Mindful Preventive Medicine

Verse 39 of the Daodejing tells us:

From the beginning these things possessed wholeness
Heaven possessed wholeness thereby becoming lucid
Earth possessed wholeness thereby becoming serene
All beings possessed wholeness thereby becoming alive

From this verse you see that you started out in the right place; you possessed wholeness, were One with the Dao. So, what happened? More important, how do you get back there?

Part of the problem is that you see yourself as separate; heaven is “up there” above your head, earth is “down there” below your feet, and you are wandering around in the middle. Something I read the other day offers a whole new perspective on your relationship to heaven and earth, and just where you truly stand in that relationship: Heaven ends at the bottom of your feet, earth ends at the top of your head.

I found this statement very enlightening. It tells you that you are not separate, you are included in both heaven and earth simultaneously. (If that sounds odd, think of it this way: you have a unique DNA pattern, but your DNA includes your parents’ DNA; one-half your father’s, one-half your mother’s.) It is natural and correct that you possess the wholeness of heaven and earth, that you live as a lucid and serene person functioning without inner conflict and turmoil.

In terms of mindful preventive medicine, the lucidity of heaven represents your mind and spirit: lack of mental agitation, healthy mental and spiritual state, clarity of mind. Many people think of spirit as passionate, however, as the energy that keeps you alive, it is mainly dispassionate and functional. The serenity of Earth represents your emotions: lack of emotional agitation, healthy emotional state, calmness of heart. You know that mental agitation causes a responding turmoil of emotions, and that this eventually leads to physical illness. The greatest need, then, is to eliminate, as best you can, mental conflict and emotional distress.

The best way to accomplish this is to follow the examples of heaven and earth. Heaven does not complicate choices or decisions. Heavenly and spiritual influences follow a smooth, natural course that is the unfolding of the universe. Earth does not second-guess heaven’s decision or agonize over how to accomplish this unfolding, earth unemotionally follows the path blazed by heaven.

There are so many choices and decisions you must make every day. Many are based on logic and reasoning, or desire and public opinion. These are unhealthy methods leading to inner and outer conflict and competition. Make choices and decisions that are correct for you, and also align with universal energies and are rooted in the Dao by spending time in silence, in a mental place with no priorities or agendas, just a quiet and open mind. If you listen honestly and sincerely, your intuition will speak to you, and your choices will be in harmony with your health, Nature, and the Way.

The mindful way to prevent illness is in keeping a clear mind and a calm heart. Follow without hesitation your mind and spirit. Don’t let emotional doubts and desires pull you off the course of health and wellness.

Thanks to Bradford Hatcher for permission to use his matrix translation of the Daodejing in writing today’s quote of verse 39. Bradford’s excellent translations of the Daodejing and the Yijing may be seen on his website at http://www.hermetica.info/

This is a reprint of an excellent article on About.com regarding a study done in Great Britain on the diseases resulting from workplace stress. If we truly desire to reduce the cost of health care, it seems that reducing stress in the workplace would be a good step in the right direction.

Chronic Job Stress is a Risk Factor for Heart Disease

From Elizabeth Scott, M.S.,

Stress and Metabolic Syndrome

Important New Findings According to a study by the British Medical Journal, chronic stress has been linked to the development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as other conditions. Here are the highlights of the study:

· Researchers followed 10,308 British civil servants aged 35-55 over a 14-year period to study the role of chronic job stress in the development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

· They examined the link between chronic job stress and metabolic syndrome, which is a group of factors that, together, increase the risk of these diseases, including high blood pressure, insulin resistance, central obesity (excessive abdominal fat, which has been linked to increased cortisol in the bloodstream, as well as several other health problems), and a few other factors.

· They found that greater levels of job stress did indeed increase people’s chances of developing metabolic syndrome. The higher the stress level, the greater the chance of developing metabolic syndrome.

· Social factors played a role as well. Lucky subjects with higher status jobs were less likely to have the syndrome, and those with lower status jobs were at a higher risk.

· They also examined and discovered a link between metabolic syndrome and exposure to other health damaging behaviors like smoking, heavy drinking and lack of exercise, especially in men. Poor diet was also a risk factor, and tended to show up in the form of few fruits and vegetables. These factors, of course, lead to additional health problems as well as additional stress.

· One possible explanation for this are that prolonged job stress may affect the nervous system. Another possible reason for this is the fact that chronic stress may affect the body’s hormonal balance and .

Here’s What You Can Do: It’s important to take steps to take care of oneself and one’s body. The good news is that there are several things you can do to stay healthy. Not only that, but you can reverse many of the negative effects of stress in a surprisingly short amount of time, with a few relatively minor lifestyle changes:

· Reduce Daily Stressors You can reduce stress in your life by making lifestyle changes like becoming more organized, better managing time, and making other changes at work. Getting enough sleep and maintaining a positive outlook are also important in overall health. Here is a list of healthy habits that can improve your overall health.

· Learn Stress-Reducing Practices Learning and practicing a stress management technique or two can also help your health by activating your body’s relaxation response (the mechanism in your body that counteracts the ‘fight or flight’ response to stress, returning hormone levels and other systems to normal). Here are my top ten stress relieving practices; one or two of these could become an important part of your life and a valuable tool to stay healthy.

· Maintain a Healthy Weight Diet and exercise help tremendously. Another recent study found that metabolic syndrome can be reversed in as little as three weeks with healthy diet changes (65-70% complex carbohydrates, 15-20% protein, 12-15% fat and extra fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and moderate daily exercise (45-60 minutes of walking). Previous studies have found that losing even 10 lbs. makes a significant difference in lowering blood pressure, stabilizing blood sugar levels, and contributing to overall health and wellbeing, even when subjects were still obese.

Making changes may feel challenging at first. This article may help you in making your chosen changes, which will soon become ingrained, leaving you feeling less stressed and with increased physical and psychological health for years to come.

Updated: March 12, 2006

Dennis Lewis on Breathing

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Following are two excerpts from the February 13, 2007 issue of "Authentic Breathing News," the email newsletter of Dennis Lewis, author of Free Your Breath, Free Your Life.

Breathing techniques can be very effective in reducing stress. The two Dennis shared in his newsletter are especially effective for excellent health and wellness. While I have not changed a word in the articles, I have broken the longer paragraphs into shorter ones to make them easier to read in the narrow-column format of the blog.

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BREATHING FACT: WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE by Dennis Lewis

We hear frequently from people who want to know why nose breathing is so important. So we are including this write-up from our website:

"When we breathe through our nose, the hairs that line our nostrils filter out particles of dust and dirt that can be injurious to our lungs. If too many particles accumulate on the membranes of the nose, we automatically secret mucus to trap them or sneeze to expel them. The mucous membranes of our septum, which divides the nose into two cavities, further prepare the air for our lungs by warming and humidifying it.

Another very important reason for breathing through the nose has to do with maintaining the correct balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood. When we breathe through our mouth we usually inhale and exhale air quickly in large volumes. This often leads to a kind of hyperventilation (breathing excessively fast for the actual conditions in which we find ourselves).

It is important to recognize that it is the amount of carbon dioxide in our blood that generally regulates our breathing. Research has shown that if we release carbon dioxide too quickly, the arteries and vessels carrying blood to our cells constrict and the oxygen in our blood is unable to reach the cells in sufficient quantity. This includes the carotid arteries which carry blood (and oxygen) to the brain. The lack of sufficient oxygen going to the cells of the brain can turn on our sympathetic nervous system, our "fight or flight" response, and make us tense, anxious, irritable, and depressed.

There are some researchers who believe that mouth breathing and the associated hyperventilation that it brings about can result in asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other medical problems.

And finally, let's hear what famed osteopath Robert C. Fulford, D.O. has to say in his wonderful book Dr. Fulford's Touch of Life about nose breathing: 'Remember: always try to breathe through your nostrils, and not through your mouth, because air must contact the olfactory nerves to stimulate your brain and put it into its natural rhythm. If you don't breathe through your nose, in a sense you're only half alive.'"

COMMENTARY/PRACTICE FROM DENNIS LEWIS: THE CHILDHOOD BREATH

Think back to when you were a child. Unless you had asthma or some other health problem, the power of the life force, your breath, manifested itself in just about everything you did. Do you remember the kinds of things you did then?

In addition to jumping, running, twisting, turning, swimming, dancing, skipping, hopping, wrestling and all the other physical activities that help keep the ribcage, back, and diaphragm flexible and loose, you probably also remember hollering, shouting, and singing a lot--at least until your parents and teachers told you to stop. Perhaps you were even told by your parents or teachers that your voice was so terrible that shouldn't even consider singing. This has happened with many of us, and the results have often been devastating not just on the physical and emotional level, but to the very core of one's self-esteem.

What your parents probably did not realize is that all of these activities, including the constant use of your voice in many different ways, were spontaneous developmental manifestations of the life force, which awakened subtle physical and emotional perceptions, moving through you and animating you. The movements and sounds also kept your diaphragm flexible and strong.

Of course, under the influence of "education" and "socialization," you learned to control or stifle these manifestations and live more in the straightjacket of your mind, the world of thoughts, concepts, and judgments, which gradually separated you in an artificial and unhealthy way from the life and energy of your body. Unless you went ahead and sang anyway and participated in daily physical flexibility- oriented activities throughout high school or college, activities such as dance, swimming, martial arts, and so on, the daily demands on your diaphragm diminished, and, as a result, it ceased to function in an optimal way.

Now close your eyes and imagine that you are a child again. Think of a place and time when you really felt like you were able to be yourself--a tree, a lake, a playground, a hill, a particular street, wherever you felt most comfortable. Now in your imagination jump, skip, hop, twist, turn, run, sing and shout for five minutes. Really sense what that feels like. Notice how your breathing changes.

Now stop and go someplace where you enjoy being alone and try the same thing--but this time not in your imagination but in reality. In full awareness of what is happening in your body, emotions, and thoughts, and for at least five minutes, let the breath of life move through you as it will. Then check your overall sensation of yourself.

How do you feel? Do you feel more connected with yourself and the environment? What about your breathing? Can you somehow sense the movement of the diaphragm in your chest with each breath? Does your breath feel more evenly distributed throughout your body? Just notice, sense, and enjoy.

Copyright 2007 by Dennis Lewis

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To subscribe to Dennis Lewis' newsletter "Authentic Breathing News" visit Authentic-Breathing-News Yahoo Group.

Website: Authentic Breathing Resources LLC

Free Your Breath, Free Your Life: How Conscious Breathing Can Relieve Stress, Increase Vitality, and Help You Live More Fully based on 9 reviews