Listen to CD #4 Stress Solutions How have you responded to hearing about a medical diagnosis for yourself or a loved one? How can we find peace from having an illness or from dealing with illness in a loved one?
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, As undesirable as is illness is, it can be the catalyst for a meaningful life change. It can create an opening to spirituality and an enhanced appreciation for life, or be the beginning of a new path. We often cannot know the meaning of an event as it is occurring, but trust in time, when you least expect it, like a firefly unexpectedly showing up on an early summer evening, the meaning is illuminated and we are forever changed by our expanded awareness. Illness opens us to the experience of being human, of being vulnerable, and to the tender and raw truth of the one thing we can count on - physical impermanence. What is it within us that is eternal? What does endure? There is something grand that is eternal what do you think it is? Our reaction to hold on to things the way we want them to be rather than allow them to be as they are can exacerbate the stress response. When we are open to finding the meaning in illness, and willing to see the opportunity it can provide to enhance meaning in our lives, however painful the experience may be, then we are ready to empower our consciousness to seek and find deeper healing. The initial news of medical illness can be a shock – and can also cause acute stress to the mind/body system of the patient and their loved ones. It is healthy and adaptive for the stress response to be activated during a time of initial crisis. Illness threatens our security and that is what the stress response is designed for - to initiate an adaptive response to danger. The autonomic nervous system is stimulated and the fight/ flight/ freeze response is initiated as the adrenal cortex secretes cortisol and the adrenal medulla secretes adrenalin. Acute stress improves our brain’s attention and increases our capacity to store life protecting information, however chronic stress reduces our capacity to remember, impairs our immune system, and can lead to many other medical problems. After the acute phase of learning about an illness has passed, the method of transcending the effects of chronic stress can take place and are necessary for a healthy body/mind. Transcendence occurs in your mind and spirit, through your intention and your openness to seek a broader experience. The key to transcending experience is love. Love is the eternal energy that gives birth to understanding, acceptance, and peace. May you be aware of the energy of love that is within you and that surrounds you. I wish you the best of everything. May you and your loved ones be blessed with peace, joy, health, and mostly love.
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