Unraveling Healing

Healing is a very profound word and yet, so very commonplace. Anything that has lost its ability to function as a whole and coherent unit, needs healing to restore it back to its original balanced state. Be it the body, mind, personal or social relationships, or communities in the broader context. There is enough wisdom, knowledge, science and tools, available to heal every organism at every level. Yet, there is more discord and disease now than ever before.

Healing can be simple or complex depending upon the type or severity of the condition. And healing is not linear, so it needs patience and perseverance. But, with intention, commitment and compliance it is totally achievable.Although, here we are simply looking at getting the body back to a healthier state, we have to take into account the multiple facets of day to day living and experiences that influence our physical and mental wellbeing.

Our body comes equipped with its own innate wisdom to heal itself. We need to tune into its messages and focus on areas that need attention and support at a given time. Sometimes, just by making small changes to our diet and habits, we can kick start mechanisms in the body to regain optimal health. We are all unique so an individualised and integrative approach can be very empowering. We can customise a response to suit the body’s fundamental constitution to allow the body to heal from inside out, rather than from outside in. Applying a bandaid on a wound will protect it from outside pathogens, but the healing must still be carried out by the inherent processes within the body.

So, healing cannot be a passive process. No one knows your body like you do, and you need to be an active participant in its progress to total health.

Fortunately, so many healing modalities are available to us. From ancient Ayurvedic, Homeopathy, Herbal, Naturopathy, Acupuncture, TCM etc to modern technology based Bioenergetic systems that support the body to regain its myriad functions and restore balance. You can choose one or more that resonates with you. The advantage of using integrative functionalities is that they don’t just focus on an individual symptom. Taking the body as a whole the healing strategy Includes all aspects of your physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual being. It also takes into consideration the interconnectedness of the body with the environment.

You may have to open your mind and shift your belief systems a little to accept the viability of a modality that you haven’t tried before. The best outcome of course, is when you can overcome the root cause of your malady. Healing is a journey and when the reward is a positive and vibrant life, it’s worth embarking upon.

To understand healing fully, we need to take a peek at the processes that influence disease to manifest in the body.

Most diseases have their origin in the gut, so let’s follow that analogy.

Let’s say you are young, active and fit. Two, three times a week you eat a diet of processed foods and meats, pizzas or burgers with salads or chips and an iced drink. Initially you may only feel a little heavy after meals, or experience some indigestion or acidity. Occasionally, you may also have constipation. These are mild symptoms at first and go away after a while. Sometimes they may need a little help from antacids or laxatives.

However, these foods are difficult to digest. Your body has to expend a lot of energy into breaking down and absorbing these foods. When you are young and in the growing phase, you seem to have an unending reserve of stamina, so this goes unnoticed.

Slowly, the buildup of toxicity from undigested foods starts to compromise the gastrointestinal tract through accumulation. The discomfort, bloating and acidity increase. And you may start to experience skin breakouts, acne or allergies. This is body’s natural response to eliminate the toxins.

If the same diet and lifestyle continue for several years, in the next phase, these toxins begin to overflow the GI tract. They enter plasma and blood tissues and start to circulate throughout the body. They are looking for a new home. Gradually, they begin to settle down into the weaker parts of the body. Growing up also brings with it, its own responsibilities, stresses and emotional experiences. Added to the existing burden of physical imbalances, your body now has to strive even harder to cope. So, you may start feeling fatigue, or aches and pains in areas of the body that previously seemed unaffected.

As the digestive system weakens further, improper elimination and lack of nutrients in the body may start to show up as symptoms such as chronic lethargy, inflammation, brain fog, low immunity, leaky gut, etc. Body becomes susceptible to infections and environmental pollutants and allergens, which further aggravate and tax the organs and systems of the body. And finally, they may surface as degenerative conditions or manifest as a group of symptoms that can be classified as a disease.

You might say, what about germs and viruses that we catch from outside? Of course, that is a possibility. But, most of them cannot gain a foothold in your body, if your immune system is strong enough to fight them off. The common factor in every disease is inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s signal to direct its immune forces to the area under attack. That is why a healthy immune system is the topmost priority for everyone. Inflammation can become chronic if not eliminated in its initial stage, this is when it may start to spread and cause a host of other symptoms. 

An illness that showed up today, did not happen as a result of something we ate or did yesterday. More likely, it was the last straw that broke the camel’s back, as the proverb goes. So, how can we maintain good health, or Sustained Healing as I like to call it. Most importantly, we need to cultivate an awareness. An awareness of our inner feelings and an awareness of our oneness with our surroundings. How does our body respond to our food, hydration, exercise, to the earth, the plants, trees and structures around us, and even to the air we breathe.

This is what puts food smack bang at the centre of our total wellness and healing program. By food we don’t just mean what goes into the mouth, but also our breath, thoughts, vibrations, sounds and sights. Everything that we take in through our senses. They all influence our health, life and experiences in subtle ways. 

Food incorporates all the elements of nature, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. It impacts our physical wellbeing and can also enhance our mental and emotional capabilities. If we eat food that is whole, natural and nutrient dense, food that is cooked in a way which is easy to digest and assimilate, and is eaten at the right time in a happy environment, we have already taken the basic steps to making our bodies strong and resilient. We will not look at pathogens as our enemies, but as minor stresses that promote hormesis in the body and activate body’s adaptive response to bring it into a balanced state of health and vitality.

In our next article we will go deeper into food, how and when to eat, various aspects of preparation, how to incorporate herbs and spices to increase absorption etc. so stay tuned.

Wishing you good health always.

Meena