How Do You Heal?

I feel we are not taught enough about “healing”. What I really mean by that is that we are never really taught in school how to create an environment in which the healing can occur. Science and research have been proving to us for some time now that certain conditions must be present for any type of healing to occur anywhere in the body. The body’s autonomic nervous system which controls all of the thoughtless functions of our body such as circulation, breathing, digestion, hormones,  etc, is broken down into two separate parts: the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) which operates at a very primal level in which the mind is mostly engaged in matters involving the body, the environment and time releasing the hormones of stress such as cortisol which causes lots of negative effects on the body ie:(fight, flight, freeze) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) which triggers a restorative response from the body releasing hormones associated with happiness ie: (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin)(rest, digest, create). There are many ways to trigger the PNS that you can easily practice throughout the day to initiate a healing response from your body.

1. Mindful Breathing- The breath is always with us and it is one of the most effective tools for teaching us to communicate and connect with our bodies. Just taking the time to recognize the breath helps bring awareness to the vital life force that constantly vitalizes us.

2. Take A Twist- This stimulates the vagus nerve which touches each of your vital organs and directly corresponds to the PNS

3. Look At a Tree or something in nature (even if its just a picture on yuor phone, this is actually proven to cause a heightened immune response think of putting nature as a background on your computer, tablet or phone if you work in  an office)

4. Essential oils (triggers the limbic system) *be careful not to mix too many scents this is a very powerful tool and works on a very subtle but powerful level with the brain and can really frazzle your system so play with one or two scents at a time*

By shifting the body into the Parasympathetic more frequently throughout the day you help to bring the body back into homeostasis where healing occurs. This can be applied to everything from a broken back to severe anxiety or depression and even cancer. Healing is a holistic process, and none of us can go it without the help of these amazing bodies which hold all of your bright light! Take good care of yourself and your beautiful bodies :)

Addiction vs Substance Abuse Disorder

Yesterday was Overdose Awareness Day, and today, September 1, is the first day of National Recovery Month. To be honest I have been struggling for a while now to find words that truly encompass my holistic view on what addiction is and what needs to shift in order to stop this epidemic from causing any further damage to individuals, families, or society at large. Maybe along the way I can break a few of the stigmas about “addicts” and help simplify and clarify a few things. Let’s get right to it then: here’s why I use  “Addiction” as opposed to “Substance Abuse Disorder or Substance Use Disorder”.

I feel that language is important especially when discussing a topic that affects so many of us on a deep and personal level. I feel the new trend of calling addiction “substance use disorder/abuse” does more harm than good because it places the emphasis on the substance when the problem exists in the brain. People are addicted to all kinds of things that are not “substances” and these addictions can be just as deadly and are equally worth being represented.

The disease concept in medicine is quite simple: Organ>Defect>Symptoms. This could be applied to treat anything anything from a broken femur bone (organ:bone> defect:break> symptom: pain, swelling, bruising) to Addiction.

Addiction is the deregulation of the midbrain dopamine (pleasure) system due to unmanaged stress, resulting in decreased functioning, specifically—loss of control, craving, and persistence of the addictive behavior despite harsh, negative consequences. People have addictions ranging from heroine and prescription drugs to food, sex, codependency, gambling, shopping  and that is not even the tip of the iceberg. I’ve been through enough rehabs with a mix of all of the above to know that  each of us struggled in our own private Hell. 

I have found strength and healing through connection. Connection through nature, my yoga practice, my dogs, gardens and community. Through looking at the similarities rather than the differences in certain "dis-eases" and "dis-orders". Through connecting what works across the board and through healing modalities across the World and dissolving the separateness that silently influences us all.  By overcoming the shame I once associated with the word addict, I have learned to embrace the condition for allowing me to step onto this path of healing and evolution.