The Popularity of Spirituality

For many years, perhaps for centuries, the majority of Westerners believed the quest for spirituality should be left mostly to people of the East.  Spirituality was believed to conflict with materiality, with work, with living a worldly life.  A widely held belief was that in order to live a spiritual life it was necessary to close oneself off from the world; to live in a cave, a monastery, or other form of seclusion.

 

This has changed.  Spirituality is openly spoken about and millions of Westerners are on a spiritual path.

 

 

What is spirituality? 

 

Spirituality refers to having access to the abstract aspects of life. To be spiritual is to blend the two realms of our being; body and soul.  It is to create greater self-awareness and spirituality is a compelling force that motivates us to higher heights. Spirituality is equated with happiness, intelligence, power and creativity.  When we are truly spiritual beings we are connected to universal intelligence and goodness.

 

We don’t need to live a cloistered lifestyle in order to engage both body and soul. A spiritual life can be had while living an active life, engaged in the world.  These different aspects of our existence actually enhance each other.

 

These days there are many spiritual paths offered to us.  Finding advice on how to put spirituality into your life is not difficult.

 

But, did you know that there are very practical ways to enhance spirituality.  Today I offer you three practical ways to enhance the spiritual in your life.

 

1. Sleep gives a lift to your spirit.  Sleep provides the mental clarity you need to develop self-awareness.  It adds depth to your thinking, allowing a greater appreciation of the richness of the abstract aspects of our lives—that which we can see only with our mind’s eye.  Spirituality is enhanced by a well-rested physiology.  Our physiology is programed to sleep during the hours of 10 or 11 p.m. until 6 or 7 a.m.  Too much sleep makes us lethargic and too little sleep or sleep at the wrong time of the day will not be beneficial to our wellbeing.
2. Yoga postures keep our nerve pathways clear and active so that the electrical impulses can travel efficiently. Energizing the nerves that activate all parts of the body improves mental capacity, attention, mental power, and gives access to our spiritual nature.  Look for a yoga practice that is right for you!
3. Meditation.  Sandra and I recommend Transcendental Meditation because this technique gives deep rest to the physiology; rest that is healing and restorative.  Meditation is like brushing your teeth:  you must do it daily if you want to have its benefits for life.  You wouldn’t think of going about your day without brushing your teeth, yet we think nothing of neglecting to “polish” our consciousness through the process of meditation.

 

Spirituality has become popular!  In the past this subject was, in many circles, a hushed topic.  It was more acceptable to talk about making big pots of money than to talk about a desire for the spiritual.  No more is this so.  The blend of body and soul is understood as a beneficial way to live life.  Taking care of your body is a good place to begin your spiritual quest.  And, the better you take care of yourself the more you have to give to others!

 

As always, Sandra and I wish you perfect health and the deep happiness that accompanies spirituality.

 

Do Environmental Toxins Trigger Depression?

Robert Rountree, M.D., a physician practicing Functional Medicine, has asked an interesting question.  Dr. Rountree is wondering if environmental toxins are playing a role in our current epidemic of mood disorders.

Dr. Rountree bases his “wondering” on the fact that a number of years ago a group of people who were using a recreational drug called MPPP developed a chronic neurodegenerative disease after a one-time exposure to a compound of this drug that was mixed with a neurotoxic chemical called mPTP.

Dr. Rountree wonders how many other environmental toxins like MPTP are capable of creating long-term brain damage even after a relatively limited exposure.  I think his question is well-worth our attention and consideration.

Is chronic exposure to low levels of certain environmental toxins playing a role in our current epidemic of mood disorders?  No one, Dr. Rountree concludes, really knows the answer to this question.

Following is something that we do know!  According to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, approximately one half of all teens in the United States meet the criteria for a mood, behavior, anxiety, or substance abuse disorder and one in four reports that the disorder interferes with daily life.

Translated into user-friendly language this means that approximately 25% of teens have a mood disorder so severe it impairs daily activities and causes great distress. In many cases, the problem never gets properly understood and therefore doesn’t get treated properly, which means those disturbed teenagers will grow up to be adults with chronic conditions that significantly impair their ability to function in society.

 

Growing up has never been easy.  Teen-agers struggle with emotions, with figuring out the expectations of parents and teachers and with the establishment of their identity in family and society. But, to struggle with depression and/or anxiety so severe that it interferes with daily functioning?  This is an outrageous situation that is crying out for correction. What kind of a future does our country have if a significant number of its members enter adulthood unable to function well?

 

Many of the adolescents suffering from a mood disorder are taken to psychiatrists who give them a diagnosis.  Unfortunately all too often the diagnosis becomes an aspect, an all too important aspect, of the young person’s identity. The diagnosis can become over-arching and limit potential because of the meaning it carries.

 

Where can we begin to solve a problem of such magnitude?

In our book Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way Sandra and I explain that depression results from a nexus of factors and that a healthy lifestyle can go a long way to preventing and treating depression.  This is undeniably true and even if environmental toxins are a significant aspect of the “depression problem” the stronger we make our mind-body, the better the chance for allaying the mood disorder problem.

 

As individuals we do not have the power to alter environmental toxins but we do have the wherewithal to build a strong shield against them. Sleep, that nurse of all creatures, is the number one tool for the construction of this shield.  Teen-agers are frequently remiss in getting enough sleep.  If this aspect of their lives can be changed we believe the incidence of depression will plummet.

 

Why?  What happens when we sleep that makes this activity such a powerful agent of vitality?

First of all, success in life depends on our ability to be awake and aware; ironically, both wakefulness and awareness require deep, restorative sleep. In addition, both Ayurveda and modern medicine tells us that sleep deprivation is a major contributing factor to depression.  Sleep debt  “breaks” the brain. The brain possesses stimulating bio-chemicals that prepare it for interacting with the world.  If either the production or the synergistic functioning of these neurochemicals is altered, our emotional health is jeopardized.  Like a theater director, sleep sets the tone for the performance of the molecules of emotion.

 

By impairing the production and activity of brain chemicals, sleep debt diminishes our emotional well-being. We lose our optimism.  Our enthusiasm for the things we love is squelched.  Resiliency is challenged when we need it most.  If the balance of waking time and sleeping time is disturbed, our spirit begins to fade.

 

We all, perhaps especially teen-agers, want to feel good without taking the time to get the rest we need.  Nevertheless, the only way to fully energize the brain is to follow nature’s prescription and give the body as much sleep as it needs.  Failure to do this is likely to result in a sleep- deprived body that will eventually succumb to depression.

 

I would be very surprised to learn that teen-agers are reading this blog but hopefully our voice, joined with many other voices, will eventually have an effect on culture.  There is a groundswell working its way to a crescendo and the chorus is resoundingly reminding us that lifestyle (often referred to as living within the laws of nature) is a powerful antidote for the prevention of mood disorders.

 

Sleep, adequate sleep, will place a shield over the physiology, helping you and those you love to resist depression even if environmental toxins are, in part, a cause of this endemic problem.

 

Modern science and ancient science are coming together.  They are meeting at a crossroads and hopefully will walk hand-in-hand down a new road together.  Increasing numbers of physicians are reminding us of something that Ayurveda told us thousands of years ago— sleep is pivotal for health and well-being.  Please take care that the children and teen-agers in your care receive plenty of “nature’s nurse.”

 

Should you have any doubts about the importance of sleep for the prevention and treatment of mood disorders pick up a copy of Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way.  Sandra and I explain in detail what happens when the body shuts down.  The essence is —–“when you snooze you don’t lose.”

 

Sandra and I wish you blissful sleep and successful happy days!

 

 

Weaving the Fabric of Health

As is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm.

As is the atom, so is the universe.

As is the human body, so is the cosmic body.

As is the human mind, so is the cosmic mind.

 

I have been invited to the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine to speak this week.  In preparation for my presentation I remembered the above verse.  It is included in Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way (a wonderful book if you haven’t already read it!).  I decided to open my presentation with this verse.  I think it packs a great deal of knowledge in just four brief lines.

 

In a nutshell this verse tells us about our body, our mind, and our health.

 

How does a simple verse give so much information?  It does this because it tells us that our human physiology is made up of the same elements as the cosmos. The same natural intelligence that regulates the rising of the sun, the change of the seasons, and the flow of the tides regulates the inner workings of our physiology.  In other words, as human beings we are directly linked to nature.

 

The fire that burns deep within the belly of our planet is the same energy that drives digestion in our stomach and intestines.  The element that makes up the earth we walk on creates our physical body.  The expansive space that surrounds us is as vital to the universe as it is to the working of our brain.  The mineral composition of the water in the sea is similar to the fluid inside our cells.  The elegant workings of the universe are mirrored in our cells.

 

What are the implications for this knowledge?

 

Understanding that we are part of the natural world opens up endless possibilities for health and healing.  Nature can become our pharmacy.  We can use natural substances to stay healthy or to regain health if we have gone off track.  Ayurveda provides a simple, easy-to-understand instruction manual.

 

Understanding that we are part of the natural world drives home the point that we must live within the laws of nature if we are to maintain our health.  We need to learn about our unique constitution and what foods, herbs, and exercise programs are best for us.  We also need to follow the basic rules for an Ayurvedic life style.  Many of these rules seem like common sense but how often do we go against what we know is correct?  All too often, I am afraid.  Approximately 45% of American adults suffer from a chronic disease.  This high statistic is proof that as a populace we are not living within the laws of nature and following an Ayurvedic life style. How silly!  Life becomes increasingly vibrant and joyful the better you feel!

 

The first step in attaining health is to acknowledge that you, that each of us, is an aspect of the natural world and is, therefore, subject to the laws of nature.  Our mind-body exists in a sea of consciousness (natural intelligence) and is a manifestation of the underlying intelligence of nature.  Everything we do and everything we ingest, both physically and psychologically, has a profound effect on our health and happiness.  Choose wisely and create vitality!

 

There are many interesting speakers coming to the conference this week.  I look forward to hearing them speak and to learning from them.  Next week I’ll fill you in on what I learn!  In the meantime Sandra and I send you best wishes for health and happiness.

 

Thanks for reading,

- Nancy