Management of Chronic Disease: The Curse of Lifestyle Behavior Patterns
Chronic disease is different than acute disease If you have appendicitis, remove the appendix and voila, you're fixed
But most disease is chronic and not surprisingly it's due to our lifestyle choices Yes, here's the problem in a nutshell We create our disease by the unconsious choices that we make over our lifetimes
This can be very annoying to hear and many point to the infant born with congenital anomalies as an argument to avoid responsibility but the choice we make of our parents plays the role as to what decisions the unconscious mother makes for her in utero child At other times the unborn child carries karma to work out in this lifetime that comes out as congenital anomaly of some form
The bottom line is that as much as we would like to avoid our disease responsibility from an energy science view, the discipline will not let us off the hook In the end this is actually a blessing It prevents us from playing the blame game It's our parent's fault, it's my spouse's problem, it's just in my genes which is probably the closest reason as we will soon see
Chronic Disease Means Chronic Management
As we said cute disease is short lived and the solutions are straight forward But chronic disease management requires continuous ongoing treatment therapies which becomes a problem for us living in a Vata vitiated society who want our solutions yesterday
From an energy science point of view treatment guidelines revolve around those which center on lifestyle behavior patterns(LBP) which are the most difficult for us as humans to deal with From an epigenetic view the reason for this is actually based on methylation groups that prevent us from changing easily This methylation obstructs us from changing our LBP Essentially unhealthy LBP are obstacles to health
Holocaust survivors have high levels of methylation and leave them mentally "scarred" Unfortunately this methylated scarring becomes heritable whatever the traumatic event may be But it brings up questions for us such as "Is agni or eating patterns heritable?"
The good news for us who are challenged by LBP's that are not supportive for healing IC is remember that is takes just 8 weeks to reverse patterns not supportive of moving in the right direction That's right, 8 weeks to reverse those pesky methylation patterns that prevent us from changing to healthy LBP's
What Makes a Healthy LBP?
Ayurveda, the energy science of healing, gives us guidelines for healthy living Say we get up at 9am and go to bed at midnight Ayurveda would say that it would be better to go to bed early and get up earlier How much volume to drink during the day? How much to eat at the biggest meal of the day? What are the best foods to bring about physiologic balance?
The LBP help us live our lives in balance because that promotes health and heals chronic disease The above questions seem like they would have nothing to do with the IC bladder pain syndrome but from an energy science point of view they are all suggestions to bring about physiologic balance that will produce a foundation by which other therapies will build on the foundation of LBP
5 Ways to Deal with Pesky Unhealthy LBP
Yes, it's possible to change those methylation groups leading to unsuccessful unhealty patterns or LBP The reason that they work is that these activities produce mental clarity Any technique as a matter of fact that induces more mental clarity will decrease "bad" methylation which induces unfavorable LBP
1 Meditation is becoming a well known technique to quiet the mind An active mind clouds our soul's intelligence leading to poor decision making that leads to repetitive destructive LBP
2 Mantra work is the repetition of sounds that evoke DNA demethylation Essentially the sounds said mentally to yourself bump off these unwanted methylated groups to bring about change in any LBP
3 Breath retention is a form of meditation but has the added advantage of improving agni and promoting love, compassion, and peace
4 Herbs can change over time behavior patterns because herbs work at the level of mind or DNA
5 Marma therapy directly works at the level of mind so unwanted patterns slip away and one is consciously directed in different directions
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Low Back Pain: 5 Management Strategies
As the incidence of low back pain(LBP) is trending higher in the general population numerous anatomical or matter science methods are suggested Now there are new anatomical observations about the mechanical carriage of the spine that suggests that there has become too much thoracic curvature and that the back in more primitive cultures was more J shaped than the gentle S curve that is shown in spinal diagrams The reason given for this is our sedentary culture and the incorrect use of furniture
Let's look at how the energy science anatomy looks at LBP
The Anatomical Home of the Vata Energy Pattern
Vata, the energy pattern of movement, has the qualities of cold, light, mobile, dry, rough, subtle, and clear
As we have discussed before the role that Vata plays in disease labels begins in the GIT and then spreads from the colon and/or lower rectum to the pelvic nerves or to other parts of the mindbody to produce the varied presentation of Vata imblance
The anatomical home for Vata is the colon, pelvic girdle, thighs and lumbosacral(LSS) spine It is this latter involvement that leads to Vata when increased to produce symptoms of pain in the lower back
How does Vata increase its qualities? First, lifestyle choices such as lack of proper rest, lack of regimen, and foods that produce Vata aggravation This is particularly important for those with a PV type of energy constitutional makeup Secondly, when agni or digestive power is affected it can lead to a progressive buildup of Vata in the rectum that then leads to symptoms in the LSS
There is no pain without Vata This is because Vata primary functional area of the mindbody is the nervous system So when Vata accumulates and then aggravates the tissues Vata is the first to produce complaints of pain
5 Management Strategies for LBP
The qualitative reasons for LBP are cold, light, mobile, dry, rough, subtle, and clear due to the localization of the Vata energy pattern in the LLS area Another important observation already discussed is the close relationship between the pelvic and pectoral(shoulder) girdles
Pranayama(PY) Since the breath ties together the pelvis(apana vayu) and the shoulders(udana vayu) together it is no surprise that breath exercises can facilitate over time back rehabilitation This strategy improves the flexibility of the musculofascial planes surrounding the LSS and the strength of the supporting muscles of the entire back PY is the best way over time to make this happen Loss of flexibility is related to the cold, dry, and rough qualities The loss of strength is related to the light, dry, rough and subtle changes
Mahanaryan oil This is an excellent penetrating oil that quiets the Vata qualities of dry, rough, and subtle There are energy science methods of oil application that are ingenious and highly effective in improving ability to loosen the tissue rigidity occurring due to cold quality
Heat The cold quality is always present in any pain complex so the liberal use of the hot quality, preferably moist heat
Become a floor dweller This may seem rather radical but even laying on the floor for brief periods of time can be very therapeutic for LBP This is because when the back's foundation(LSS) becomes impaired all aspects of the back become involved Using the floor helps provide support to the upper thoracic back which becomes problematic due to the LSS Vata effect
Become conscious of your posture As we started in this discussion being aware of our posture becomes an important part of rehabilitation of the lower back by targeting how we carry the upper back particularly the thoracic curve This is done by paying attention to the shoulders keeping them drawn back and down This action improves the lordotic J hook of the LSS and reduces the prominence of the thoracic spine PY helps improve the overall strength of the back so that this action on the thoracic spine can be held for long periods of time
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The Bloats: 10 Energy Science Solutions
Bloating is a common problem encountered in the general population and is one of the bowel symptoms associated with IBS and inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease And the good news is that it's preventable Wouldn't you rather do things to prevent something bad happening to you?
The Matter Science Approach
Bloating or abdominal distention is a common digestive problem which typically occurs after eating and varies in degree like any symptom At times it may be very transient, lasting for short period of time(hour or less) while in others it may last longer(several hours or an entire day)
It is described by the matter science as a functional bowel disorder, that is, a motility disorder of the gut It's not known why this motility problem occurs although matter science researchers suggest that it's related to alterations in the gut flora or the microbiome This has been termed dysbiosis and SIBO has been used of recent to define this alteration in gut flora There is an older cousin to SIBO that has been recognized for some time initially in children called "leaky gut syndrome" Once felt by the research establishment as a ridiculous concept is now being taken seriously
As is usually the case the matter science is rich in testing and trying to come up with names of these human biological disease phenomena but not so effective in determining treatment Drugs or pharma have not been very effective in dealing with bloating but because they pay the bills for the current medical establishment reports don't surface as to their ineffectiveness
The Energy Science Approach to the Bloats
In the energy science world of Ayurveda there is one primary reason for bloating and that's poor digestive strength or agni As I have written a number of times in this blog agni is essential for health from an Ayurvedic perspective and without it the individual is bound to incur disease of some form It's not a matter of "if" it's really only "when" The fundamental reason that the matter(molecular) science model of healing has trouble with dealing with digestive disorders in general is the Western allopathic model(these are all synonyms) has no understanding of the concept of agni
Poor agni can lead to a couple of different scenarios The primary result is the production of undigested, unprocessed food called ama and this leads to the interference of movement of food through the small bowel.....this interference leads to bloating Since the microbiome(gut flora) is an integral part of agni or the digestive fire, the matter science is getting close to understanding what Ayurveda has been articulating as a model of healing for 5,000 years but still not there yet So for now, take some pills
As ama progresses over time(years) more and more congestion in the gut occurs leading to progressive worsening of the bloating This leads to a second and fortunately less common reason.......a change in the direction of the normal downward movement of energy in the rectum and this interferes with normal rectal function and bowel movement function This becomes the "end of the road" for many who initially are treated as IBS due to the symptoms of their bloating But this progression leads to a severe complex of symptoms that are difficult to treat
Bloating: 10 Energy Science Solutions
These are meant to be added to each other over time Don't try to do all at once or your mind WILL rebel
Eat according to your energy constitutional makeup
Avoid incompatible food combinations
Avoid overeating.....2handfuls for any one meal Place a bowl that sits comfortably in your 2 cupped hands....now that's how much you should eat at your biggest meal of the day
Biggest meal at noon
Use spices ALL THE TIME in your cooking....fresh ginger turmeric cumin coriander fennel vanilla fresh basil
Use GHEE instead of butter or cooking oil....ghee has the qualities of digestive fire
Exercise regularly but don't overdo it....pranayama is the best way to stoke agni
Avoid fatty fried foods
Make a deal with yourself to always sit to eat The more focus and attention you bring to eating the better your agni digestion When you calm the mind you improve agni which from a mental standpoint is better focused attention Calm the mind with meditation....at an energy level the mind and body are intimately spliced...you cannot separate them(you can't say this using the matter science model)
Fasting This does not have to be a water fast....simply using juice or fruit for 24hours....or eat dinner at 6-7p and don't eat until 8a the next morning and you have a 12h fast
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What Is Health Anyway?
A new definition of health implies that we have had one in the past and that is arguable If there has been one from a matter science viewpoint, I guess a state of health has meant that we are free of disease But that cannot be a 21st century definition which should be born from a marriage between the matter and energy medical sciences
I would propose that there is more to health than being free of dis-ease
One who is established in witnessing, whose energy patterns
are in balance, whose appetite is balanced, whose tissues are
functioning normally, whose wastes are eliminated properly,
and whose self, mind, and senses remain full of bliss
is called a healthy person
This is a complete definition of health gleaned from the writings of the energy medical science of Ayurveda but as you can see requires a lot more persistent work than "hanging with some supplements" and "hoping" that things will go your way
The good news that this kind of definition starts by simply improving your nutrition....eating according to your energy mindbody constitutional makeup as shown at foodsheal.com
To good health Love DrBill
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Weight Reduction Without Cost But With Guidance
Understanding the energy science model helps us avoid the numerous pitfalls that are present in trying to successfully manage a weight reduction program In this video I cover those with you
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Stress Reduction: 7 Valuable Energy Science Tools
Meditation is a tool to help quiet the mind and therefore the physiology since the mind and body are intimately spliced...we cannot separate them What is mind is body and what is body is mind There are published scientific articles regarding not only the scientific understanding of meditation and its physiologic consequences but also attesting to its long term benefits
In Ayurveda the energy patterns of Vata(energy of physiologic movement) and Pitta(energy of transformation or metabolism) are involved in stress Both of these energy patterns are involved in stress and engages the control dramas of Vata which is flight(run away) or Pitta(fight) or a mixture of the two energy patterns
But there are many things that can be done to reduce the body's response to stress from an energy science point of view These methods or techniques are ways to quiet the mindbody and hence improve its ability to handle stress
Stress and Retraining the Nervous System
The accumulation of stress events that are not dealt with adequately leads to a heightened level of stress over and above baseline This increased sympathetic nervous system activity puts us in a altered physiologic state where we are then more responsive to simple stress events that would not ordinarily trigger us(crying child puts us over the top) This is called "chronic stress syndrome" but is nothing more than a primed sympathetic system that is operating over and above what is appropriate Done for long periods of time it can lead to adrenal fatigue
Our reaction to an event in our environment as a perceived threat can engage the flight or fight response This mental response to "out there" prompts a part of our nervous system named the sympathetic nervous system The opposing part is the parasympathetic nervous system It turns out that the former is engaged in times of stress(fight or flight) and the latter is engaged during periods of relaxation
Everyone experiences stress in their lives but it's how we deal with it that's important So retraining our nervous system out of hypervigilance or "fight or flight response" and to teach it to be calmer in the face of that "perceived threat" whatever it might be is the key to dealing with the stress
7 Energy Science Things That You Can Do To Reduce Stress
The energy science of Ayurveda and the yoga tradition state that it's not just one thing that we do to help deal with stress but a multiplicity of things that we can do to invoke a more calm(parasympathetic) response to events that occur to us in our environment
Nutrition Amazingly when we eat foods that produce imbalance it brings about a minor stressor but a stressor nonetheless Over time as discussed earlier this loads the sympathetic nervous system, raising its level of activity
Herbal support There a number of Ayurvedic herbs that can lend support to the nervous system that are called rasayanas These are a special group of herbs that can provide strengthening support to an overloaded system
Pranayama These are breathing practices that can have a calming effect to the autonomic nervous system by increasing the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system which happens to be in very high concentration anatomically in the diaphragm
Nasya At the upper part of the nasal cavity is a plate that has direct access to the brainstem Named the cribiform plate this provides herbal access to the nervous system so that they can provide strengthening support to an overly fatigued nervous system
Asana practice Done properly by focusing on bodily sensations, asana practice can be meditative and hence reduce the mind's tendency to respond in a sympathetic way
Meditation is an energy science tool to quiet the mind In so doing it produces a parasympathetic response, that is, a calming effect Done over time(at least 3mo of practice) it will retrain the nervous system so that it is not so reactive to events in our environment
Watching thoughts as clouds This practice helps us disengage our internal world At times our thoughts become so real for us that we think they are us! But we are not our thoughts we are the observer of our thoughts Thoughts are like hotel guests....they come and go but we as the observer....we never change When we watch the thoughts come and go as clouds we disengage from the mind
By and by introducing each of these tools can be life changing and help you conquer stress Just begin with 5 minutes and you'll see benefits and want to spend more time
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