We know that the healing process comes from within and is not determined by the supplements and pills we sometimes take. We also know this is a hard concept to grasp sometimes and this health tip may challenge your fundamental belief system further. At Integrative Healing Dynamics we believe that the first relationship necessary to begin and sustain the healing process is not nutrition; it is the relationship we have with our thoughts and our mind.
Being in command of your own mind and thoughts is the most important thing you can do to ensure healing occurs as it should within your body. Often we tend to neglect our thoughts and stop being mindful of what we are thinking daily. We become overwhelmed with the world around us and let stress-generated thoughts confuse our minds, and therefore our body. When this happens, the body naturally responds by creating an excess of hormones such as adrenaline to help combat the stress.
Did you know that an excess of adrenaline can increase blood pressure and accelerate the aging process?
This condition can cause the body to shift from a healthy, healing state (parasympathetic) to a flight or fight state (sympathetic). The sympathetic response occurs naturally when we are challenged with constant deadlines and events that can be considered overwhelming. A human body that has been conditioned to respond this way all the time will tend to exist in this mode even when it is at rest; almost as if it can’t turn off. Eventually this over-excess of stress sets the foundation for sickness, chronic disease and even premature death. Never allowing the body to slow down and rest gets in the way of the natural holistic healing process.
So you can now see why taking control of your mind and how and what you think is one of the most important things you can do to maintain a healthy body. What method you choose to take control is almost as individual as you are.
Meditation is by far the first choice since its health benefits have been clearly recognized throughout the world for centuries. A study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania showed how even brief periods of meditation can help with focus and attention. At Integrative Healing Dynamics, we have made it a daily discipline to incorporate 30 minutes of meditation daily into our lives. Admittedly it was frustrating at first because we were so conditioned by the daily stresses of “getting it all done”; however with practice that has changed and we cannot imagine how we ever existed without it. We can even feel the difference when we deter from our daily routine.
For a great meditation program, we encourage you to visit the Nataraja Meditation and yoga center. Certain chiropractic techniques also focus on the mind-body connection such as Neuro-Emotional Technique and Bio-Energetic-Synchronization-Technique. We use these holistic techniques in our office and would be happy to help you determine if one or a combination would help you gain control over your thoughts, your mind and your health.
Until next week, yours in health and wellness, Drs. Tran and Hsu.