Stress – The Silent Enemy

At least 75% of the immune system originates from the gastrointestinal system (the gut). Did you know that brain neurotransmitters also originate in the gut? This is more evidence that the “mind” really is a spiritual connection to our creative center ~ the dan tian ~ and that the brain is an elaborate switching station that controls the body. Read more in the Mind Monkeys Series. Stress suppresses the body’s immune system resulting in a wide array of systemic symptoms.

Let’s take a look at the definition of stress from the American Heritage Dictionary

 

3e; 5c; 6a:  A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression.

 

5 Physics a:  An applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform a body.

 

The word “stress” is derived from the Middle English stresse meaning hardship, partly from destresse and partly from the Old French estrece meaning narrowness or oppression.

 

The nature of the word is indicative of restriction, narrowing, tightening and constriction – all things that happen within the body during times of emotional and physical stress.  When you experience emotional stress, you will often feel a tightening or constricting in the throat and/or chest. Physical stress causes a constriction of blood vessels contributing to elevated blood pressure.

 

How often do we use words without really contemplating the fullness of their meaning?

 

Here is a list of some of the manifestations of STRESS:

    Insomnia                            Restlessness                               Anxiety

Moodiness                          Depression                                Hypertension

Tension headaches             Migraines                                   Skin problems

Hair loss                            Stomach /digestive problems      Colon irritability

Obesity                             Neck pain                                  Shoulder pain

Back pain                          Muscle and Joint aches                Diabetes

Thyroid imbalance             Acid-alkaline imbalance               Cancer

 

If you are experiencing or have experienced any of these symptoms, you most likely are coping with situational stress and probably even chronic stress at some level. Working with a Wellness Coach to learn Relaxation Techniques and how to add them your lifestyle will deliver lasting effects with results that can be seen in as little as two weeks. 

If you have ever taken an antibiotic in your lifetime, chances are you have an overgrowth of systemic yeast (Candida). Antibiotics destroy the probiotics in your body along with the harmful bacteria. If you have never restored your body’s good bacteria, now is a good time to start. You will see improvement in as little as 1 – 2 weeks. An overgrowth of systemic yeast will manifest in your body in many of the symptoms listed above. Stress exacerbates yeast overgrowth.

 

You have probably heard since the 1980s that Heart Disease is a “silent killer,” and more recently that Heart Disease is the #1 cause of death among women. The primary instigator behind hypertension and heart disease is stress – whether it is situational stress or chronic stress – the long-term effects if left unabated in the body result in deterioration of health and lead to a cornucopia of symptoms. Even if you have inherited tendencies towards developing hypertension and heart disease, there are steps you can take to prevent the development of hypertension or heart disease as well as natural alternatives to the care of hypertension and heart disease if you are already coping with these health issues.

 

Stress creates constriction, tension in the body, and can even constrict thinking. A tense mind focuses in on minute details and often overlooks the bigger picture. It is easy to get caught in a downward spiral of close introspective thinking. Calmess leads to clarity of thinking. With clarity of thinking, you will find solutions more quickly and easily. Relaxation techniques will show you how to let go of the stress and BE in a calm productive state in spite of the situations you find yourself in.

 

Stress not only affects the physical and emotional body, it affects the energy body as well. The constriction caused in the body by stress leads to secondary constriction of energy flow or Qi (chi). Energy blocks often accompany many of the stress symptoms listed above. It is not only important to address the cause of the stress to eliminate future stress but it is also important to release the energy constriction or Qi block so that energy can freely flow through the body once again leading to and promoting natural healing.

 

The Stress – Qi Connection Revealed At Last…

Stressful situations occur every day and happen to everyone. It is your ability to cope with these situations that determines what, if any, long-term effects stress will have on you.

 

When I talk about eliminating stress, I am referring to the stored stress that remains within your body. You could never eliminate stressful situations from happening day to day, but you can learn how to release the stress stored in your body and reduce and eliminate the effects of stress. You can also learn techniques to better manage stressful events as they occur to minimize the effects of stress in your body.

 

What is stress?

 

Stress can be defined as an experience or condition that causes physical, emotional and/or mental disruption. Stress is usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, increased muscle tension, and irritability.

 

How does stress affect the body?

 

Typically described as the “fight or flight response,” the sudden release of adrenalin and other hormones into the blood stream triggers a systemic cascade of events. Your pulse speeds up, your blood pressure rises, stomach acid production is increased and fat metabolism is increased.

 

Hormones called catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine) are released into the blood stream causing the increase in heart rate and blood pressure. These hormones also mobilize stored fat from cells and dump it into the blood stream. This increases the risk for stroke or heart attack.

 

These hormones also cause a rise in blood sugar leading to an increased risk of diabetes.

 

Circulation is diverted to the brain and extremities for heightened awareness and muscle response to the perceived danger at hand. This slows the digestive process and the elimination of waste while at the same time increasing production of stomach acid leading to increased risk for irritable bowel syndrome and possible ulceration. Peptic ulcers may occur with the presence of a specific bacteria.

 

The rapid release of cortisol suppresses the body’s immune system weakening its resistance. Extended periods spent in stressful life situations can leave you vulnerable to illness and disease.

 

In a state of “fight or flight,” typically the body would be involved in a period of intense physical activity which would utilize these hormones and then expel them from the body. This does not regularly occur in today’s urban society which does not promote a physical lifestyle.

 

What are the long-term effects of stress on the body?

 

Without consistent regular release from the body, these “stress” hormones remain at elevated levels in the body leading to feelings of anxiety, jitteriness, increased tension, irritability, inability to concentrate, and feelings of inability to cope with day-to-day situations.

 

The consequence of chronically elevated stress hormones is destructive to your health. Over time the following effects may become manifest in the body: impaired thyroid function, increased insulin resistance and impaired pancreatic function, decreased sex drive and function, increased hypertension, loss of bone mineralization, increased fatty deposits in the abdominal area.

 

This means that you are at direct increased risk for thyroid problems. Some common symptoms of thyroid disease (either hyper- or hypo-) are extreme weight gain or extreme weight loss, depression, decreased overall energy, aches and pains in muscles and joints, hair can become coarse, dry and brittle, and fall out easily. Skin can become thick and scaly, or fragile and thin. You could have chronic constipation or chronic diarrhea. You may feel tired all the time having no energy. You may have insomnia, anxiety, or depression.

 

Increased hypertension and risk for heart disease can lead to heart attack, irregular heart beat, stroke. Some symptoms of various types of heart disease are: shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, nausea, sweating, pain or heaviness in the chest, loss of energy and feeling very tired all the time.

 

Increased insulin resistance, decreased pancreatic function and abdominal obesity lead to the increased risk of diabetes with its many symptoms that include nerve damage, kidney failure, heart attacks and strokes, poor circulation, skin degradation and ulceration, and blindness.

 

Decreased bone mineralization leads to increased risk of bone fractures and bone shattering, impairing your overall daily lifestyle.

 

In general, you may also experience increased head aches, migraines, neck and/or shoulder pain, stomach pain, digestive problems, insomnia, skin problems, joint pain, muscle pain, burning sensations, and even cancer.

 

These are just some of the many ways that elevated levels of stress hormones remaining in your body for prolonged periods of time can be destructive and debilitating to your health.

 

Stress in the long run also speeds up the “aging” process by speeding up cell decay and death.

 

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms or problems, you have stored stress in your body that is crying out to be released.

 

(If you have an inherited disease, release of stress can help in the management and control of symptoms.)

 

What about good stress?

 

Good stress, often called “eustress” can have both positive effects and negative effects on the body. Eustress can be helpful in relieving the negative effects of stress. Good stress can come in many forms. It can be an activity you like such as hiking, biking, exertive walking, swimming, tennis, golf, soccer. Along with this type of physical activity other chemicals are released into the body and can remain stored as stress too. This would be good stress leading to bad stress in the long term.

 

Eustress can be associated with “over” feelings and emotions such as “overjoyed,” “over-exhilarated,” “over-eager,” “over-emotional,” “over-exuberant,” and “over-sensitive.”

 

When your body is in this state of “over” stimulation, it is the polar opposite of the effects of negative stress. Emotions are vibrational. “Over” emotions emit super high vibrational frequencies. Stress emotions or low energy emotions such as anxiety, sadness, depression, and lack of joy emit super low vibrational frequencies.

 

If you are a follower of The Law of Attraction, you have probably heard that you will attract like vibrations. Your health can impact your ability to make The Law of Attraction work for you. You might be struggling with the concept of raising your vibrational energy. You can start by clearing your body of stored stress. As you release stored stress, you will begin to feel lighter, happier, more content, better able to cope, more optimistic.

 

Some emotions associated with negative stress and low energy are: doubt, fear, anxiety, resentment, anger, guilt and depression.  Some emotions associated with a state of equilibrium of are: peace, joy, happiness, contentment, love and hope.

 

Negative stress causes cellular breakdown, decay and death. Eustress in excess is like a nuclear meltdown in the body.

 

Here is an example of how an excess of eustress can be harmful. You are in a state of being very excited. The energy heats up the heart first. The excess energy then travels to the brain. Once this excess energy is in the brain, it is not easily released because the channel back to the torso is very narrow. The excess energy has nowhere to go and like an overfilled balloon and energy explosion occurs resulting in stroke.

 

Ancient Buddhist and Chinese philosophies teach that moderation is best in all things, even in our emotions and in our ability to heal ourselves.

 

“In governing the people and in worshipping heaven nothing surpasses moderation. To value moderation, one must form the habit early. Its early acquisition will result in storing and accumulating vitality. By storing and accumulating vitality nothing is impossible.

If nothing is impossible then one is ignorant of his limits. If one does not know his limitations, one may possess the state. He who possesses moderation is thereby lasting and enduring. It is like having deep roots and a strong stem. This is of long life and enduring insight the Tao (way).”

Lao Tzu’s Tao and Wu Wei: Tao Te Ching 59 To Keep Tao

 

What can be done to de-stress the body?

 

Some activities that can be done to release stored stress from the body are: body massage, meditation, and yoga. Slow, gentle walking along with visualization and deep breathing will also release stored negative stress from the body. Listening to calming music or “environmental” music along with visualization will release stored stress from the body.

 

Visualization along with other de-stressing activities is very powerful at releasing stress. It restores the body to a state of equilibrium from which the body can begin its own natural restorative healing process. Thought is energy. Visualization is focused thought. It has been proven in quantum physics that focused thought creates matter. Visualization creates chemical activities in the body. These chemical activities produce the right kind of energy to help the body repair itself and help to open blockages.

 

Laughter is indeed “the best” medicine. Humor therapy is being studied in the medical field. Humor therapy, specifically laughter, has been shown to have preventive and healing effects on the body. Laughter activates certain immune system responses in the body that actually fight the effects of stored stress by reducing elevated “stress” hormone levels. One study concluded that laughter has beneficial health effects for wellness and humor therapy was an appropriate complementary therapy to whole-person integrative medical therapies.

 

So, the next time you feel like crying, laugh instead. Laugh from deep within. Try to find the polar opposite expression of what you are feeling. If you are thinking about the loss of a loved one, think of something funny that person would have done or what they would have wanted you to remember about them, and find happiness in that.

 

“The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that’s laughter. The moment it arises, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.”

 – Mark Twain

 

Get In The Flow – The Return to Universal Energy

 

Stored stress in the body leads to blockages of your vital life force, your Qi (or prana). When blockages occur, symptoms of distress or dis-ease occur. The symptoms are there to tell you that your vital life energy isn’t flowing properly. Your vital life energy is like the air and the ocean. It seeks to flow, to circulate, to rejoin the greater body and return to the smaller lake and stream. When it is blocked, it cannot flow. Your vital life energy keeps you centered and focused on the greater purpose of life. When you suffer energy blocks, your focus becomes very narrow. You become centered on the problem caused by the energy block and lose sight of the greater picture, even of your life purpose.

 

It is vital to your life overall to learn to release the energy blocks, to let your vital life force flow back out to the Universe and back again to you, to remain on purpose in your life and realize the full potential of who you are, not only for you but for all of creation. We all have a greater purpose above our immediate self. We can only fulfill it when we are connected to Universal Energy.

Intention vs. Will – Which is Greater?

“Let us say then frankly that the education of the Will is the object of our existence.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

“The moment that one definitely commits one’s self, the Providence moves too.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

In response to my post on The Greatest Power in the Universe, someone wrote me and asked, “What is the difference between Intent and Will?”

Man is man by virtue of willing.

This is a very important question, especially in light of The Law of Attraction if you believe in it. The Law of Attraction teaches when you make an Intention, you draw it to you. I think the more clear “reality” is that you are brought to your Intention. What is moving – you or the thing intended? The thing intended has always been there. The difference is you are now ready to receive it or to be in presence with it.

Let’s look at the definition of Intention. Intention, Intent and Purpose all mean a wish or desire that one means to carry out. Purpose implies having a goal or determination to achieve something. Determination is the root of Will.

A goal is an anticipated outcome that guides your planned actions. So you set an Intention, a goal, and with that are planned actions to arrive at the anticipated outcome.

Let’s use a story to illustrate. There is a traveler who has stopped on a road. The road is narrow and winding. The traveler can’t see very far down the road. Way off in the distance, the traveler can see the road climbing in a winding way up a mountain. The traveler is on a journey to the temple at the top of the mountain. The Intention of the traveler is to get to the top of the mountain. To do that, the traveler needs a map to find the way.

The traveler is You. You see your Intention off in the distance. You know your Purpose is to get to that Intention. You don’t know How. You can’t see the road directly in front of you. What do you do?

You Determine, or Set Your Will, that you will continue on the road. You do not know what will come your way, but you are determined no matter what that you will reach your Intention.

Where there is no doubt and no fear, faith is expressed perfectly. This can be called Living Faith. Living Faith is different from practiced faith. Practiced faith is faith that you have but it is based on conditions. I will continue forward down the road IF….  Living Faith is absolute. It just IS. This is the path I must walk, so I will walk it.

You, the traveler choosing to walk in Absolute Faith find as you go forward that there is a more direct path to the temple. What you perceived to be a long journey, you can complete in a very short time. This is Will moving to Intention. The way is made straight in Absolute Faith. This is why some people seem to manifest almost immediately. They align themselves almost instantly to their Intent.

Will is a faculty of consciousness and especially of deliberate action. Will is the Power of control that the Mind has over its own actions and desires.  Desire is a strong feeling or emotion that impels (moves one forward towards) you to the attainment or possession of the thing. Desire comes from the Latin that means “await what the stars will bring.” Literally, it is “from the stars.” Stars can be equated with Universe.

“The carnal mind is enmity towards God.” (Rom 8:7) Carnal mind is Ego, the monkey mind. The Monkey Mind will dissuade you every time from following your inner guide, your spirit within, intuition or gut. The Monkey Mind creates Fear and Doubt and says Show Me How. It causes you to lack Absolute Faith. You need to put the Monkey Mind aside and learn to listen to your heart, your intuition, your inner guidance.

The Mind needs to center within and commit to change. It needs to commit to being open and receptive to following spiritual guidance. It needs to believe, which is to know absolutely, that what it desires WILL BE. The Mind bypasses the Monkey Mind, it let’s go of Ego, allowing spirit to connect with spirit. You STEP OUT IN ABSOLUTE FAITH. What you Desire Is MANIFEST.

The answer to the question, “What is the difference between Intent and Will,” is…

Intent is the destination; Will is what propels you to reach your destination.

“Not going out of the door I have knowledge of the world. Not peeping through the window I perceive heaven’s Tao. The more one wanders to a distance the less he knows.

Therefore the wise man does not wander about but he understands, he does not see things but he defines them, he does not labor yet he completes.”

Lao Tzu’s Tao and Wu Wei: Tao Te Ching 47 Seeing the Distant

 

 

Can Inaction be Active Action?

A term often used when everything appears as needed on time, or many seeming coincidences, is synchronicity. I bring this up to place it in your conscious awareness. It also has bearing on today’s topic.

Can Inaction be an active action? It sounds like a contradiction. Usually inaction is associated with passive action which is the opposite of action. But there is also a time when Inaction can be active action. How so? Let us see…

While I was reading the Tao Te Ching the other day as I was working on my last Blog post, I came across something that I thought I was going to write about today. When I went back, I came across something else that wants to take precedence. Active Inaction.

You will often hear me talking of Letting Go to Get in the Flow. This Letting Go is actually active inaction. You are actively engaging in no action at all. You are letting go, ceasing to strive, no longer trying to control the outcome or the direction of your desire.

When I went back to re-read the Tao Te Ching on the other topic, I came across The Sayings of Lao-Tzu translated by Lionel Giles in 1905. Lao-Tzu wrote a whole chapter on the Doctrine of Inaction.

There were several things that struck me as I was reading. The first was that all things come to a state of perfection if left alone, no struggle, no striving, all things will flow together to create a perfect state.

“Who is there that can make muddy water clear? But if allowed to remain still, it will gradually become clear of itself.”

The action of inaction lies in remaining still. To be totally still of the mind and body takes Concentration and an exertion of the Will. We can Will our Mind and Body into a state of stillness. In doing so, we attain a state of peace.

“Attain complete vacuity, and sedulously preserve a state of repose.”

Peace and Joy are two of the highest vibratory states of being. Unfortunately, most people do not experience these emotions on a consistent basis. The world is on information overload. A constant bombardment of messages and noise. Televisions, radios, cell phones, the noise of traffic driving, and often the excess noise in our own heads. How do you clear all the noise in your head?

It is hard to focus or concentrate on a thought consistently when it is constantly interrupted by 100’s of other thoughts. We are taught that for the Law of Attraction to work, we need to clear our minds and focus on what it is we wish to attract into our lives. How successful are you at doing this? It is challenging for many people because there is no stillness in the mind. A still mind leads to a peaceful mind. In Letting Go, we can finally enter into the flow.

A still mind is also an essential component to stress relief. When your mind is constantly turning over 100s of aimless thoughts a day, it is creating stress on you emotionally which eventually leads to physical stress. Example, you’re driving along to work and the thoughts in your head are about all the activities you have to accomplish that day. If you have deadlines to meet, there is already stress manifesting itself. As you are thinking of this, you remember that you got a call last night to find out that a relative was just diagnosed with a terminal illness. Additional emotional stress. And as you are sitting there in your car, the action of just sitting with no physical release of stress is adding even more stress. Your heart rate goes up, your blood pressure goes up, your head starts to vaguely throb which eventually turns into a banging headache. Now your stomach is upset from the pain in your head…and so the cycle goes.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. When you learn to put your mind in a still place and have it remain there, all the stress disappears because it isn’t allowed to take shape in the first place. A peaceful mind, actively practicing active inaction, controls all those thoughts and leaves you to deal with your day calmly and effectively.

“Tao is eternally inactive, and yet it leaves nothing undone.”

Another thing that struck me as I was reading is that when we desire something, we usually strive to get it. We work hard. We make a plan. We set goals. We do all these things to get our desire. But what if we just LET GO?

“The simplicity of the Nameless Tao brings about an absence of desire. The absence of desire gives tranquility.”

In letting go of desire, we enter that place where all things can flow to us effortlessly. It is also the place where we are practicing gratitude for that which we already have and all that which will come to us. Everything we could ever desire already exists. I was reminded of the story of Tantalus, whenever he would reach for the fruit it would recede from his reach and, when he would bend to drink water, the water would recede away. The fruit and water were always within his reach except when he put forth his own effort to attain them. In letting go of desires, we attain a tranquil state of mind, a still mind, a peaceful mind. This is not to say that you can never want anything again. But in the wanting of something, let go of how it is going to come to you. Be still and watch as the universe brings to you all that you truly desire.

The third thing that struck me is related to the following quote,

“The softest things in the world override the hardest. That which has no substance enters where there is no crevice. Hence I know the advantage of inaction.

Conveying lessons without words, reaping profit without action,–there are few in the world who can attain to this!”

This relates directly to energy. There is Yin energy and Yang energy. Yin energy is soft yet it is the more powerful energy in the body. In energy work, we often are taught first about Yang energy, but Yin energy exerts more influence in the body. But this analogy is true in many other ways as well. In martial arts, the art of deflecting an opposing person’s energy is the soft approach rather than attacking head on.

“The softest things in the world override the hardest.” A soft, gentle, or encouraging word spoken yields many times more results than a harsh word. Harsh thoughts and harsh actions lead to stress. Examine your own reactions to situations to test this. Soft thoughts, encouraging thoughts lessen stress and tension and create peace and harmony.

There is a very strong connection between the breath of life within you, your vital life force, and stress which manifests many ways physically, emotionally and mentally. When we learn to let go of stress, we begin to heal ourselves. We also begin to reconnect with our spiritual origins.

So, I would encourage you to begin practicing ACTIVE INACTION. Your health, your mind, and your body will thank you. In addition, all those around you will see how differently you are handling things in your life. You will be more calm, more in control, and they will want to know how you did it.

If you would like help in implementing ACTIVE INACTION feel free to contact me antonia@metatranspiration.com. I would be more than happy to show you how to achieve ACTIVE INACTION.

Letting Go and Being on Purpose

Letting Go and Being on Purpose

2008-05-21 10:05:30

Manifesting can seem impossible at times, but I never cease to be amazed at how the Universe flows when we are on Purpose.

I wrote my About the Coach page this morning and decided to put it up right away so it would be done. I opened Internet Explorer and clicked on the pulldown for weblinks. I saw Deepak Chopra’s site on the list and remembered his Daily Meditation page. I decided to take a short detour. Lesson for Today – remember the Scenic Overlooks. Deepak Chopra’s Daily Meditation is The Law of Least Effort. You can read it here: www.chopra.com/dailydevotion.

Letting Go and Getting In The Flow is a phrase you will be hearing A LOT from me. The Law of Least Effort states it to well. Nature, the Universe, is effortless. When we are on Purpose and life is effortless, just as this was here at just the right time after what I wrote, effortless. You can manifest with struggle, it does happen. But when we are on Purpose, everything flows effortlessly. Read the Law of Least Effort. If you think of nothing else all day, remember this one sentence:

“I will not struggle against the whole Universe by struggling aginst this moment.”

Isn’t it time for you to… Let Go and Get in the Flow?

The Law of Least Effort is quoted in its entirety below because Deepak Chopra’s site changes daily, and it is so appropriate:

The Law of Least Effort

The Law of Least Effort …. Nature’s intelligence functions with effortless ease…with carefreeness, harmony, and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease.

I will put the Law of Least Effort into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:

1. I will practice acceptance. Today I will accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur. I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. I will not struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. My acceptance is total and complete. I accept things as they are this moment, not as I wish they were.

2. Having accepted things as they are, I will take responsibility for my situation and for all those events I see as problems. I know that taking responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for my situation (and this includes myself.) I also know that every problem is an opportunity in disguise, and this alertness to opportunities allows me to take this moment and transform it into a greater benefit.

3. Today my awareness will remain established in Defenselessness. I will relinquish the need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I will remain open to all points of view and not be rigidly attached to any one of them.