Do our thoughts make us sick?
May 7, 2007
It’s a very popular idea in some circles that we create our reality with our thoughts. I’d like to investigate that idea and see if it really holds up in our common experience. In particular, I’d like to see how it relates to our health, or lack thereof.
If I look at my own life, I see plenty of examples where thinking did not make it so. Years ago I when I got pregnant I held the idea firmly in my mind that I was going to have a model pregnancy. Everything about the pregnancy and birth was going to be perfect. I simply wouldn’t allow any thoughts to the contrary to take root. What happened couldn’t have been further from my imaginings. I ended up with a very rare disease of pregnancy and almost lost my life. I contrast that with the fact that I tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac and have imagined myself with all sorts of diseases that I’ve never gotten. If thoughts came true, I wouldn’t be here writing this newsletter! One final example concerns my mother. She had a long held belief that she would not live to an old age. She was unwavering in this conviction, and yet she lived to be 93.
Take a look at your own life and see if there’s any evidence that you thought yourself into illnesses you’ve had. Chances are there are times when your thoughts corresponded with what happened and other times when they didn’t. I’ve seen people become fearful when a “negative” thought appears and quickly replace it with a positive affirmation. This seems like such a struggle to me and I don’t think that changing the content of our thoughts makes a difference to our health.
I do feel, however, that emotions affect our health. Chemical correlates to emotional states such as fear have been clearly demonstrated. All we have to do is tune into our own bodies to be aware of the powerful impact of emotions. My sense is that the emotions that accompany our thoughts are what can affect us, and it is our emotional states that we need to address. To simply try to replace negative with positive thoughts is too superficial an approach.
What do you think? What has your experience been?
“No mother? Don’t worry, as long as you have Triphala…”
May 2, 2007
Triphala, one of the most popular remedies in traditional Indian medicine (“Ayurveda”), is thought to care for the internal organs as a mother does for her children. That explains the popular folk saying that forms the title of this post. A compound of three fruits, triphala is also becoming popular in the US as a laxative, especially because it does not promote dependency and actually strengthens the bowels. It is said to have the unique ability to gently cleanse and detoxify the body while simultaneously replenishing and nourishing it.
I was first exposed to triphala when I was being trained as an Ayurvedic technician and walked into a kitchen where a strong smelling potion was simmering on the stove. It was being prepared for someone to take as part of a cleansing routine. I prepare it that same way for my own use, but most people would prefer to take it in tablet or capsule form as it has a very strong, bitter taste.
Although I began using triphala for its laxative properties, I have learned that it has a whole host of other uses. In addition to being a bowel regulator, triphala is said to:
- improve digestion
- reduce serum cholesterol
- improve circulation
- have a cardioprotective effect
- reduce high blood pressure
- improve liver function
- have anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties
- assist internal cleansing
- have antioxidant properties
- cleanse and strengthen the urinary tract
There has been a lot of research on triphala’s many benefits, including some which indicates that triphala may be able to help combat cancer. A BBC news article recently reported research at the University of Pittsburgh which confirms what Indian scientists have long proclaimed — triphala has been shown to have anti-cancer effects. They found that extracts of triphala slowed the growth of human pancreatic tumors grafted onto mice.
Although you need to do your own research, triphala seems to me to be one of the most beneficial formulas you can take for overall health. It’s relatively inexpensive and I haven’t found anything to indicate there’s any risk in taking it. You can consult one of the many good books on Ayurveda on how to use it.
Wishing you well!
“You don’t have a mother? Don’t worry, as long as you have Triphala in your life!”