LIVING in modern times is obviously different from generations past. There is a price to pay in every aspect of modernisation. Our society and environment have literally become toxic, making it all the more challenging to live comfortably and in peace in our three bodies: the mind, body and spirit.
This will be especially true for people who are easily influenced by what is being put out there as modern, trendy or the new normal. Fashion, food, language, education, culture, healthcare, business, media, religion and politics are continuously changing the environment in which we live.
We can quickly be left behind if we don’t keep up, so we may be careless with some of our choices.
Eventually, at some point in time, we realise we are actually chasing shadows out there whilst being distracted and neglecting our inner selves. We have become a victim of modernisation.
We become tired, stressed, dissatisfied and begin to reflect or get confused about what life is all about.
That’s when you may have fleeting thoughts of living way out in the wilderness, off grid, escaping, not caring, not wanting. A strange force seems to be pulling you back into nature.
And then Monday comes along and you snap right back into this creature called the modern human.
Some 5 years ago, I decided to take up hiking at age 60 – it was literally a knee-jerk reaction to go for it. I lived a sedentary life for at least 30 years, was 20kg overweight and had my share of lifestyle diseases.
When I reflect on that decision, I realise there was a latent force in me that sprung up that opportunity to take up that hobby. I did not think about it nor look at the pros and cons of climbing Mt Kinabalu in my condition, especially without much preparation.
Two months later, I did climb Mt Kinabalu and paid the price with aches and swellings on every part of my body.
It seems an intuitive part of me took control and just did it. I have never regretted that decision and am now gifted with good health.
This experience has led me to conclude two things. Firstly, listen to our inner voice – be it excitement or intuition, it is coming from a sacred place.
Secondly, never second guess these internal messages with your conscious mind. There is an inner guidance system that knows what you need and not what you want.
With all the noise, stress and information overload we face daily, it’s highly unlikely we can hear those messages coming from within.
It’s when you begin to calm down through meditation, prayer or contemplation that you begin to notice that voice.
It’s a gentle and subtle yet resolute voice, with no element of ego or righteousness. In that state of clarity, it allows you to be inspired by a deeper knowing of your true nature and needs.
Ours is an intelligent body made up of trillions of individually intelligent cells communicating with one another in harmony, to bring us life.
When harmony is interrupted by a stressed, confused and busy mind, clarity isn’t present. You are in a state of fight, flight or freeze. Your immune system is compromised, your digestion, sleep and hormones go out of whack.
This is the state of disease and over time it will manifest into something your genes are predisposed to.
So, let’s pay attention to some of what we need to do to be in harmony. There are two levels of harmony – one is within ourselves and the other is with the environment in which we live.
Let's look at 5 basic areas to explore to be in harmony within our body, mind and soul:
1. Exercise
Exercise improves blood circulation through your whole body providing oxygen and nutrients to every cell. Some small, almost dormant arteries wake up and become active again.
You begin to look radiant and feel the energy. Exercise reduces levels of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are our natural painkillers and mood enhancers.
In my case it was transformative and addictive. I strongly recommend this in baby steps, but push yourself just over your threshold every time.
2. Mind management
Our mind deals with lots of data, some are relevant, most are a waste of space and time. We recycle old memories that are toxic to us and serve no purpose anymore.
What’s worse is you latch onto memories with emotional content. These emotions probably had justifications at some point in the past, but are absolutely useless and detrimental to your health and well-being now.
So, educate yourself, seek help, meditate, pray, seek/ask forgiveness, let go and begin to love yourself by getting your ego out of your way.
3. Sleep
We all know how important sleep is. Sleep deprivation can cause many health conditions if you continue to do it over many years.
Stress is one reason why we distract ourselves at some point; it becomes addictive and even a coping mechanism to avoid that chatter in our mind.
These days we have an abundance of interesting media content at our fingertips, so a bit of discipline, sleep hygiene or therapy is worth looking into.
Taking medication to sleep isn’t a long term solution, it’s best to find the nexus of your inability to sleep well.
4. Nutrition and supplements
Eating used to be a fairly simple activity, but not anymore. Fresh organic food was bought from the farmer and mum cooked it... that’s it. Nothing was stored, processed or canned. There were hardly any overweight people, and lifestyle diseases were very rare.
Then we had a surge of canned and processed foods. Shelf life of foods got extended by use of chemicals and ‘safe additives’ and ‘taste enhancers’.
The body is now faced with a new stress of getting rid of these chemicals. And when we get ill, we are given antibiotics that kill the gut microbiome.
Without the trillions of microbes we share our body with, we would struggle to break down essential nutrients, to receive signals from the body concerning our state of hunger or satiety, or to keep our immune system in check.
It’s therefore imperative to get good unprocessed fresh foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. I would halve the amount of rice, add loads of coloured vegetables, cut the sweet stuff and eliminate white bread, white salt, white rice and white sugar immediately.
5. Fear of death
The only guarantee in life is death, it’s pointless to worry to death about it. Many of us spend our entire adult life worrying when it will come, whilst losing out on this beautiful life.
Fearmongers like insurance companies and healthcare industries make a killing out of this worry.
So, come to terms with this transition from life to the unknown. Educate yourself through science, spirituality or religion.
As far as my thoughts of death are concerned, death is the same as birth, we come out kicking and crying and later find out it’s not too bad after all.
Finally, we need to know our body is always in a state of repair and regeneration if we give it the right environment. The solution isn’t out there, it is within ourselves.
So we have to accumulate knowledge. Knowledge is an important key to healing, it is in knowing that we can seek the path to healing. I would equate this to being enlightened as opposed to being in darkness.
However, in the absence of knowing, a strong belief can also have a placebo effect.
Yes, a mere sugar pill is known to cure the worst of disease just because the patient believes he is getting the best treatment.
So, if by thought alone you can get sick, wouldn’t it be true to say that by thought alone, you can cure yourself? – The Vibes, November 14, 2020
Terence D’Cruz is a clinical hypnotherapy practitioner and practises at the Heart and Mind Center, SunwayGeo. He can be reached via WhatsApp at 019-233 1509.
