After 9/11: The Eight Spiritual Laws for Healing the Wounds

In my previous post, I posed these questions: 

How do we cope with these catastrophes?  How as a human race do we continue living on without accepting a unified, shared consciousness in the pain of these calamities?   How do we as individuals move on with our lives if the pain of these events or loss of a loved one hits us every day?

If you were directly affected by 9/11, you have felt the dire impact of suffering  — perhaps loss of a loved one, loss of personal property, loss of self, and ultimately loss of the delicate balance of your web of life.  When your life fabric is disrupted in such ways, severe sorrow and a stress response follow.  Numbness (lack of feeling) and shock may first set in.  Life appears to be a movie, and you’re just the observer.  Tears roll down as you begin to understand the shear depth of the tragedy.  You may find your life spinning out of control due to these unexpected, unplanned changed.  You may develop insomnia and nightmares as a result.

The shock of what has happened makes it extremely difficult to adapt and adjust to these events.  Your grounding is lost — understanding becomes clouded.  Darkness sets in — there appears to be no clear light on the meaning of these events.  You may withdraw from ordinary life, and even from loved ones.  Eventually, depression sets in, and may be confounded by drinking or substance abuse as an escape.

The final result is a maladaptive response in someone who is merely trying to cope — trying to comprehend and assimilate what has happened.  You try to remedy this, trying to feel “normal” again, but not knowing the path to “normalcy.”

In exploring this dilemma, I reflected on universal principles that could serve as guideposts on how to recover.  I was looking for the modern adaptation of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.  She had so eloquently described the stages of grief, such as what a person may go through when given a terminal diagnosis like metatastic cancer.  The “grief cycle” consisted of the following:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

Well, I wanted these principles to be positive, basically like lighthouses [points of light] guiding a path away from the rocky shore.  This would be a step-by-step program, based on the system of chakras.  I based it, as you may have surmised, on my training in yoga.  It would take the person on a healing journey in a path of ascendance from the groundedness of the lower chakras, to the inspiration and guidance of the higher chakras.   If a person could experience through ways of thinking or action the healing energy of each chakra, they would be able to transcend, transform and heal themselves of their suffering.

Why the chakras?  The chakras are postulated to be energy centers in the body, starting at the base of the spine and moving up and along the spine, focused in specific regions of the body.  There are purported to be seven chakras in the body, with more complex layers outside of the physical body.  Each one of the chakras has its own unique vibration, the lowest at the base of the spine, and the highest at the crown of the head.  This gradation of energy, from low to high, implies a hierarchy of being, or an order of passage, with the higher centers being closer to the soul, insight and understanding of life, whereas the lower centers ground us to our existence on this earth.  The duality of life is captured in the chakra system, as understood and expressed in the various religions of the world — the physical and the spiritual.  However, you do not need to be religious to appreciate the value of the chakra system as an intellectual tool by which to help transform your grief into joy and love.

At one point, I had suffered from depression late in my residency training, and I completely cured myself through yoga and meditation.  So, it was through my own experience and understanding of universal principles, that I devised this series of steps.

The “laws” or “principles” will take you through the steps you need to follow to recover and shine as the being that you are meant to be in this world.  Each law has a virtue.  The virtue is like a key that unlocks the healing potential of the law.  Each virtue frees you from the psychological blocks in each stage so you can move on to the next step.  The laws are tools for achieving freedom from grief, thus opening the path to a heartfelt existence full of happiness.

The Eight Spiritual Laws for Healing Wounds of Loss and Sorrow

1. The Law of Mourning:                        Virtue – Acceptance.   Allow yourself to mourn thoroughly and completely.  Ancient societies had rituals of mourning that could last for days or weeks.  We often package our mourning into a contracted time, then try to jump back into our daily routines without sitting with our sadness.  Give yourself permission to sit with the sadness.  Let yourself experience it for as long as you need to reach the point of acceptance.
   
2. The Law of Release:                             Virtue – Learning to Let Go.   One of the hardest things to do is to let go of loved ones.  In order to continue living, you have to release them.  They will always be in your hearts, but give yourself permission to move on with your life.
   
3. The Law of Creation:                            Virtue — Innocence.   This one is fun.  Find something you enjoy to do — whether it be painting, or sewing, or gardening.  Whatever it may be, it has to be an active act of creation.  Put yourself into the childlike mind of innocence, and lose yourself in the process of creation.  The healing from this is amazing.
   
4. The Law of Giving:                                 Virtue — Selflessness.  Find a charity you enjoy or a person that needs you, and give of your time.  It could be anything simple.  Lose yourself in the act.  Become selfless.
   
5. The Law of Forgiving:                           Virtue — Unconditional Love.  You are now ready to enter the heart chakra.  It is time to forgive.  Forgive whoever/whatever you think needs forgiving.  The simple act of forgiving releases endorphins and continues the process of healing.  To move beyond forgiveness, offer unconditional love.  To whom?  Perhaps it is yourself that needs to be loved.
   
6. The Law of Renewed Commitment: Virtue — Honoring Thyself.  The act of love brings us to the act of honoring yourself.  Allow yourself to do things that you enjoy.  Spend meaningful time with yourself.  Look at life with new eyes, like you are just being born. 
   
7. The Law of Insight:                                  Virtue — Trust.  We have moved on to the “third eye” — the center of insight.  The step is about reconnecting with your inner voice.  Learn to trust again.  Trust your judgment.  Trust yourself.  Spend time meditating, breathing and focusing your attention on the third eye.
   
8. The Law of Universal Sustainability:  Virtue — Honoring Others.   We are all in this together.  Connect with others.  Connect with loved ones, and what their needs are.  We are all one on this planet.  Connect with the earth.  Walk barefoot on the lawn or on the sand by the seashore.  Cherish the memory of your lost loved one.  Understanding this is the path to Sustainable Health and sustainable happiness.

Biofeedback: An Evolving Mind-Body Therapy

My first introduction to biofeedback was in helping patients learn how to lower their blood pressure.  I had heard of this therapy, but didn’t understand its many applications.  As I explain in my most recent Ecomii Food and Health Blog post, Biofeedback: Evolving Mind-Body Therapy, the applications of biofeedback as an adjunct therapy in medical practice are rapidly evolving.

Among the conditions that I have been surprised that it was able to help include constipation and mild obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where the airway becomes blocked during sleep and the persons thus experiences multiple micro-awakenings throughout the night, leaving them feeling exhausted the next day.  The standard of care for obstructive sleep apnea is known as CPAP, which stands for “continuous positive airway pressure.”  CPAP involves using either a face mask or nasal canula that pushes air into the airway to keep it open during sleep.  For many patients, CPAP is very uncomfortable, and they are unable to tolerate it.  In this one case, a male patient with mild obstructive sleep apnea was cured through the use of biodfeedback over the course of several sessions.  This is by no means a study, and thus the results are not scientifically valid, but all science starts with empiric observations that are then put under the vigorous measures of a placebo-controlled trial.  Obviously, the first treatment for anyone with sleep apnea, which is usually due to the collapse of tissue around the wind pipe in people who are markedly overweight, is to put them on a rigorous weight loss program.  Sleep behavior modification, such as sleeping on one’s side with a special pillow, may also provide some benefits.  However, I have seen patients with mild sleep apnea who are not excessively overweight as well.  Therefore, looking into the potential role of biofeedback in cases of mild obstructive sleep apnea warrants investigation, and could result in significant health cost savings over the long-term.  Untreated, obstructive sleep apnea could lead to heart arrythmias, pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure.

A biofeedback specialist can also help teach people who are not able to relax enough to sit through a meditation or yoga class learn how to relax their bodies and their minds.  I often see this as a common complaint in my stressed and anxious patients — that they can’t relax enough to sit through a meditation.  So biofeedback is basically a crash course in meditation for those that think they can’t meditate.  In the end, meditation like exercise is a matter of practice.  You can’t expect your muscles to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger after one day at the gym in the same way you can’t expect to be a skilled meditator in one week.  Nevertheless, think of biofeedback as a bridge to a calmer self for those of you that cannot easily harness the “zen” within.

Transform your Life in 21 Days with Meditation

In this new post on Ecomii, I talk about my experience with a 21-Day Meditation Challenge, during which I meditated for at least 10 minutes every day for 21 days.   Within a week, I felt more grounded.  By the end of week 2, I was looking forward to those 10-20 minutes of equanimity and centering.  And by the end of the third week, I wondered what took my so long to establish a more regular meditation practice.  Meditating helps us handle life stresses better.  It has been proven to lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and create a feeling of connectedness and purpose in life.  In our hectic world, it is so worthwhile to take the time to pause, breathe, and be present in the moment that is.  When you read this, I hope it inspires you to start on your own 21-day meditation challenge.  Meditation is a great add-on to a nutritional detox program.  As you detox your body, you should detox your mind from all negative thoughts.  Good luck, and happy meditating!

For a kick-start on your 21-day meditation challenge, see the Chopra Center Meditation Challenge for daily inspired meditations.

Day 5 of 21-Day Meditation Challenge

I started the Chopra Center Meditation Challenge five days ago on Monday.  Some days I’ve done the meditation once, but other days, I’ve actually done the meditation twice, or repeated a meditation from the previous day.  Life had gotten really busy, so it had been a long while since I had meditated regularly.  In fact, since my yoga teacher training in 2003, I had not been so disciplined in having a regular meditation practice.  Sure, I tried to get in a meditation here and there, but they weren’t as effective as they used to be.  A friend told me recently that if you’re making too many plans, it’s time to meditate and be still.  Well, it was time to meditate regularly once more.   So, when I saw the 21-day meditation challenge, I knew it was for me.  I needed something to hold me accountable to the daily meditation.

Well, the week started with the mind of a child — hard to sit still, very active, short attention-span and wanting to wander off on the trail of all types of thoughts.  My breathing felt off.  Bringing consciousness to the breath made it feel more labored than relaxed.  I struggled to find a comfortable sitting position, and if I lied down I most inevitably would fall asleep from how hard I push myself.  So, days 1-4 were the same — restless, ansy, wandering thoughts, poor concentration, and an inability to reach those highs I felt when I had meditated regularly in the past.  However, from my prior experience, I knew to cultivate a mature patience in this endeavor.  Things come with time, and I had committed to doing 21-days of this, so “Hang in there…” I would tell myself.  After all, the results that really count take a little longer to kick in, but tend to be more powerful once they do.  This is my philosophy in medicine — making important lifestyle changes can often have a more powerful impact on future results than any medication I can prescribe.

So, with that in mind, I’ve undertaken the 21-day challenge with blind faith that nothing will happen.  Wait a second?  Am I not expecting anything to happen?  Well, yes, of course.  And I know from previous experience that regular meditation results in a calmer mind, a positive outlook on life, a greater sense of being centered, and a connection to the earth and all living beings.  However, to get results, you have to not want and want results at the same time.  It is the paradox of meditation.  You can set your intentions, and even write them down, because that helps you solidify them and bring them to reality.  But, then you have to let them go and trust that the universe (or whatever belief you have) will take care of it in the right way for you.  Having this trust in the way things come about leads to the most powerful results.

Day 5 — there was a shift.   Something changed today.  Suddenly, the inner child is calmer.  He’s not running around trying to play with every thought that enters the room.  The breath is easier.  Sitting is more comfortable.  The body is letting go.  The mind still wanders, but I’m able to bring it back to the breath more effectively.  Leaving the past and future aside, I am able to focus on the present moment.  After four frustratingly ineffective days, it is the first glimpse that my meditation practice is starting to work.  I have a glimmer of hope that I will reconnect with the self that once was, free of ego, trusting that everything in life will happen just as it was meant to be.

Tomorrow, I will work more on setting intentions, then tossing them free.  I will let go of desires, but trust that what I put my attention on will come to be.  Things come be to, not from a place of need and fear of loss, but from a place of trust and confidence that what will be, will be.  In anything you are trying to achieve in life, put your best work in, then use this thought process and meditation to set it free, and you will see that it will be more effective.  This works for accomplishing life goals or running a small business.  When you try to control all outcomes you stifle the energy flow.  Open it up, and your life is a realm of possibilities.

I will continue writing as I go through the 21-day meditation challenge.  I hope that reading this inspires you to join me, or perhaps put the next 21-day challenge on your calendars.  As winter is a time of introspection, it is a great time to start a meditation practice.

The Benefits of Coherence: A Heart-Centered Life

Read my latest post on Ecomii.  If more of us would live a heart-centered life, the world would be a better place.  Follow this link:  http://www.ecomii.com/blogs/food/2011/01/20/the-benefits-of-coherence-a-heart-centered-life/

The “Aaaahhhh….” Breath. Laugh and be tension-free!

The breath is such an important tool to help keep us grounded and reduce tension.  This is a breath I like to do with my son, which is both useful in reducing tension/stress and funny at the same time.  1) Take a full, deep diaphragmatic breath through your nose, 2) Hold for 1 -2 seconds, 3) Breath out through your mouth while voicing an audible “Aaahhhhh…..” until you run out of breath like a lion yawning (the goal is to outlast the other), 4) Repeat several times (2-3 times).

Pausing and doing this breath for a few cycles can actually recharge your cells, and allow you to release any pent-up nervous tension or anxiety.  The best part, is watching my 6 y/o do it and laugh as we do it.  Anything that generates laughter is also healthy, and releases those feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins, that help us have less pain and feel happy.

So, the next time your day gets too stressful and serious, do the “Aaahhhhh….” breath with a friend, with your children, or your partner.   The best part is that it can end with a heart-warming chuckle!!