Happiness is Your Birthright!

I was a student in Catholic schools during the 1950’s.

 

All organizations are influenced by culture and at that time the culture inherent in my school was that we must suffer to attain the bliss that the after life offers.  Life was a valley of tears and only heaven offered happiness.

 

The belief systems given to children form the foundation for their perceptions about life.  Perceptions become a part of us and we take them for granted.

 

I did not realize how deeply I had ingrained the belief that there is glory in suffering until I began to study Ayurveda.  When I first heard through Ayurveda that happiness was equated with perfect health and was the birthright of all human beings, I experienced an internal release that fascinated me.  This was the experience of a major shift in perceptual awareness.  I became more open to the experience of happiness!  I am certain that being more open to happiness enhanced my overall health as well as my overall happiness.

 

If we are healthy and our doshas are in balance, positive thinking will come naturally to us.  At the same time, positive thinking can move our physiology in a healthier direction.  The mind, body and spirit are connected at a deep level and whatever affects one aspect of our being affects the totality.

 

Ayurveda (and modern science) teaches that it takes very little to change our physiology in a healthier direction.  We can do this by using our mind and our attitude.  Think of it this way:  if you tug on one leg of a table the entire table moves.  If you make a mental shift you can reset your entire physiology.  For instance, modern science and Ayurveda teach us that the experience of love and of being a loving person is healing to the mind-body.  Making a decision to “be more loving” can create a change in your cellular structure, bringing you closer to ideal health.

 

One of the most exciting fields in modern medical research is Psychoneuroimmunology. PNI studies the links between the mind and the body.  This science has demonstrated that our emotional body conducts many of our physiological responses.  Consider the following:

 

• The feeling of joy, defined as “mental resilience and vigor” by researchers, was the second strongest predictor of survival time among women with recurrent breast cancer, following “length of disease-free intervals.”

 

• The two highest risk factors for a first heart attack in men under fifty are not the ones taught in medical school—overweight, smoking, diabetes, family history, or high cholesterol—but a lack of job satisfaction and a low level of general happiness.

 

• Herpes infections recur more frequently in people who are depressed.

 

• Bereavement causes a drop in the number of T-cells, an indication of the diminished capacity of the immune system to respond, which subsequently normalizes as the grief lessens over time.

 

• Some terminally ill people, especially women, are able to “postpone” imminent death until after an event they cherish and long to see, such as a family wedding or the birth of a grandchild, or even until a meaningful holiday has passed.

 

• In one study, flu was found to be most common amount the employees whose morale was lowest.

 

(A Woman’s Best Medicine, Lonsdorf, Butler and Brown)

 

The convergence of ancient medicine and modern science is exciting.  Both are telling us that happiness on earth is not only possible, and, indeed, our right as human beings, but that this emotion can be stabilized and it will enhance our health.

 

Yes, suffering is a part of everyone’s life.  But an attitude that embraces suffering is not in our best interest.  On the contrary, the experience of love and happiness enhances our spirituality and our overall health. Happiness is ours for the taking and yes it is our birthright!

 

As always, Sandra and I wish you happiness and perfect health!

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!

 

 

Staying Calm, WARM, and Collected During the Winter Months

Sandra and I live in Michigan.  Until a few days ago I wondered if we had shifted into a more temperate weather zone.  I wondered this because only one week ago the temperature here registered at 45 degrees.  In January 45 degrees is pretty much unheard of in this northern state.

Of course our honeymoon didn’t last and now we are experiencing winter weather.  Although not yet blustery it is chilly outside.  As the song says, it’s time to “button up that overcoat.”  This rapid change in weather has caused me to reflect on how seasonal changes affect the mind-body.

Although modern medicine is only beginning to consider the effects of annual biorhythms on the mind-body, teaching us how to transition from season to season has been an integral aspect of Ayurveda for thousands of years.

From the ancient medical system of Ayurveda we learn that nature and the body are part of a single continuum of intelligence.  This theme is the essence of how Ayurveda handles the change of the seasons.  Balancing the three doshas is the key for our adaptation to the effects of the seasons since each season exhibits the predominance of one dosha.

 

As you know, the doshas are the homeostatic or governing principles of the mind-body. The word “dosha” denotes the combinations of the elements of air, space, ground, fire, and water that make up the underlying intelligence of the universe.  Everything in nature, including the human physiology, is a manifestation of these elements.  Teaching us how to keep our unique elemental constitution in balance is the task of Ayurveda. Balance equates with health and the by-product of perfect health—happiness.

 

Albeit with different language, modern quantum physicists echo Vedic knowledge.  They tell us that five spin types (elements) form the most basic concepts in particle physics.  Physicists assert that everything in creation is derived from the combination of these five fundamental spin types into three superfields:  gravity, gauge, and matter.  Modern science and ancient wisdom agree on the nature of the universe.  But, only the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda gives us the practical advice necessary to roll with the seasons and keep our mind-body in balance.

 

Winter is Vata Time

Winter is the Vata (combination of space and air) time of year and the Vata qualities of dryness and coldness which exist in our physiology can easily become aggravated by the environment.  If Vata dosha becomes aggravated this can produce oversensitivity to colds, respiratory infections, insomnia, dry skin, indecisiveness, hyperactivity and worry.

Ayurveda offers many practical interventions to keep Vata dosha in balance.  If we follow these interventions we will avoid the physical and emotional ups and downs that can be triggered by an imbalance in Vata dosha.  In our book Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way, Sandra and I give in-depth suggestions for keeping Vata dosha in balance.  Today I want to highlight just one significant intervention that we can use to stay warm and calm during these cold Vata aggravating months.  This intervention is an oil massage with sesame oil.  The Sanskrit word for massage is abhyanga.

 

The abhyanga has, according to Ayurveda, profound health benefits.  Vedic tradition maintains that frequent oil massage promotes softness and luster of the skin, lubricates the muscles, tissues, and joints, and increases their flexibility.  Moreover, by stimulating the tissues in the body, oil massage is said to help keep impurities from accumulating in the system.  Daily abhyanga is recommended but if you cannot do the abhyanga on a daily basis even two or three times a week will offer you significant benefits.

 

Different oils work for different constitutional types.  But, in the cold of winter sesame oil works best for most people because sesame oil has particular properties that nourish and warm the body.

 

Massaging the skin with warm sesame oil pacifies all three doshas, but the soothing influence of warmth and touch on the skin’s many nerve endings calms Vata dosha especially.  This affects the whole system, because Vata leads the other doshas, and when it becomes aggravated, the other two will often follow suit. Abhyanga will benefit everyone at all times of the year, but it is particularly important in the winter.  Apart from the benefits mentioned above abhyanga will keep the skin from becoming dry and cracked, a frequent problem when Vata is aggravated in winter.

 

The oil must be organic and cured.  To buy high quality sesame oil go to Mapi.com or call Mapi at 1-800-345-8332.

 

Sandra and I want to remind you that if you keep Vata dosha in balance during the winter months you will transition into spring without encountering an excess of mucus that triggers allergies and springtime colds and flus.  As always we wish you perfect health and its by-product, happiness!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image from 
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/ayurvedic-oil-massage.html

Science Holds Mom Responsible for Health and Happiness

Hello Readers!  I hope you are all well, filled with vitality and enjoying holiday preparation.

Last week I mentioned that I was going to a conference and would tell you some of the things I learned.  The conference was NICABM, the National Institute for the Application of Behavioral Medicine, and it was held in Hilton Head,South Carolina(where it was chilly and rainy!)

Many scientists came to this conference and presented their beliefs.  I found the talks interesting but I also found a contradiction in messages.  On one hand, the speakers seemed to believe in the resilience of the human mind-body but at the same time, they seemed to believe that who we are as adults is largely determined by early childhood experiences.  After years of taking pressure off Mom, her shoulders are being burdened again.

Many speakers emphasized being helpful to children.  Our children, the speakers said, are our national treasure.  Their success and well being as adults has to do with early childhood experiences.

The challenge to parent well has a great deal to do with Mom taking care of herself.  Her ability to parent effectively is hugely impacted by her vibratory essence (basic physical and emotional health) which in turn influences her behaviors.

The scientists in Hilton Head reminded us that the mind is divided into two aspects, the unconscious and the conscious.  The unconscious mind becomes filled with perceptions about self from the time of conception until the age of six.  This mind is filled with perceptions that are acted out for the remainder of life.  There is no bridge, the scientists told us, between the unconscious mind and the conscious mind.  Their advice to mothers is to be supportive of feelings, set limits in a nurturing manner, speak kindly and send a plethora of realistic but positive messages.  (I remembered that Ayurveda suggests that every day a mother say to her child, “You are smart, happy, and healthy.”) These words, according to the scientists would become reality because they affect the child at a cellular level.

A video from a research center inItalywas shown and in it a fetus showed signs of stress while the parents were yelling at each other in an angry, hostile manner.  The researchers stated that until recent times the nervous system of the Mother was considered to be separate from that of the fetus.  Science now knows that the fetus is continually bathed in the bio-chemicals of the Mother and that her stress directly affects her child.  Who the child will become is partly established in the womb.  (I had some trouble believing that the environment encountered there could not be reversed, but the scientists felt that this environment had a powerful and lasting influence.)

It is important that Mama, the researchers told us, take care of herself. However, there was no discussion of particular techniques for the release of stress. But, you, dear readers, know that the Transcendental Meditation program, yoga, proper nutrition for your body type, exercise and sleep work synergistically to relieve stress thus enabling you to communicate in a kind and loving manner.  When we speak we communicate our internal feeling state.  Take care of yourself and you will help others.

The scientists also spoke about the “new genetics.”  This is called epigenetics.  In the recent past science believed that DNA was responsible for pretty much everything in the determination of the individual.  Currently, we know that DNA is influenced by the environment. A change in environment alters DNA.  Nutrition can alter DNA.  A peaceful environment can alter DNA.  A stressful environment can alter DNA.  The mind-body can change in either direction very quickly.  (Ayurveda has been telling us that for centuries!)  Modern science continues to meet Eastern philosophy.

What the sages have told us about life and living life continues to be validated.  It is now validated by scientific knowledge about cellular biology.  Meditation, nutrition, exercise, yoga, sleep, and breathing techniques are incredibly important for health and well being.  These techniques alter our environment; thus affecting DNA, our self and everyone we come into contact with.

I attended a talk on addictions.  A researcher inCaliforniahas identified several environmental factors leading to addictive behavior.  A few of these are:  physical, emotional, or psychological abuse, hostility between parents, an alcoholic parent, neglect, or physical abuse between parents.  If a person scores as high as a 4 on the problem list, i.e., they have personally experienced four or more of the behaviors,  they are over 5,000 times more likely to exhibit addictive behavior.  The speaker remarked that researchers become excited when statistical evidence shows a slight leaning in one direction or another.  Five thousand times as likely is sky high!  Again, the way we are treated has everything to do with everything!

I left the conference knowing that once again Ayurveda was validated.  I also left concerned about increased pressure on Moms.  However, Ayurveda has the instruction manual to help Mothers relieve their personal stresses and, therefore, to interact with their children in helpful ways.  I hope that at the next conference the scientists offer practical advice to Moms and I hope they include Fathers in their discussion of child rearing.  Holism demands that we look at life through a wide- angle lens.  If the environment is a huge determinant in outcome we need to offer people the tools to relieve stress and create a positive environment!

We wish everyone Happy Holidays.  We won’t be writing again until after the first of the year.  Until then—-Best wishes for perfect health and happiness.

Is Modern Science Beginning to Catch Up with the Vedic Sages?

On May 9th The New York Times published an article about a phenomenon called overgeneral memory.  The title of the piece was “Hazy Recall as a Signal Foretelling Depression.”

Overgeneral memory, we were told in this article, is a tendency to recall past events in a broad, vague manner.  Mark Williams, the clinical psychologist who led the memory study atOxfordUniversityinEngland, said overgeneral memory was “an unsung vulnerability for unhelpful reactions when things go wrong in life.”

Now researchers atOxford, atNorthwesternUniversityinIllinois, and at other universities are conducting studies with thousands of teen-agers to determine whether those with overgeneral memory are more likely to develop depression later on.

“Based on everything we know of memory specificity and depression, there’s a good chance that we will find these effects” said Dirk Herman, a research psychologist at theUniversityofLeuveninBelgiumwho collaborates with Dr. Williams.

As I was reading this article in The New York Times I thought that I “heard” the ancient Vedic sages exclaim, ‘Yes, yes, you will find those effects, but only because memory problems and depression spring from the same ultimate cause.’

“You see,” the sages said, “memory problems and depression are both related to Vata imbalances.  Balance Vata and memory and mood will improve.  These scientists are learning what we knew thousands of years ago,” said the sages, “but they are not looking at the holistic picture.  They are seeing only symptoms.   Both memory and mood are symptoms of imbalances in Vata dosha.”

Do you understand?  Both physics and Ayurveda tell us that five elements lie at the basis of the natural world.  These elements combine:  air and space form Vata dosha, fire and water form Pitta dosha, and water and earth form Kapha dosha.  The doshas are expressed in all aspects of nature, including our mind-body.  They are overarching homeostatic principles regulating the functioning of our physiology.

When we understand the doshas and how to keep them in balance we are able to stay healthy.  Symptoms are the last stage in the disease process but when we look at doshic imbalances we are able to identify potential problems before symptoms occur.

Vata is referred to as the “King of the Doshas.”  It is responsible for regulating all the movement in the mind-body.  Its purview is the nervous system.  When Vata is out of balance, due to situations, events, or lifestyle, both memory and mood will be adversely affected.  Memory often is affected first.

In our book Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way we discuss Vata dosha at length.  We explain it from the viewpoint of the ancient sages and from the viewpoint of modern quantum mechanics.  We also devote a great deal of our book to a discussion of “balancing acts.”  Depression is created and depression can be undone.  Keep Vata dosha in balance and you will be able to insure that your memory is specific, not overgeneral.   You can, with Ayurvedic knowledge, avoid depression and improve your memory all through particular Vata balancing lifestyle changes.

Have a happy day (and remember everything you do today!)