The Importance of a WHOLEistic Point of View in Your Health
In a disease such as pemphigoid, where the cause and pathogenesis is unclear and treatments are often trial-and-error, any “leg up” in dealing with the condition in my opinion should be enthusiastically explored.
We often look outside ourselves to find answers, which is understandable. Our environment, from school to media, trains us to look outside, to drugs, to doctors, to books. However, as I stressed during my talk at the annual meeting, the inner connection between the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, is actually at the root of our problems and also the starting point for true healing.
That thought — that our ultimate healing lies inside of us — should be comforting in one way, because it means the control of the disease and its symptoms lies in our hands! On the other hand, that same thought can bring on feelings of being overwhelmed and even a feeling of blame or guilt.
Does embracing a WHOLEistic internal approach mean we throw out the drugs and doctors? Of course not! What it means is we are going to add to our armamentarium a lot of new weapons. A balanced attitude will spark a feeling of increased power and freedom.
A couple of examples: maybe we cannot control our fear of impending symptoms, but through accessing breath work and meditation, we can decrease our fears by becoming aware of our mental processes and our heart rate, decreasing our fear.
Or we may not be able to control daily stressors such as bills and interpersonal interactions, but through positive thinking and journaling we can create an inner space that is peaceful.
Why is anxiety reduction and inner peace important? From a happiness point of view, it’s obvious: we feel like waking up and embracing the day. From a medical standpoint, both inner peace and anxiety reduction improve our immune systems.
Does embracing a WHOLEistic internal approach mean we throw out the drugs and doctors? Of course not!
How does one start (or continue) this process?
The first step is one’s attitude. In Japan there is a principle called kaizen which means “continuous daily improvement.” I love this mindset, because it implies that change can happen in small ways, and that kaizen, if instituted properly, will eventually lead to a result, and the process is actually part of the healing itself. A kaizen mindset combined with an affirmation of “Every day I am better and better,” or “I am healing myself daily” is powerful and momentum-building!
This is the first step. When one commits to this attitude, things will be brought in front of us to help us continue the journey towards healing.