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Over the years, I’ve studied many of what I would call life sciences, including health, physics, spirituality, religion, philosophy, and other topics related to our human life experience. Two subjects have stood out—Ayurveda and Consciousness studies. They are definitely related, and by observing our life, culture, and current events, these two subjects answer my deepest questions. Combined, they show me the what and why of it all. When I read about new or old discoveries about healing physical and emotional problems, for instance, so many of them fit neatly into these two bodies of knowledge, describing what is going on and why.
I’ll try to explain. They are both exquisite, beautiful, and boundless in their scope of information.
The basic, underlying existence is Consciousness. It is the energy that has no beginning, cannot be destroyed, and permeates everything. We usually call this God. From this consciousness springs everything, all we see, experience, touch, the universe, and all dimensions. At our very root, we are energetic beings. In Ayurveda, the 5000-year-old body of knowledge of ancient India, this is fundamental. It is described as a consciousness-based science.
This energy is filled with all information. The building blocks of matter derived from this energy are the five elements: ether, fire, water, earth, and air. Ether, being space and expansion, is the container for all the other elements. Our bodies are made up of these five elements in our own combinations. Very briefly, each quantity of these elements dictates our mind/body type.
This explains our individual experiences to the same exposure. For example, one food will give someone heartburn but won’t to another person. The person more sensitive to it may have a stronger ‘fire’ element, creating too much ‘heat’ or acid. Some is needed for good digestion, but even a lack of fire could cause a different type of indigestion.
As I watch all these drug ads, it always makes me think about how our pharmaceutical industry conducts tests on a drug across different body types, and that if a drug helps 55% of them, it’s considered a success, even though each person’s makeup is unique. Doctors prescribe drugs based on these test results instead of considering the patient’s unique constitution.
A good example is when my skin was itching. There are certainly many products to apply to the skin for different causes. But I ran my issue by a friend who is an Ayurvedic physician. He told me my body was trying to get rid of some toxin and recommended a detox treatment. That swiftly took care of it. I could have muted the symptom by slathering on some cream, but that would just block the messages my body was whispering to me.
I believe the people, by and large, are good-hearted and service-oriented; the doctors, nurses, techs, therapists, etc. I, by no means, write this to be critical of the men and women called to the healing arts.
I want to describe what I have observed from my and perhaps other patients’ perspectives. (I don’t even like the word ‘patient’, with its connotation of a sub-normal, less than vital human being.)
But first, let me share how we might think of our bodies. I was raised by a father who was always sharing his observations with me. He, very eloquently, showed me the magical and inherently profound qualities of our physicality. He often pointed out how amazing it was that our bodies could heal, grow, digest, sense, and perceive the world, etc.
From his influence, I developed a deep respect and awareness of our bodies. By the time I was in my twenties, I was listening deeply to my body’s messages. I became curious about all modalities that created healing and well-being. I learned that to have a happy, fulfilling life, one needs well-being in all areas — emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial. When these are all aligned, each of us may live up to our highest potential in the way we were meant to live: vibrant, fulfilled, and purposeful.
My self-study led me to favor modalities that looked holistically at the human body, seeing the physical condition as an outward reflection of a person’s level of well-being, and vice versa.
I was struck by how our thoughts and emotions are simultaneously converted into chemicals that flood our systems, and that, over time, these can create wellbeing or create the conditions ripe with vulnerability to disease. How the feeling of love and happiness translates into a boosted immune system, more energy, and a sense of comfort in our skin. How sadness, pessimism, and stress cause imbalances, lethargy, and suppressed immune function, even leading to poor self-care.
Therefore, I believe, our healthcare industry needs to focus first on wellbeing, from the moment a patient walks into the reception area to when they are back home with the feelings left from the experience.
For forty years, I’ve counseled individuals and couples about their financial lives, but I’ve usually ended up hearing about other parts of their lives as well. I hear about the endless visits to several different doctors’ offices as they age. I see the multiple drugs they are prescribed when I visit their homes, and notice the sense of this eventuality they seem to acquire as a result of aging. I see the loss of well-being that many experience.
Many people have negative experiences throughout the medical system. From waiting in a packed room for a name or number to be called, which may render the impression that they aren’t important; being ushered into a cold sterile room to wait alone for a medical professional who is likely over-scheduled and may seem preoccupied with the rest of their work; to the expectation to disrobe, disclose and reveal the most private things of their lives, without much warmth or compassion. This can significantly affect well-being. Of course, there are doctors and health care providers who do create a warm, safe experience.
Doctors today have unprecedented overhead, including crazy malpractice insurance premiums, that force them to pack their schedule to make a profit.
Western Medicine is invaluable – There are ways it could be better.
I was watching a show about the childhood obesity problem in America. They had a panel of experts on the show discussing possible solutions. There was an underlying assumption that the solution would be provided from without, from some governmental or other authority. The proposed actions included commercials, counseling parents, and school programs such as fitness. But what if our health care system were structured to foster vibrant health and well-being? What would that look like?
We turn on the TV, computer, or radio and are assaulted with ads and stories of terrible illnesses, drugs, and messages about pain, incapacity, depression, vulnerability, cancer, threats, fights against diseases, and more cancers, resulting in an atmosphere of fear. This is actually creating more stress and anxiety and lessening our sense of well-being!
We often wait until we have a full-blown condition or disease to take action, to relieve symptoms, to heal. And this seems so backward. The emphasis should be on preventing disorders and fostering well-being from the start. The resources should be focused on keeping people healthy and guiding their daily lives toward wellbeing. Western medicine’s definition of health is the absence of symptoms. But absence of vitality and well-being, of which there are only the vaguest of physical symptoms, is almost always the precursor of physical illness. The body begins to fall out of balance, systems and processes become inhibited, and each person’s predisposition to certain ailments becomes activated.
Let’s expand on this idea. Picture a world where:
The most common health-related services include centers that offer coaching on daily practices to gently prompt people toward a robust life with physical ease. Teaching in schools the awe and magnificence of the physical, mental, and emotional beings we are. Have a new meaning of healthy that includes total well-being.
Only as a very last resort would anyone consider medical intervention like drugs or surgery. The medical community would be small because health would be flourishing among our population.
Perhaps a scale could be developed to assess how many of a given company’s products are considered clean. These companies would be granted special tax rates, beneficial status, or other rewards for increasing the health of our population.
Everything will shift from a focus on symptoms and illness to a focus on our own dynamic mind/body gestalt, which, at every moment, balances all our systems and performs a myriad of functions with the finesse of a finely orchestrated symphony.
Each person will be gently cared for by a health provider who holds reverence not only for the patient’s body, but also for their emotional life and sense of well-being.
Quality of life will be foremost in consideration before procedures, drugs, or treatments are considered. We can get there.
Death is a natural part of life; in the Western part of the world, it is talked about sparingly, feared, and often delayed at any cost. We need to build a better relationship with death and better understand its inevitability. We need to embrace this topic in everyday conversation. Quality of life should be emphasized over quantity; the well-being of the individual over lengthening of life.
After all my studies, research, and exploration of a healthy life, I came across Ayurveda in the 1990s. It hits all the right notes. It is a consciousness-based science, seeing the human being as a gestalt on all levels, spiritual, mental, and physical, and each of us has a unique combination of elements in the physical world.
Ayurveda, in simple terms, is a system for restoring the mind and body to their original balance of elements so our whole system can function the way it was meant to, with wellbeing, vitality, joy, and inspiration.
Attaining a sense of well-being and maintaining it for as long as we have here on Earth is the optimal condition.
Meditation
Today’s meditation is on the body. This miracle of conscious matter that moves and breathes with you! Set your timer. Sit quietly. Relax your shoulders, your face, cheeks, and arms. Feel as if a heavy blanket is surrounding you, holding you in the perfect upright position on your seat. Scan your body for any tightness, any discomfort. Embrace those spots with your attention, sending love, loosening, observing, and noticing it dissipate as you give it the recognition that its message is heard. Some may be scars from the past, which can trigger memories to rise to the surface. This, too, is to be witnessed, honored, and allowed to move on. Set your time. Have a lovely meditation. Namaste