all, here’s some light-hearted information to watch from two UK doctors, identical twins, Dr Chris and Dr Xand via the BBC’s Newsround.

Also, here’s some preventative information from doctors who spoke at the Get Well Health Expo at Olympia in London in February, hosted by Lynne McTaggart

 

Along with these ideas, which focus on more lifestyle factors, like nutrition and personal hygiene…you also need to consider your beliefs and emotions and any stresses you may have going on in your life as well…because it is a collection of six main factors, which contribute to any form of dis-ease in your mind and thus your body. I wrote more about this here.

 
The six main root causes of dis-ease are:
1. Your body and it’s various organs and tissues itself – how healthy and vital is it? The more healthy and balanced it is, the stronger it is and the better able it is to cope and manage when it’s stressed.
 
2. Stress – what is going on for you just now and long term, which is stressful for you? It’s important to calm all of this down and find ways which will work for you, so that you are able to manage in a more balanced way when things do trigger you.
 
3. Emotions – what emotions do you have pent up and whizzing around inside of you? Again, it’s important to address these aspects & let them go. When we don’t & they’re left to ruminate, they become symptoms in our body & eventually manifest in a dis-eased way.
 
4. Beliefs – what do you believe in? e.g. “I get four colds every winter” is a belief and does not serve you. “The Corona Virus is a pandemic and we’re all going to catch it” is also a belief and does not serve you or humanity. None of these thoughts are actual facts, they are beliefs and when held on to and given regular attention, they become a reality. They are not real though. They are not factual. They are beliefs made manifest. So it’s vital we all look at our beliefs, which we’ve created ourselves, as well as those passed down from our family and societal paradigms and change them, letting go of the ones which are no longer positively serving you or the wider world. Your values and life goals also come into this area as well – if they’re out of balance, we see this showing up in the mind-body with dis-ease.
 
5. Social – what is going on in your social world i.e. at home, at work and socially with your networks of friends etc? Are they all in balance? Are they all harmonious and happy? Those which are unhappy, out of balance and causing stress need to be looked at and addressed, because again, when left to fester and ruminate, they also contribute to dis-ease in the mind & body. It’s important to have supportive social groups in all of these areas – therefore, creating real-life solutions and building empowering habits for yourself are fundamental.
 
6. Lifestyle – what is your lifestyle like? Is there enough exercise or appropriate physical activity in your daily routine and who you are/what stage you’re at in life? Are you eating the foods and drinking the beverages which support your body, mind and constitution? Your vitality and strength on that physical and mental level play a huge part in your overall health and wellbeing.
 
Dis-ease and illness as we know it, do not show up randomly in the body. It’s due to a combination of the above six key areas. When there is an imbalance in two or more of these areas, we will experience this imbalance in the mind and body, especially when left for long periods. This is when symptoms also become chronic.
 

Therefore, looking after our health and wellbeing in mind, body and spirit is so important…and is not just about green smoothies and pilates. Or keto diets and gym routines. There needs to be balance (or as close to balance as possible) in all six areas for us to enjoy more balanced health and wellness overall.

What’s also important to remember is there isn’t any blame being placed here. This is about educating ourselves and adjusting things in our own lives accordingly. When we know and are informed fully, we can make more accurate and appropriate choices and decisions. Education and being empowered individually is key, rather than giving that personal power away, expecting someone else to fix you. You’re not broken…your body is simply giving bio-feedback when physical and mental symptoms show up.

Two tools which I use successfully and effectively, both on and for myself, as well as with those I work with are EFT (also known as tapping) and pure simple mindful breathing. They each help to calm the fight or flight response and rebalance the mind and body to a state of calm again. Both can be easily learnt and followed by two apps I recommend, which are currently free to download. The Breathing App has very simple content and it’s all accessible for both iOS and Andriod. The tapping app has some free content and some which is accessible when you subscribe. It’s also available for both iOS and Andriod.

 
To find out more, get in touch, where we can discuss your own individual needs…because no two people come to have their dis-ease by the same route…everyone has different triggers, which activate in the mind and body at different times.

 

* NB: If you have any signs or symptoms, both physically and/or mentally, which you’re unsure of and are not coping with on your own, go and see your GP and get a medical assessment done. Knowledge is power and understanding what is going on from a medical perspective is vital for supporting your wellness journey. I work alongside doctors in my work, which is crucial for getting to the root cause of illness and dis-ease in anyone.

It’s time to be kind…or be extinct…

I’ve been saying what the latest research has just proven (link below) since the whole environmental impact by humans started to gain publicity…

…that it’s not simply too much plastic or too much intensive farming or too much flying in aircrafts causing climate change and environmental devastation…

…that our very emotions and attitudes influence our environment massively

You see, because every living thing, from human beings right down to a small leaf or insect are all innately connected, it was always obvious to me that the environmental changes we’re seeing and experiencing on a global scale are hugely influenced by human thoughts, beliefs and emotions. 

Science has already proven time and time again that less than 5% of symptoms we experience are because of genes… i.e. it’s our thoughts, emotions and beliefs – how we interpret and interact in the world – which manifests dis-ease and illness in our bodies, along with other factors, which I talk about in previous posts. Therefore it makes perfect sense that these same thoughts, emotions and beliefs can and do also influence the very environments we live, work and play in as well. 

Now before anyone jumps on a high horse…there isn’t any blaming or shaming in what I’m saying. No one is saying it’s your fault if you have this dis-ease or that illness. Much of what happens to us is through unconscious programming and conditioning. Therefore, most of us are very unaware of what our thoughts, beliefs and emotions are doing or that they’re even there in fact. I for one didn’t know it was my thinking which landed me with two knee surgeries or my thinking which has caused me to have skin issues for most of my life. 

However, we know now, that more than 95% of dis-ease and illness in the mind and/or body has a mind-body-social-brain connection. There are very specific themes which are associated with where a symptom, illness or dis-ease shows up, following a trigger, which to the individual, was a conflict for their thoughts, beliefs and emotions and thus, creates this imbalance in our bodies. 

Therefore, the world we live in, our environment, is also a reflection of our thoughts, emotions and beliefs…because we’re all connected, every-living-thing. 

If we explore and study the history of what’s happened in global populations and the land where these things happened, there will be a correlation with what’s going on environmentally now…likely with similar conflict themes to those we see showing up in the human body, where similar individual thoughts, feelings and beliefs have been felt, processed and held on to over time. 

So the new research which has just been published (link below), by three separate scientific studies is very exciting and illuminating for how we continue to choose to shape our future, both as individuals, as well as country-wide and global populations. 

The dominant patriarchal aggressive approach to life and living is not serving us as a global family. We need to create radical change, right down to how we treat ourselves and others, before we actually, seriously become a part of the sixth mass global extinction…which will include the extinction of the human race if we don’t change the way we live with ourselves and others now. 

The #bekind movement has never had a more significant birth than now. 

It’s actually paramount for the future of the planet and every living thing that we change how we live, work and socialise with each other. If we continue on the trajectory we’re on just now, with the nastiness, slander, anger and rage which we’re witnessing everywhere, even towards ourselves, we’re on a very slippery, rapid downhill slope to ending life on planet earth as we know it. Literally.

Even if we do not agree with someone else’s opinion, we need to learn to be kind and loving anyway.

Our governments…it’s time to stop slagging and bitching at each other, thinking this kind of behaviour is clever and is going to win votes. It’s not mature…it’s not grown up…and it’s not showing any kind of loving-kindness or intelligence for your people to look up to and be inspired by.

Teachers in education…stop putting children down. Treat them with the respect you want to have as well. If you’re getting angry and irritated in the classroom, maybe it’s time for a career change or retirement. Don’t take your frustrations and unresolved emotional hurts out on the students though. Teach with loving-kindness and you will receive this in return.

Those who work at the top in medicine and pharmacology…including the funders…it’s time to tell the truth at all levels of the medical chain. People deserve to know the truth. Stop with the lies, deceit and pretence that you do not know what is going on when scientific research has proven time and time again now that we do know why illness and dis-ease are happening…and it sure isn’t going to be cured by mass pharmacology either…and you know it. You signed the Hippocrates oath…which says do no harm.

Organised religious leaders…it’s time for you to stop with your lies too. Stop hiding the abuse and corruption at all levels of your patriarchial organisations. None of the religious texts talk about or support the behaviour you’ve all been carrying out, supporting and hiding over the decades. Stop it. Be honest. #bekind

Media in all its forms – print and internet journalism, radio and TV presenters. It’s ok to have an opinion about things. We can all be kind when expressing our thoughts and feelings though. If you feel the need to put down or berate another person in any way, shape or form, it’s time you looked at your own unresolved emotional hurts…your heart needs loving-kindness and it’s time you bestowed it upon yourself.

Social media trolls. It’s simple. Be kind. If this is a challenge for you, ask yourself, “where do I have unresolved emotional hurts, which are desperately calling out for my loving-kindness…?”

It all starts within, for all of us. Be kind to yourself…and then it’s much easier to be kind to everyone and every living thing around us, with love and compassion.

Honestly, without this change now…we’re all going down the plughole sooner rather than later.

Below are some book suggestions to help you move from loveless and lacklustre to loving and lovable, from cutting and cowardly to kind and compassionate, from disconnected and disillusioned to Divinely guided:

And finally, below is a link to the latest research about how our thoughts, emotions and beliefs shape the world around us, from three separate scientific research projects.

New Research Shocks Scientists: Human Emotion Physically Shapes Reality!

Trusting Our Symptoms

Probably one of the biggest challenges I originally had before gaining the knowledge I have now, which I often hear from those I work with, is trusting our symptoms and the process our body is naturally going through to help us…the body’s natural healing intelligence.

We’ve been conditioned and programmed into believing something is wrong with us when symptoms show up…that it’s somehow our fault when we are ‘ill’ ‘unwell’ ‘sick’. That we are in some way broken and we need fixing in some way.

The truth is, it has nothing to do with any of that. It’s about biology. Your body is the seat of consciousness. Your body, your biology, your organ tissues are all a reflection of who you are in all your greatness…and your body is also lovingly, intelligently talking to you, giving you messages of where aspects simply require rebalancing, adjusting and realigning, to return you to health once more.

This may include removing blockages with tools like EFT, which no longer support the natural healing process. It may also include adding in aspects such as foods to strengthen you, physical activity to enliven you and also looking at the social environment factors which you engage in e.g. at work, at home, out socially. These will all help to increase vitality in mind, body and spirit when aligned with your true nature.

We already know about auto-regulation and homeostasis in general medicine. However, we’ve perhaps not been clearly shown what that actually looks like in lay terms and how to realistically apply it for ourselves to achieve our health goals.

Our body is striving to achieve this for us naturally though and symptoms are messages relating to where there is an imbalance, which requires our more focused attention. This happens very easily and effortlessly in nature. It’s constantly adapting to maintain balance, even with all the pressure humans put on it. The human body is doing the same. Climate change is a symptom of imbalance on the planet, which many are listening and responding to, to help restore a healthy planet. Symptoms in our body are exactly the same…a call to action, a call to make positive changes.

Therefore, the more we can trust our body, our symptoms and the messages being given to us…as well as understanding what phase in the autonomic nervous system, symptoms are in, coupled with knowing their root causes (see previous posts), which, combined is the natural response from the logic of our biology at its finest…the more we are able to support an easier restoration and rebalancing process within the body system overall.

So I invite and encourage you to begin to see and experience your symptoms from a biological intelligence perspective…and begin the inquiry as to what’s triggered these responses in your body, rather than seeing yourself as broken…because that is simply not true.

Nothing is random. Your body is showing you, telling you, speaking to you. Your biology is incredibly smart…and not just your mechanical biology…there is a direct link between your emotions, thoughts and brain with our social environment. Therefore, notice how beautiful and intelligent your body is and what it’s communicating to you to help restore balance and harmony for you again. What better gift to give yourself in this new year as we ease towards spring and embrace this new decade of 2020 than to listen to what you truly need and be present with yourself.

If you would like to find out more and how the tools I use can help and support you with your health goals, get in touch.

Why are symptoms chronic and recurring?

Chronic health symptoms, as I mentioned at the end of my last post, are a different ball game…albeit similar. This kind of pattern sees the body-mind-social system cycling back and forth between the sympathetic and parasympathetic i.e. from stress to restoration to stress to restoration to stress etc.

Let’s think about this for a moment…🤔

If we’re experiencing some symptoms and then they disappear or change for a few days, weeks or months and then reappear…why is that? What has happened to create this looping pattern?

Well, it’s the exact same process I’ve described in the last few posts, in the nine points and phases of the biological healing process (as shown in above graphic)…except with chronic recurring symptoms, we’re never fully resolving the original stress trigger (the traumatic event, also known as a UDIN – because it’s usually Unexpected, Dramatic, you feel Isolated and have No strategy) and therefore, in every way, we oscillate between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic, each time that button, that still open unresolved emotional hurt, is re-pushed, is re-wounded, as shown in the graphic below.

There are usually two or more aspects which are contributing to this pattern repeatedly occurring e.g. the original stress trigger (which will be how you emotionally and cognitively responded in that moment of unexpected stress), plus it could be an environmental aspect, such as pollen being present when you were triggered (so you may have recurring hayfever); or it may be a social aspect, such as a specific food was there at the time of the trigger (so you may have a food allergy); or it could be another social-environmental aspect, such as a specific place, like work, where you are always put down by your manager (so you always get lower back pain).

In the past, these recurring cycles were left with the ‘cause unknown’ question mark over them ❓by medics and medical manuals. We didn’t fully realise what was happening in the body-mind-social space. We didn’t really fully acknowledge that these elements were all connected.

We do know now though and I can’t imagine working without this knowledge in my practice…and those I have the privilege to work with express similar sentiments when they understand what’s truly happening within them. It’s empowering and gives you back your power and control over outcomes, rather than feeling helpless and at the mercy of your symptoms. It gives you options.

This is what you will learn when you embrace this knowledge. And embrace it or not, it’s biological science. It’s real. It’s happening in all of us. So we can take it and be informed. Or we can choose to ignore it.

Day one. Or one day. We can all choose when to begin.

You will learn what phase your symptoms are in; which of the six root causes require rebalancing and what steps you can take, which are workable and sustainable for you, towards your health and wellness goals.

We learn to appreciate that our symptoms aren’t random anymore. We can spot cycles and patterns…and with this knowledge, we can utilise appropriate methods to support where we’re at in this time and space and to ultimately help us reach our health and wellness goals, living a life we love and thrive in.

When would now be a good time for you to begin your own journey to health and wellness again?

Get in touch now, if you would like to know more and how you can begin to help yourself.

So…what’s going on…?

So…if we’ve got these symptoms and we’re not broken…what’s going on?

As I said in my previous post, from the meta (big-picture) perspective, your body is starting to repair. Restoration, repair and regeneration produces a lot of these symptoms, viewed as being sick/unwell/ill.

The first part of this restorative phase will produce different symptoms, depending on the body tissue impacted by the organ-mind-brain connection, which has been triggered in us, based on our perception of the situation. It’s all a very subjective experience. No two people come to have their apparently similar symptoms or the same diagnosis from the same trigger.

What is a common aspect though, is your autonomic nervous system has been activated with parasympathetic activity i.e. your symptoms of exhaustion, sleepiness, tiredness is the body asking to rest and repair…BUT often we don’t give it enough of this restorative time because we push ourselves to continue working, doing, pushing and pushing to keep going going going.

So we end up treating and managing symptoms, trying to counter-balance the symptoms with medications etc.

Don’t get me wrong…there can be a very valid reason to take medication because there is a place for all forms of healing. It’s knowing what to do to fully support ourselves when we are properly informed of what is truly going on within our mind-body system, which makes the difference as to what is the best form of action and treatment to take and follow at any given time, however. This will vary for everyone, even if you do have the same diagnosis. No two people are the same, therefore, it also makes sense that a one-size-fits-all approach to healing also needs to be individually tailored.

Once we are triggered into the restorative, regenerative phase (as described in the last post at step 4), the first part of this restorative phase (5) often sees swelling/oedema, increased inflammation and viral or bacterial or fungal activity (what these will be all depends on which brain relay has been triggered, as well as which organ/organ tissue is involved from that brain relay. This is determined by our subjective view of the world…i.e. our thoughts, values, beliefs and emotions).

Our thoughts and emotions in this rest and digest parasympathetic phase tend to feel more like brain fog/fuzzy thinking because we feel so tired and fatigued.

The emotions from the sympathetic stress phase (e.g. anger or ruminating thinking) are almost not there or are at least lessened in some way, shape or form.

These initial restorative phase symptoms may typically last approximately 3-7 days (though this varies depending on the length of the stress/sympathetic phase). What then occurs is described as a healing peak (6) i.e. it’s a short burst of sympathetic nervous system activity, which mostly goes unnoticed, the exceptions being when more serious health challenges are present and then the healing peak will be evident e.g seizures, strong palpitations.

Following the healing peak, however, in a normal biological cycle and process, we move into the second phase of the restorative (parasympathetic) phase (7) and our body begins to normalise again…moving towards homeostasis (balance and harmony within mind and body) once more.

Our appetite usually returns and we feel a little better too. Our body will be excreting a lot of toxins now as well, or tissue it no longer requires from the repair phase, so we detox quite heavily in this part of the biological process, as our body shifts more into normalisation again e.g. increased urination may also be a detox symptom.

Subsequently, after a few days of this detoxing, where we’ll feel increasingly better, in most general cases, we’ll reach that auto-regulation phase (8) and feel normal once more…”I’ve recovered”.

Most of us have experienced this general biological cycle and process, where we then carry on with the regular day-night cycle of general health and sympathetic-parasympathetic autonomic nervous system functioning.

In most cases (excluding long term/chronic symptoms) we feel as good as before, sometimes stronger than before. Chronic health issues are a whole other subject, which I’ll come to in another post.

If you have any questions about how this applies to you, do get in touch. And if you would like to know how a meta-health analysis could help and support your health and wellbeing, please do find out more about how I work and what I can do to support your aspirations and goals.

Only you can steer the ship of your health and wellness. When would be a good time to take back your power and own your path to wellbeing again?

Day one? Or one day? You choose.