What's Happening -- Newsletter from the Center

—2000 Newsletters
 
 

—Winter 2000
                            Relationships
 

In the universe everything is related. There is nothing that stands by itself as an isolated entity. From the microcosm of the quantum level where subatomic particles relate to one another to the macrocosm of the interrelatedness of galactial systems, it is apparent that there is only relationship. We intuitively know this in our own lives but there is a societal tendency to minimize this aspect. The solitary attitude that creates the opinion that the individual is separate and isolated from others is a result of limited awareness of the human condition. Hence if we are to improve our relationships, part of the solution lies in understanding our relationship to others and to the conscious energy field. As discussed in previous newsletters, our relationship with the field is aided by practicing a Day in Balance.

Specifically with respect to our own personal relationships there are three basic assumptions that I think need to be challenged. The first of these is the belief that there are bad relationships. People call into radio talkshows and appear on TV saying that they are in a really bad relationship. Basically when people complain of a bad relationship they are asking for support that they are right in their view or that someone would support them in leaving the relationship. But with the exception of physically abusive or dangerous relationships, there are no bad relationships. There are certainly challenges and difficulties in relationships but this does not make a bad relationship.

This first assertion may seem quite radical. In order to understand it we need to understand the second assertion which is that no relationship ever completely ends. Unless we learn from the relationship we are in we will most assuredly repeat the relationship that we feel is a bad one. I think we have seen this played out in many different scenarios. A man or woman leaving an alcoholic spouse will often again find themselves in the same abusive relationship in the future. So the key in dealing with a bad relationship is to change your perception and then you won’t be in a bad relationship anymore.

The last assertion about relationships is that relationships are constantly changing or at least they should be. Even though we at times resist change or want things to stay just the way they are in our relationships it’s just not possible because it is the nature of the universe to be in constant change. It is part of our evolutionary path to understand this experientially and become comfortable with it.

Two helpful techniques in understanding relationships are dosha identification and seeing relationships as a mirror of yourself. Doshas are fixed vibratory frequencies that are displayed in nature as well in ourselves. This system is an extremely powerful tool in helping witness yourself and understand others who you love.

The mirror technique involves seeing yourself in others. Whenever you find something irritating about someone, ask yourself when you have exhibited that same pattern of behavior. If someone bothers you because they are controlling, can you find a time when you have been controlling? Remember that the person that irritates you is probably your best teacher because they help you see a side of yourself that you deny exists. The mirror technique is a great way to break through our denial.
 
 
 

—Spring 2000
                            Enlightenment

Health is dependent on the integration of body, mind and awareness (another name for spirit). Spirit is a biological phenomenon. When one loses sight of this then the physiology becomes less than whole or incomplete and hence prone to disease or lack of harmony in the mindbody. This seems at first quite a radical departure from our present viewpoint of what constitutes health, which says that health is merely the absence of disease. But for many patients I talk with, they are no longer willing to buy this latter definition of health. They know that there is more to health, but they don’t yet have a vocabulary to describe and discuss it. Our present materialistic model only recognizes the mind and body but forgets awareness as integral to choice making.

Since we know what the mindbody is, the key to integration is to know what awareness is and how to cultivate it on a day to day basis. There are three domains of our consciousness. There is the physical domain with which we are all familiar. The psychological domain of our awareness likewise needs no introduction because we are aware of our thoughts, feelings, emotions and ideas. The spiritual domain of our consciousness is hard for us to understand because we have no experience with it and no way to talk about it.

The healing disciplines have been helped by contemporary science and ancient healing traditions to understand consciousness and have given us insights in how to cultivate greater levels of awareness in our day to day activities. When a person is said to live with more awareness (enlightened), she is living more in the spiritual domain of her being than if she was identifying herself as just the mind and body.

And that is what spiritual transformation or enlightenment means. It is living day to day more fully in one’s own awareness or living in the domain of spirit. In contrast most live believing that they are the mindbody. But human existence is more than this and when one begins associating themselves with that spiritual domain of our consciousness, we begin to be transformed or enlightened.

So what does it look like to live in this domain? The following are characteristics that an enlightened person would have:

-  Experience uncertainty

-  Defenseless

-  Sees everyone as her equal

-  Unfearful of any challenge

-  Unafraid of criticism

-  Participates in the moment, not concerned of what has happened in the past or concerned about the future

-  Does not judge, condemn, criticize or complain

Here are some ways to develop this in your physiology. The first is to live a Day in Balance. This is a very simple and elegant way to create harmony in the mindbody and identify with that greater domain of awareness called spirit. But one should always remember that this is for the health of physiology.

The second way is to tune in. What this means is to take thirty seconds every now and then and simply be aware of everything that is going on around you. What this does is promote awareness of your own awareness, that is, awareness of this spirit domain.

The third is to use the following affirmations whenever you encounter a mirror. I am beneath no one nor superior to anyone. I am independent of the good or bad opinions of others. I freely and fearlessly embrace any and all challenges. And then anchor the affirmations with a word of your choice.

By doing these simple things on a day to day basis one can achieve greater integration and hence better health.
 
 
 

—Summer 2000
                            Balanced Nutrition.
 

In Ayurveda, one of the ancient healing traditions of the world, balance in life is the key to health.  Pitchford addresses nutritional balance in  his encyclopedic book, Healing with Whole Foods  and puts forth a list of food choices that tend to promote balance and foster health.  These recommendations are based on extensive review of the vast body of information on nutrition.  In general unprocessed grains and oils along with fresh locally grown organic fruits and vegetables are the mainstay of a preferable vegetarian diet.  Simplicity is an important element in eating and as a matter of fact one eats less when one eats simply.  This is presently particularly difficult to do because we have such a vast array of selections to choose from when at the market.

The mindbody constitution is an important reference point for dietary selections in Ayurveda because the energy patterns that we exhibit should be nourished by what we eat.  From an energy perspective foods are vibratory frequencies signaling our physiologies balance or imbalance.  Knowing what your energy patterns are can be a significant step in tailoring your diet to meet your specific dietary needs.

Lifestyle choices around nutrition are just as important as what we eat.  When, why, where and how we eat also bring balance to our nutrition.  The biggest meal should always be at noon.  This is often overlooked in our fast paced daily schedule but makes absolute physiologic sense.  Attention to the appetite will ensure that food is not being eaten for emotional reasons.  A decision to always sit to eat will create awareness to the process of taking in nutrition.  Eating one meal in silence once a week fosters awareness as well.  Other suggested lifestyle choices are displayed in the accompanying table.

Juice fasts are gaining in popularity and are a great way to reset the digestive process.  We have all had the experience of our eating seemingly getting out of control.  Michael Murray, ND in his Complete Book of Juicing makes a strong case for the health inspiring juicing regimen.  When one employs a juice fast the digestive process can be reset and the appetite quieted.  It is also a great aid in a weightloss program.  This is done by drinking everything in liquid form (soups are fair game) during a twenty-four period and is a good way to get wholesome fruits and vegetables.
 
 

The key to health is balance and practicing the above with respect to nourishing ourselves will promote happiness, peace and love.  In the next newsletter we will address how impaired digestion leads to chronic degenerative diseases and will give you signs and symptoms of poor digestion.
 
 

—Fall 2000 Newsletter
                            Reclaiming the Inner Healer
 

We have all had the experience of rubbing a sore muscle or an aching joint after some physical task in hopes of making it feel better.  Few of us however have little confidence that paying attention to signals from our physical bodies will bring about healing.   We have all been conditioned that paying attention to any physical signal pales small in contrast to the comfort and healing that comes from a tablet, pill or visit to the doctor.

Presently our society views the human body as a machine, an inert lump of matter which obeys the mind mechanically without any intelligence of its own.  This distrust of the body as a field of intelligence essentially robs us of our responsibility for our own health.  Yet there is an inner healer in all of us and it is nothing but this:   the witness or watcher who presides over and governs the mindbody and who pays attention to the mindbody’s signals and creates the intention to bring about a return to balance.  The mindbody’s intrinsic desire is to be in balance.  This is it’s most profound desire.  Whatever it is that brings about the emotional or physical discomfort relates to a state of lack, an imbalance somewhere in inner space is leading to unarguably physical or psychological symptoms.  Ignoring a pain or discomfort imposes a strain because it takes effort to keep awareness from going where it wants to go.  Disease and sickness is an expression of imbalance and is a change in our awareness from comfort to discomfort.  Sickness is therefore a self correcting cybernetic feedback mechanism to allow us to get back to comfort rather than discomfort.

I have no illusion that listening to the mindbody will open up blocked coronaries or cure cancers because by that time the mindbody has undergone significant tissue disruption.  By the time the Western technological approaches are needed the mindbody has undergone oftentimes irreversible changes.  But I do believe that being aware of the subtle signals that the mindbody provides is the first step in prevention of more serious disease in future years.

There are some hurdles that must be overcome to be aware of the mindbody’s signals.  The first is the most difficult and is simply becoming aware of the signals.  As we know distractions in all forms can take our attention away from our mindbodies preventing us from becoming aware of what is being reported to us, the witness.  Meditation is the most powerful way of paying more attention to what is happening in the present moment, getting in touch with that inner healer.

Secondly we psychologically retract from pain believing that something more serious underlies the signal as indeed there may be.  Our fear of pain and desire for pleasure keeps us from getting in touch with where our mindbodies’ signals are headed at any one point in time.  Furthermore if carried to an extreme the mindbody can simply deny that a problem exists, ignoring the signal for months or even years (a person claims not to be angry when queried even though everyone observes that the person seems upset all the time).

So the key is to bring our awareness to signals that nvoke our attention.  There are guidelines that can help us with developing this awareness.  A Day in Balance is a start and can provide a base state of daily function so that we know what it is supposed to feel like when we are in balance and when we stray from that feeling we immediately can take action to bring ourselves back to the steady state of equilibrium.
 
 

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