Emotional Health

What is mind-body medicine?

Mind-body medicine uses the power of thoughts and emotions to influence physical health. We experience a wide variety of emotions both positive and negative. Our feelings and emotions can have powerful effects upon our state of health. Feelings such as acceptance, love and forgiveness contribute to health. Whereas anger, fear, guilt, grief etc. are destructive and may move us towards disease. Learning how to let go of these limiting emotions can have a profound influence in all areas of ones life, especially health. It is the ‘letting go of fear’ and ‘returning the mind to love’ I believe best describes mind-body medicine. We have many systems that our thoughts influence such as the meridians, chakras, nervous and endocrine systems, that must act in harmony with one another if well-being if to be expressed. Fine tuning these systems allows us to release negative useless emotions and achieve better health.

Why is it important to heal old emotional pain?

Some people have asked, “Why is it so important to heal these old hurts?”  I think there are several important answers.  The simple reality is that when it comes to intense emotional pain, out of sight is not out of mind, out of mind is not out of body and out of conscious mind is not out of subconscious mind.  That which is unhealed and harbored hurts us, limits us, dis-empowers us, lowers self-esteem, fuels over reactions, weakens our resistance to physical illness, diminishes the quality of life, contaminates peace of mind, inhibits our capacity to love and blocks our ability to succeed in many endeavors.  Authors write many volumes enumerating the adverse effects of unprocessed and unresolved emotional pain on one’s life. 

What is the history of mind-body medicine?

For more than 4,000 years Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine have taken into account the connection between the mind-body and  spiritual aspects of man. The teachings of Western Medicine has taken a viewpoint saying that the mind and body are separate. This has led to beliefs that things just happen to us, and that there is not much we can do about it. We now know that this is no longer true. The mind and body are “one,” and we can use our minds to create and heal if properly understood and assisted.

A new field of study was called psychoneuroimmunology (“psycho” for psychology; “neuro” for neurology, or nervous system; and “immunology” for immunity) has emerged as early as the 1970’s when physicians began to notice the relationship that positive and negative emotions have upon one’s health. It has now been well established that there is a connection between our thoughts and emotions  and the immune system.

We no longer have to be afraid to look into the tried and true practices such as yoga, meditation, the power of intention, and energy pschology. In fact they are currently being taught at many of our best medical schools and are no longer considered “new age” or “taboo”. They have become mainsteam albeit a slow integration.

Does mind-body medicine work?

YES!

How does mind-body medicine work?

When you are physically or emotionally stressed, your body will produce cortisol, a stress hormone that increases blood pressure, heart rate, lowers seratonin (the feel good hormone) and weakens your immune sysytem. This chronic stress also blocks the flow of energy called ‘CHI,’ disrupts the meridians and down regulates the thymus gland, which helps regulate our immune system. These stressful thoughts open the door to infection and disease. So you see, thoughts are real things that do have effects that can have either positive or negative impacts upon one’s health. There is no such thing as an idle thought. All thoughts produce energy either positive or negative. And what we are IS energy!

Once we can accept that our thoughts produce biochemical effects within our bodies, the next logical process is to learn how we can become responsible for creating or choosing the positive ones that induce health. This is accomplished through awareness and understanding of the conscious and sub-conscious mind. To quote the Bible in Romans 12.2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” From this we can get an understanding that the body and mind are one and the same. To renew our mind, in my opinion, is to hold onto the energy or thoughts of love, forgiveness, acceptance and to let go of the attack thoughts, judgements, fear, anger, etc. This in turn can “RENEW OUR BODIES”.

To accomplish this task in a world that often times seems insane can seem like a formidible task. However, it can be done. For this type of change to occur what we need is a new thought system and a support system. One that understands the power of thought and the power of choice. One that moves us from victim to empowerment, from sickness to health, from conflict to peace. The teachings of  ‘A Course in Miracles’, Dr. David Hawkins, MD, as well as the use of Emotional Freedom Technique and energy psychology have consistantly produced results for our clients for decades. The point is…if you are experiencing pain, disease, lack, fear, conflict with others, depression, anger, or anything other than peace, there is a good chance that you still may have some things to learn in life. The energy of life is love, abundance,  power, forgiveness, health, and well-being. This is its natural flow. When we set up resistance to this flow in the form of negative emotion, we feel stressed. We naturally think at first that things are happening to us, but the reality is, that things, both good and bad, are happening because of us! And yes, even disease can be created from from old useless emotions.

What can be done to help me with these feelings?

First, we set up an appointment with you to discuss your concern, and a program for healing will be created.

This may include office visits for learning Emotional Freedom Technique. Coaching sessions may also be recommended to learn more about how we can decide towards forgiveness and relinquish attack thoughts. You will also learn energy techniques to help you quickly release unwanted emotions when they occur. Ultimately, an outward change will not last unless a inward change has taken place. The inward change that needs to occur is a raising of one’s consciousness level through exposure to true spiritual teachings and releasing the false self or lower mind (ego).

 Wonderful insightful books may be recommended  that can help you to understand how your mind works and allow you to take charge of your own thoughts. This means changing the way you think by choosing love and deciding to heal from old emotional wounds that have been repressed that can with a bit of work be released, healed and forgotten. Once you understand the benefit and power of acceptance and forgiveness, the past and its painful memories can be transcended, and the light of love can return to dispell the darkness that never was.

What is mind-body medicine good for?

Mind-body techniques may help many different concerns, including:

• Cancer
• High blood pressure
• Asthma
• Coronary heart disease
• Obesity
• Pain and nausea/vomiting related to chemotherapy
• Insomnia
• Diabetes
• Stomach and intestinal problems (including indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, heartburn, and Crohn’s disease)
• Fibromyalgia
• Menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, depression, and irritability
• Mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression

Are there any negative effects?

Mind-body medicine is generally very safe and works well when combined with other natural medicnes. Most will report a feeling of lightness, relief, release, improved health, better sleep and a stronger immune system. We work on the energy systems that include the chakras, meridians, the flow of chi, biofield,and reducing neurological stress. Occasionally a client may report an upset as the repressed emotions are being released throught the physical body. This is often short lived and may last for a few minutes in less than about 5% of our clients.

There is a whole new life that awaits you. I look forward to sharing its discovery with you.

Dr. Brett Stohrer, DC