Ramadan is approaching fast… One week to go.
In our daily life, our hearts grow unavoidably heavy, exhausted, and weary. Our fast-paced life, our endless mental chatter, our daily chores and tasks urge us to run and rush all day long. Even when we rest our bodies at the end of the day, we rarely give our minds a break. Our mind keeps running while watching the news, surfing the net, scanning social media, or following the latest soap opera. Once a year, Ramadan comes to help us reach inner peace in our hearts and souls. Ramadan is the perfect opportunity for soul regeneration, for renewing our intention and reconsidering our life mission and meaning. It is time when we are reminded to live in the moment, truly embrace our sacred connection with God, and let it touch our hearts and revive our souls. Once a year comes the time to recharge our spiritual energy, purify our hearts, and clear our minds along with ridding our bodies from toxic burdens. It is time for refueling and recharging for a whole year to come. But How?
 
Jonathan Haidt in his book The Happiness Hypothesis compared our subconscious mental reality to an elephant that has its own will. And, our analytical, logical conscious mind is the rider on the back of the elephant. The rider seems to hold the rein and direct the elephant right and left… But, don’t be fooled, the rider can never force the elephant into a direction it does not want to go. The elephant is the one running the show… If the rider wants to stay in control, he better tames the elephant… And the best way of doing that is by LISTENING to what the elephant needs.
On one hand, the elephant is wired for self-protection, he only sees what is directly in front of him. He feels immediate pains, seeks immediate pleasures, and is motivated by pure survival instincts (well, food and sex mainly!) … In other words, our elephant has the control button for dopamine release- our feeling good and motivation neurotransmitter. The rider, on the other hand, is a visionary. He can delay gratification for future upcoming success. Yet, he possesses limited strength. Long struggles against willpower exhaust him so his hands get loose on the reins and he lets the elephant roam freely.
 
In our everyday life, we exhaust our ‘rider’ by too many choices, decisions, and useless struggles… We end up stressed and drained because we wear ourselves out with 100s of little daily choices and temptations… from resisting this doughnut with our morning coffee to controlling our temper with daily traffic, to choosing the outfit that makes us look thin or sexy, to managing our cool with the new boss or new employee or teenage boy or toddler…. We face 100s of tiny choices, temptations, and self-control decisions that wear us out. Trying to just go through life with the illusion that only by willpower we can achieve everything is just that: An illusion.
We keep beating ourselves up because we are lazy, we are weak or we didn’t try hard enough. Cut yourself some slack… regardless of how hard you try or how strong you are you can never pull the elephant if he does not want to come along with you.
As we are talking about Ramadan, We have always learned that Ramadan fasting is there to strengthen this self-control muscle… it is there to train us to be more in control of our desires… but unfortunately, we got the mechanism all wrong… if we treat our fasting as a mere training of self-restriction and self-control… we will be further wearing off our self-control muscle… this is why we see fasting people in this holy month more irritable, stressed, angry, and doing all sort of wrong stuff that fasting should actually solve not cause.
 
For Muslims, Ramadan fasting is not a mere physical exercise that trains us to withstand hunger.
Neither is it a mere psychological exercise that trains us to control our desires, temptations and urges.
Rather, Ramadan fasting is first and foremost a spiritual practice. “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain piety (God-consciousness).” (Quran, 2: 183)
 
Training our self-control muscles does not mean pulling harder on the rein and fighting the elephant. On the contrary, it means making peace with this elephant and motivating him to walk the path we want to walk.
We can only do that if we slow down, silence the chatter, purify our hearts, and LISTEN.
We can only do that if we reach inner peace within our hearts and souls.
This peace is achieved by slowing down and silencing the mind chatter… reaching this inner stillness in an increasingly noisy world. The silence we cultivate should strengthen our connection with God, with ourselves, with our family, with the whole society, and with our life meaning and purpose.
 
So, as we are approaching the holy month, I invite you to slow down… relax… take a deep breath… roll back your shoulders… and LISTEN! Deep inside, your heart knows its path… it knows its mission, it knows its direction and its ultimate purpose… You just need to LISTEN… The silence you cultivate will strengthen your connection with your purpose, will refine your intention, and add to your sincerity.
And, of course, we cannot ignore that “elephant in the room! The pandemic… For the second time, Ramadan is coming during these challenging times. As we won’t be able to congregate in the mosques; and extended families and friends won’t be allowed to gather over dinner tables, this Ramadan offers yet another special opportunity for deeper reflection, deeper connection with God, and deeper restoration of the soul focusing on Divine love and service.
​

Our brain is the most complicated organ in the universe. It is estimated that we have more synaptic connections between our brain cells than there are stars in the skies.
 
Yet, do we take proper care of this valuable asset of ours?
 
Depression, anxiety, brain fog, dementia, mood swings, phobias, ADD and loads of other mental and psychological complaints and illnesses became so common…We've become experts at labelling our conditions, yet we've failed miserably at healing them…
 
Here is a scenario I see so often… a story of everyday life: Michelle is stressed, tired, and depleted. As soon as she wakes up, she turns on the autopilot mode and rides the hamster wheel. Between her husband, her house, her kids and her work, she does not have the time to feed her body needless to say her heart and soul. She eats on the go, mainly processed carbs and sweets. She has no time to exercise, no time for social support, hobbies or leisure. Her pastime is watching the depressing news or chatting on Facebook. She bottles up her frustration and anger and swallows her pains with her morning and afternoon coffees.

No wonder her cholesterol levels shoot up. Her doctor puts her on statin. No one mentioned the side effects… her cholesterol levels become normal, but her energy goes down the drain, brain fog, fatigue, low libido and poor fat digestion… For her heartburn, an antacid was added… Again, no one mentioned any side effects. With no acid in her stomach, protein digestion and absorption became compromised. Proteins are essential to build the neurotransmitters, those magic molecules Dr. Candace Pert calls ‘molecules of emotions’… Another prescription was now essential, an antidepressant for her low mood, poor motivation and foggy brain…
 
It is my firm belief that our body and mind have a tremendous ability of heal, we just have to give them what they need… we need to properly feed our body, mind, heart and soul. Today, I will focus on my 7 essential rules of feeding your body so that you can heal your mind:


1. One-man food is another man’s poison.
I meet people with food intolerances and sensitivities everyday in my practice. You need to listen to your body: Is there any specific food that eating it makes you feel tired, depleted, anxious, irritable, moody, or makes your brain foggy? The best way to find out is to go on a well-designed elimination diet while closely monitoring your symptoms.
2. Skip that doughnut.
Refined sugars and carbs throw your blood sugar level out of balance which not only increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease, but also pumps up your fight and flight response, increases inflammation and messes up your hormones. Alzheimer's disease is now known among nutritionists as type III diabetes. Depression, anxiety and ADD have well-established links with increased refined sugar consumption. To balance your blood sugar level, you need to choose whole unprocessed grains and carbs and fiber-rich foods; you also need to eat on regular interval and include some form of protein with every meal and snack (egg, nuts, seeds, lean chicken, turkey, fish and veal are good choices).
3. We’re basically ‘fatheads’.
60% of the solid brain mass is fat… But not any kind of fat. Your choice of fat is essential for your brain health. Good choices are olive oil, coconut oil, avocadoes, nuts, seeds and fatty fish.
4. Water is the essence of life.
70% of our cells is water. I have seen cases of serious fatigue and brain fog resolve by simply hydrating properly. Make sure you drink at least 8 cups of water daily.
5. Your ‘emotions’ are made from protein.
Serotonin, dopamine and nor-epinephrine are your brain neurotransmitters. Dr. Candace Pert calls them ‘molecules of emotions’ as they are the ones responsible for your feelings of happiness, wellbeing, uplifted mood, focus, and motivation… Another close relative, melatonin, regulates your sleep cycle and heals brain cells while you sleep.
Those neurotransmitters are made from protein, or more specifically from amino acids found in high quality protein.
6. Turn off the furnace.
As we live in a highly polluted world and we are leading a pretty stressful life we set on an inflammation process in our cells. This low-grade chronic inflammation is like a low heat furnace that is cooking our cells at a very slow yet efficient pace. We need to turn this furnace off. The best way to do that is by integrating anti-inflammatory herbs and spices in your every day diet. Spices like turmeric and ginger are amazing anti-inflammatory. Other great choices are green leafy vegetables and colored fruits and veggies like berries, red bell pepper, pumpkins, and carrots…
7. Give your liver a boost.
Your liver is the primary detoxifying organ in your body and since the brain is highly susceptible to toxins, supporting liver detoxification is an essential tool in brain protection. Foods that boost liver detoxification are cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collard, broccoli…), artichoke, burdock root, green leafy vegetables and spices like turmeric and ginger.
 
Data shows that the rate of antidepressant use in US increased by almost 400% between the late 90s and early 2000s.[1]
 
No one of us want to be among those statistics… do we?
 
It’s time to move forward… it is time to take back responsibility of your own health…
 
Finally, it is essential to note here that to achieve mental and emotional health, you need to look at all of You: Body, Mind, Heart & Soul. Yes, you need to fix your diet and make better food choices, but you also need to dig deeper into your heart and soul, to listen to your Body Whispers and to reclaim your responsibility over your health and your life…
 
Let today be the beginning of your health and happiness journey.

​Some college students participated in a study; they were told that the study is about food and perception of taste. They have been asked to come to the lab without eating at least 3 hours before that.
The researchers had just finished baking a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies that made the room smell un-resistibly amazing. All students were presented with 2 bowls one containing the freshly baked cookies and the other had some radishes. The researchers left the room after giving clear instructions: Half of the students were asked to eat 2-3 radishes and do not touch the cookies and the other half (the lucky ones!) were asked to eat 2-3 cookies but no radishes.
The radish eaters had hard time exercising their will power. Yet none of them broke the rules (the researchers were secretly watching).
And, needless to say, the chocolate chip eaters had no problem following the instructions.
 
At this point, the students were told that the experiment is over and that they will be contacted the next day to ask them about the taste sensations.
Then, a group of seemingly unrelated researchers came to the room and asked the students if they were willing to participate in a ‘totally unrelated’ research. The new research, they were told, was trying to investigate who is better at solving puzzles, college or high school students.
Now our college students were presented with a geometric puzzle to solve. The problem was designed to be unsolvable and the experiment was testing the students’ level of perseverance and persistence before giving up trying.
The chocolate chip eaters spent 19 minutes on the puzzle making an average of 34 attempts before finally giving up.
The ‘tempted’ radish eaters spent only 8 minutes trying and made only 19 attempts before quitting!
 
The researchers concluded, “Self-control is an exhaustible resource”. In other words, we only have so much will power and if we drain it away in un-important minor daily struggles, we will soon run out of self-control and quit the meaningful struggles in our life. (Reference: Switch by Dan & Chip Heath)
 
 
Jonathan Haidt in his book The Happiness Hypothesis compared our automatic reactions (you can also call it our subconscious, intuition, emotional bias, or gut feelings) to an elephant that has its own will. Our analytical, logical conscious self-control is the rider on the back of the elephant. The rider seems to hold the rein and direct the elephant right and left… But, don’t be fooled, the rider can never force the elephant into a direction it does not want to go into. The elephant is the one running the show… If the rider wants to stay in control, he better tame the elephant… And the best way of doing that is actually listening to what the elephant needs.
The elephant is wired for self-protection, he only sees what is directly in front of him. He feels immediate pains, seeks immediate pleasures and is motivated by pure survival instincts (well, food and sex mainly!) … In other words, our elephant has the control button for dopamine release- our motivation neurotransmitter.
 
The rider, on the other hand is a visionary. He can delay gratification for a future upcoming success. Yet, he possesses limited strength. Long struggles against will power exhaust him so his hands get loose on the reins and he lets the elephant roam freely…
 
This is exactly what happened with the radish eaters… They exhausted their self-control (their rider) by fighting against the temptation of eating the cookies. They won this fight, yes… but they were drained. When they were later presented with another struggle, their elephant was running the show with his quick pleasure, self-preservation mentality: “What’s the point? It’s too hard! That’s boring! I can’t do it any way! What a waste of time and effort!” And, soon they gave up trying and quit the puzzle.
 
In our everyday life, we are the radish eaters. We exhaust our ‘rider’ by too many choices, decisions and useless struggles…
 
We end up stressed and drained because we wear ourselves out with 100s of little daily choices and temptations… from resisting this doughnut with our morning coffee to controlling our temper with daily traffic, to choosing the outfit that makes us look thin or sexy, to managing our cool with the new boss or new employee or teenage boy or toddler…. We face 100s of tiny choices, temptations and self-control decisions that wear us out.
Trying to just go through life with the illusion that only by will power we can achieve everything is just that: An illusion…
We keep beating ourselves up because we are lazy, we are weak or we didn’t try hard enough. Cut yourself some slack… regardless of how hard you try or how strong you are you can never pull the elephant if he does not want to come along with you.
As we are talking about Ramadan, We have always learned that Ramadan fasting is there to strengthen this self-control muscle… it is there to train us to be more in control of our desires… but unfortunately we got the mechanism all wrong… if we treat our fasting as a mere training of self-restriction and self-control… we will be further wearing off our self-control muscle… this is why we see fasting people in this holy month more irritable, stressed, angry and doing all sort of wrong stuff that fasting should actually solve not cause…
Ramadan Fasting is not a physical exercise that trains us to withstand our hunger…
Neither is it a psychological exercise that trains us to control our desires, temptations and urges
Ramadan Fasting is a spiritual practice…
Training our self-control muscle does not mean pulling harder on the rein and fighting the elephant. On the contrary, it means making peace with this elephant and motivating him to walk the path we want to go into…
And, we can only do that if we reach total inner peace in our hearts and our souls…
We can only do that if we slow down, silence the chatter, purify our hearts and LISTEN…
We reduced Ramadan to numbers and rituals (and endless supply of sugars, fats and carbs).
The rituals will be great if we actually do them holistically… meaning, both of us: the rider and the elephant… but the truth is we consciously do the rituals, read and recite, repeat the Divine remembrance, pray all night long… but our subconscious mind is not with us… Our heart and soul are not into it… We drugged the elephant so that it takes a nap until we finish the holy month; than we will hop back on the hamster wheel… resume the journey fighting with our elephant for the direction we want to take.
We dissociated our hearts from the whole process… because our hearts are already very heavy, exhausted and weary. So, we figured: “know what, let’s take this month off, forget all baggage and trouble and just pray, read and recite Qur’an … (and might as well eat)…
But this defeats the purpose…

The Elephant is our subconscious mind… this is basically our storage system… it stores our emotions, feelings, beliefs, experiences and these what dictate our choices and actions in everyday life.
I once asked in a survey: What do you think is the number one determinant of health and happiness? people chose things like healthy eating, positive thinking, stress management, social support… but few chose the one thing I see in my 20 years of experience that makes all the difference: Life meaning!

Having a life meaning and purpose is the main determinant of health and happiness… and there is no right or wrong answer to that, your life meaning can be as big or as small as you want as long as it makes sense to you and adds ‘meaning’ to your life and as long as it connects you to the Big Picture, to our Ultimate purpose in life: Serving God.

To reach this meaning and to tame this elephant we need to reach deep within, to silence the chatter… to Just sit and listen… we are not able to sit and listen any more… we do not know the sound of silence… Reflection is one of the huge forgotten spiritual ritual… so as meditation… just sitting in silence…

When I go to the mosque in Ramadan I get stressed by so many ladies asking: “how many time did you do a khatma (whole reading of the Quran)? Only one? I am working on my 3rd, you’re wasting time, sister… hurry up! This is the holy month… Don’t waste it!”
“How many Divine remembrance did you do today…. No no no... not enough, sister… you need to do more, come and join us- you have to hurry up?”
​
Actually… NO, you don’t! You don’t need to hurry up… you need to slow down… to reflect on every word you are reading, to live it, to feel it, to apply it …
This is the only way for you to reach the elephant… the only way to tame it… The only way for you to harness its unstoppable power… The elephant, as I mentioned, is wired for self-survival and self-protection. We need to shift the meaning of survival from just food and sex to life meaning and purpose to a valuable mission and this what will drive our elephant… When it has a clear life meaning, life purpose and mission, it automatically sets in motion and once in motion, it snow-bowls into action.
Slow down… relax… take a deep breath… roll back your shoulders… and LISTEN! Deep inside, your heart knows its path… it knows its mission, it knows its direction and its ultimate purpose… You just need to LISTEN… The silence you cultivate will strengthen your connection with your purpose, will refine your intention and add to your sincerity… 
​

​After a minor surgical operation, Nada’s symptoms started. extreme fatigue, and body wasting. Her health deteriorated fast. She lost 20 lbs. in 2 months. Her brain fog was interfering with her everyday function. She experienced profuse night sweat, continuous constipation, excruciating pain in all her muscles, difficulty in swallowing that made her only capable of consuming fluids, and her extreme exhaustion kept her bed ridden all day long.
Doctors did not have any answers. All lab tests, microbiology analysis, X-rays and MRI came back normal… So, as expected, she was sent home with an analgesic and an antidepressant. This is when Nada came to see me.

What is your body trying to tell you?

I believe that our body has a tremendous ability to heal and regenerate, we just have to give it what it needs. When physical symptoms are so severe, we have to start with the body... What does it need? Is there any missing nutrients? Are there any toxins/ allergens...?
Chronic fatigue, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), and fibromyalgia have no known cause in conventional medicine and the offered treatment is usually pain relief medication and anti-depressants. Yet, science shows us that these conditions develop when the cells cannot generate enough energy to meet their need. Our body knows how to restore its health and energy… We just have to listen and give it what it needs in order to heal.

Nada's tiny organelles, the mitochondria, weren’t functioning properly. The mitochondria are responsible for generating energy in every cell in our body. In some sensitive people, anesthetics can cause toxicity that their bodies cannot get rid of. Toxins shut down mitochondrial function, the energy power plant of the cell.

What caused the mitochondria to malfunction? What caused the body to shout and scream? This differ from one person to another... It could be low level of B vitamin, low level of ribose -a special sugar that is essential to produce cell energy-; it could be malfunction in some biochemical pathway, it could be a hidden infection, inflammation or poor liver detoxification, it could be over exhaustion and adrenal fatigue… It could be combination of all of the above… It is the role of your natural health practitioner to help you dig for the cause then fix it. Finding the cause and fixing it are essential to heal your body & restore your health… 

To function properly, Nada’s liver needed a boost to get rid of the toxins and her mitochondria needed extra nutrients from nutrient dense diet and supplements. I put Nada on a highly nutritious diet and supplement protocol that gave her body what it needed, and within 2 days her brain fog lifted. 2 weeks later she was out of bed, and within 6 months, she restored her normal everyday functions.
 
What is your heart trying to tell you?

The healthy diet and supplements weren’t all what Nada’s needed… My years of experience with natural healing showed me that all chronic disease and malfunctions have their roots in some emotional or spiritual need.
 
When all body systems start to fall down and crumble, this is a sign that you are pushing yourself beyond your physical limits; you are drained and exhausted in the literal and figurative sense of the words… It is like you have been running on empty for a long time and your body is refusing to cope with further demands and extra responsibilities.

Chronic fatigue, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), and fibromyalgia stem from malfunctions in the first (root) chakra, the third (solar plexus), the fourth (heart) and/or the sixth (eyebrow) chakras.
 
The root or basic chakra is thrown out of balance when you feel ungrounded, un-protected, and unsupported. When life seems overwhelming and unfair. When you feel oppressed and forced into direction that you dread. Or, when you are constantly running on over-drive, in a fight and flight mode.

The Third Chakra is related to your sense of self worth, of accomplishments, of feeling that you are ‘good enough’, you are talented and gifted enough. The Third Chakra starts to whisper when you feel victimized, helpless or hopeless.

The Heart Chakra starts to whisper when you lack self-love, self-care and self-nurture; when you feel some form of self-rejection or you beat yourself up in guilt and shame over not being ‘good enough’.

The Sixth Chakra whispers when you fail to see a higher meaning and purpose in your life trials, challenges and sufferings; when you are paralyzed by fear or dreading your current reality; when you lose your direction and meaning in life.

Nada led a highly stressful life... relationship problems, work overload, and two needy toddlers. Listening and digging for what her heart and soul needed were essential and crucial steps in healing. I helped her listen and together we crafted a plan to feed her heart and nurture her soul.
In many cases, we cannot change or physical reality, our circumstances and our environment, but we surely can change our mindset, our perception and our approach... Remember, you always have the choice!

If we delve inside the tiniest structure of our universe, we will find that the atom is a hollow structure. It is a tiny core with even tinier electrons spinning around it in a vast void generating some form of energy or electromagnetic waves.. This void and this energy are part of us and we are part of them. This is what we are made of… Physics tell us that the world around us is far beyond the compact mass we see with our naked eyes. And, we, human beings, are far beyond the compact mass of flesh and bones that we recognize, see or test in the labs. We are swimming in vast sea of energy. Our thoughts, consciousness, dreams and ideas are energy floating all around the universe. We gain or lose energy from and to our surrounding each second of our life.
 
Although our physical body is the only form we can normally detect, touch, see and feel, physical ailments originate somewhere beyond this physical body and can only show their symptoms when we neglect our energy warnings for some time.

Every cell in our body carry on its surface protein receptors that are sensitive to vibrational energy fields in our environment be them light, sound, electromagnetic waves emitted from our televisions, cell phones and computers, or be them emotional or mental vibrations emitted from our own thoughts and sensations and from other people around us. Our cells can ‘see', 'hear’ and vibrate in relation to their surroundings and their health largely depends on these environmental signals. Dr. Bruce Lipton, the famous cell biologist, compares the cell membrane to a silicon chip inside an electronic device. As a skilled engineer can program the computer chip, a smart human being, which means every one of us,  has the power to program his/her own cells, he teaches. 

In Natural healing practice, the first step towards healing is awareness. We need to be aware of our body whispers, listen to the hidden warnings and identify what needs to change in our life, our thinking pattern, our choices and our environment.

Your everyday choices, beliefs, and thinking patterns are the ‘program’ you are downloading into your cells, into EVERY cell of your body. Malfunctions in our physical body are primarily related to malfunctions in the energy supply we consciously or subconsciously deliver to our cells.

 It’s worth the investment
 
Your energy system holds the key for your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.
 I see the body energy system as a personal investment, an investment in an open market. Unlike a bank account where you leave your money and be able to retrieve it when you please, your energy system needs continuous monitoring, regulation, and decision-making. It requires that you are continuously aware, mindful, knowledgeable and active. It requires patience, risk calculations and sacrifices. Whatever you give out to the world, will return to you somehow, someday. The more you invest in love, peace, forgiveness, values, and self-esteem…. The more you receive from the same currency with all the benefits and rewards. And vice versa, the more you invest in or focus on anger, fear, worry or intolerance… the more you deplete your system and lose your capital. And, like an active market, you cannot isolate yourself satisfied with what you have. Your survival necessitates your daily participation. Isolation leads to stagnation which slowly depletes your savings and gradually ruins your 'business'.
 
Many of the people are still looking for the ‘magic pill’…  "Isn't there an easier way to restore our body energy and health?" They ask me. "There is no shortcuts in healing," I always reply. You may find the healing journey tedious and over whelming. There are few people who are willing to move out of their comfort zone, delve into the depth of their own soul and actually perform major changes not only in their lifestyle but in their mode of thinking, feeling and believing as well. People are reluctant; they may seek easier but temporary paths until they are struck by a major life or health disaster that forces them to reconsider their choices.
 
Energy healing is a journey, a life-long journey. And, like all journeys, it has its challenges, pains, and tribulations; yet still it holds tremendous joys, learning, and wisdom. Are you willing to take this journey? Are you willing to invest in your health, happiness and wellbeing? The answer remains totally yours.

​Why don’t all people fall ill in epidemics, or catch cold in the flu season?
Why don’t identical twins show same pattern of cancer, allergies, hypertension, diabetes, or heart problems if these, as we use to think, are gene related?
Why not all women who carry the BRCA genes fall pray to breast cancer and many women who do not have the genes get the cancer?
 
For every illness, there is a mental pattern. The vulnerability could be there in the genes and the virus and bacteria could surely be there in the air, but they need a fertile land to grow and manifest their symptoms. They need a trigger.

Whenever you feel a physical symptom creeping in, look for the mental pattern that triggered it, teaches Dr. Deepack Chopra.
 
Beliefs and thinking patterns are reflected onto our physical health. Our thoughts are stored somehow in all our cells. They dictate cells’ actions and reactions; they relate happiness and health or condemn misery and disease. Dr. Candice Pert, the internationally recognized pharmacologist who discovered the opiate receptor in the brain, spent years researching and exploring neuropeptides. She calls them ‘molecules of emotions’. These are chemical messengers circulating in our body connecting our systems, organs and cells. They have receptors on all body cells. The receptors for neuropeptides that signal brain happiness, elevated mood, or motivation, for instance, can also be found on our white blood cells (the cells of our immune system), stomach and intestine lining, and sexual organs… Does this mean that our immune cells, our stomach, and all our organs feel and understand our mood and emotions as well as our brain can perceive them? Dr. Pert surely believes so.
 
When you are sad, every cell in your body feels sad: your stomach is sad, your immune cells are sad, your liver is sad, your gallbladder is sad… When you are depressed, angry, frustrated, motivated, joyful, hopeful, grateful… all these emotions are converted into ‘molecules of emotions’ that deliver the message all over your body to every cell of your being.

When we are under stress or in emotional distress, when we hold anger, envy, fear or grudge… these feelings are translated in our body into chemical reactions led by a series of hormones, neuropeptides, and neurotransmitters.

Our brain does not differentiate between real or hypothetical danger. Whether you are attacked by a tiger or by the stock market index, the same stress hormones are released in your system: A blast of adrenaline that activates a fight or flight response. It raises your blood pressure, pumps sugar into your blood, speeds up your heart rate and slows down your digestion. The difference here is that in case of an attacking tiger, your running, fighting or fleeing dissipate the excess sugar in your blood and use up the extra energy, and as you retreat away from the danger, your whole system can rest and restore its natural state.

​On the other hand, when the attacking agent is an unfair boss, a global economy crisis, a disturbing teenager or an abusing spouse, you cannot run for your life, you swallow your fears and worries and just sit on your sofa suffering in silence. The triggered fight and flight response is thus here to stay and your adrenals keep pumping more hormones into your system; you stay alarmed, your cortisol level rises and with it comes further increase in blood sugar levels and reduction of immune response.
​
Chronic stress down regulates our immune system ability to fight invaders and infections. It suppresses immune cells proliferation, hinders antibodies production, and suppresses the function of natural killer cells, the cells responsible for attacking tumor (including cancer cells), viruses and abnormal growth.

Science is increasingly proving the connection between mind and body. Rheovirus, for instance, the causative agent for common cold, is believed to use the receptor of norepinephrine to enter into the body cells. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter that increases in our body when we are happy and fulfilled. When the levels of this neurotransmitter are elevated, it occupies its receptors rendering them unavailable for use by the virus. That’s why we rarely catch cold when we are in a good mood, satisfied and cheerful.
 
The idea of mind/body connection is as old as the famous Pavlov dogs of the 1920s that were conditioned to salivate upon hearing the bell without even seeing the food. Later, In the 30s Russian scientists proved that not only our digestive system, but our immune system could also be voluntarily conditioned. They injected rabbits and guinea pigs with mild bacterial shot to boost their immune system and coupled this immune boosting function with a physical stimulus such as trumpet blast. With time, animals have been able to boost their immunity upon hearing the trumpet sound alone.
Researches show that a mere dummy pill (placebo) can reduce pain, adjust blood pressure, and even dissolve tumors, if the patient really believes in its effect. Scientists now know that the placebo pill actually achieves its effect through triggering the body to release its ‘endogenous pharmaceutics’.

Our body has an amazing internal pharmacy with cure for every condition and mal function. It secretes it in the precise needed dose, and in the perfect time and location. It has the power to reduce hypertension, alleviate pain, prevent platelet aggregation that blocks arteries… and the list goes on. An adjusted state of mind coupled with unconditioned belief is all it takes to claim your internal medicine. But the question remains: How easy could it be?

The access to our ‘endogenous pharmaceutics’ is not as easy as it might seem. It is not just a matter of meditation, relaxation, positive thinking, or mental affirmations. For deep healing, we need to reverse a pattern engraved in every cell of our body. We need to reach each and every cell and talk to it in the language that it understands, in a higher ‘intelligence’, as Dr. Chopra calls it, which is delivered in the form of molecules: ‘molecules of emotions’.
 
​Thousands of cases of spontaneous healing have been recorded, but still, according to Dr. Chopra, the rate of spontaneous remission in cancer patients (this is cancer dissipating on its own without any medical intervention) is as low as one in twenty thousand cases.
 
In order for you to change your molecules of emotions, you need to change not only your life style and thinking mode, but most importantly, your deeply held beliefs. You need to dig deeply enough to reach beyond the casual surface. You need to work on your subconscious as well as your conscious mind.

​Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a relatively new, yet rapidly growing field of science. The name PNI was coined in 1975, by Dr. Robert Ader, director of the division of behavioral and psychosocial medicine at New York's University of Rochester, to denote the relation between the psyche (our feelings, moods, and emotions), the nervous system (our thoughts and perceptions), and our physical health (immune system and hormonal production).

In the 70s, Robert Ader and Nicholas Cohen studied the subconscious ability of conditioning our immune system. Laboratory animals were given an immune-suppressive drug in saccharine sweetened solutions. Later, when the drug wasn’t administered, it only took the sweet taste to reduce their immunity.
It wasn’t until the 90s, though, that science could finally prove that we could actually control our immune functions consciously. Self-hypnosis, guided imagery, biofeedback, and visualization have been shown, without doubt, to boost immune system performance, increase white blood cell count, decrease plaque formation, and reduce hypertension.
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Today, we know that tiny cancerous growths are continuously formed in our body and it is the job of a healthy immune system with its natural killer cells to surround and eliminate these tumors. Since our emotions can be physiologically regarded as body release of specific chemicals (molecules of emotions), thus, depression, chronic stress or suppression of emotions result in massive disturbance of these chemicals’ natural flow. And, this in turn affects the performance of our immune system. Could this trigger cancer formation? Many physicians and naturopaths believe so. 

All honest emotions are healthy emotions. There are no good or bad emotions. How we express them and act upon them is what matters. A spiritual guru asking an oppressed man, an abused teenager, a rape victim, or a cancer patient to look in the mirror every morning and repeat “I love and forgive” or “I am whole and healthy”, is missing the whole point.

• The first step in dealing with stress, releasing negative emotions and/or changing a belief pattern is acknowledgement. We need to acknowledge our human needs and vulnerabilities… we need to acknowledge our right to feel angry, hurt, frustrated, anxious, or disappointed.
• Next we need to take control of our own action, assume responsibility for our life, and choose the appropriate way of reaction. Learn and heed the lesson then let it go. Only then we can genuinely replace our distorted feelings with positive image of love and care and achieve our true healing be it physical, emotional or spiritual.

You can read a book or attend a lecture about health and healing, understand and memorize every word, be totally convinced and committed, but will the required changes automatically appear in your life and become easily reflected on your state of health. Unfortunately the answer is No. Our analytical logical understanding is a function of our conscious mind, yet for the change to actually occur, we need to reach the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is the one that actually controls our behaviors and reflexes and stores our beliefs. It is the one that holds the key to actual changes and healing and it is way more powerful than the conscious, analytical, logic mind.
But, how can you reach it? According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, the subconscious mind is a habit mind, it understands by repetition. Sincerely repeat, repeat and repeat the same action, belief and thought pattern over and over and over again until it becomes a habit.

Two key words here: Repeat & Sincerely

• Only by repeating the act or thought pattern over and over again, your subconscious mind will ‘get it’ and you will start to see some changes. Ask anyone who tried to change his eating habits, exercise pattern, or lifestyle… it is never easy. In general it is a 6, 6, 36 rule. We need 6 weeks to abort a bad habit, 6 weeks to adopt a new one, and 36 weeks for it to become part of our new life style.
• ‘Sincerely’ is another key here… If your action or thought defy logic… that’s to say if you do not deep inside believe that the change, the healing or the success is possible, then you are wasting your time… You need to sincerely believe that you are able to execute those change sin your life… You need to sincerely believe that you are loved, you are guided, you are protected by a Higher Power,  by God, who has all the Power, Wisdom and Mercy to guide you in your life path.

 

Life doesn’t always run smoothly. Sometimes you feel like it’s tough to even get out of bed in the morning. But, hibernating or escaping do not make our troubles disappear. They do not mend our broken hearts, pay our bills, restore our self-esteem, or fix our severed relationships... 
The answer is not in hiding… the answer is in keeping the momentum…

Knees problems hide an underlying sense of fear, worry and insecurity. Missing the feeling of belonging, integration, and grounding ... the feeling of being part of a secure, safe family, community or society.

Knees pain signals some reluctance or unwillingness to move forward or change direction especially when you feel un-supported by your family or community, you feel that you are flowing against the current and striving to change the norms.
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Knees also start to ‘whisper’ when there are some major changes going on in your life. It could be physical change or changes in beliefs and thinking pattern… when your beliefs about what is true and valuable in life are challenged by your reality, community and environment… When your identity and self-worth are at stake or questioned.
 
If your knees are causing you problems, you need to start asking yourself where in my life do I need to surrender more? What do I need to let go of? Do I need to be more flexible and understanding? I am being stubborn and refusing to let life flow with ease and spontaneity?
What fears am I storing: is it fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of being not enough, fear of criticism, fear of breaking hearts or crushing dreams?
 
Knees problems shows some form of conflict with the ego, a prideful unwillingness to give up or give in. Pride doesn’t always mean arrogance, sometimes pride denotes the inability to accept our human limitation and keep fighting and struggling and banging our head against a wall in a lost battle. 

In his book ‘Deep Healing’, Emmett Miller relates an experiment performed at NASA. One of the training procedures the astronauts have to go through before being considered as qualified for actual spaceship travels is a difficult simulation experiment in which the astronaut is put in a situation resembling an actual burning spaceship. The trainee should be capable of handling this emergency situation and getting everything under control in the shortest time possible.
Different biological parameters of the astronauts were measured (blood pressure, heart rate, pulse…) to determine how well they performed under stress.  The astronauts were divided into two groups, only one of which was given a button, which they called the ‘Panic Button’. If they find the stress unbearable, they were instructed, pushing the Panic Button will immediately end the experiment.

The procedure went on, and, at the end, the groups’ performance was evaluated. The group having the ‘Panic Button’ not only showed much lower level of stress as indicated by the measured biological parameters, but also their level of performance, decision making, and creative solutions for the problems at hand were way better than the group having no way out of the experiment. Yet, this is not the most fascinating result, the most fascinating thing about this experiment was that neither of the two groups actually used the ‘Panic Button’.
 
Just knowing that you actually do have a way out, that you have a 'Button' and pressing it will solve all your problems and end all your misery, make you think straighter, control your reactions, keep your calm and normalize your biological functions even if you never do actually press this Button!
 
We all have a built-in Panic Button... Sometimes our calamity, pains, problems or challenges are the ultimate test of our faith… Do we really believe that we are in safe hands; that we are always taken care of no matter how hard our test seems to be?

How strong is our faith? This faith is what brings peace to our heart, this faith is what gives us all the energy, strength, and stamina we need to proceed forward even when the tunnel is so dark and the pain is excruciating. We believe deep in our heart that we will never be given a burden that we cannot handle; we believe deep in our hearts that the light is there, the fog will soon lift and the pain will be part of a laughable and cherished memory.