1.2
April 29, 2016

The Unnatural Side of “Natural Health.”

blueberries

Years ago I had a subscription to a magazine about natural health and healing.

Before the year was up I stopped reading it—for the same reason that I never read What to Expect When You’re Expecting when I was pregnant. And the same reason I don’t wake up and watch the news on television.

Each issue had the latest research on the dangers of this food or that medical treatment or a product I used in my everyday life. I started to be afraid of things in my makeup bag, in my refrigerator and at the grocery store—the way the news skews my perception into thinking the world is dangerous, and that famous pregnancy book tried to lure me into looking for discomforts and problems.

I knew I had a real problem when I stood in the produce section looking at the non-organic fruit wondering if it was better to eat the fruit grown with pesticides (if there was not an organic option) or not eat fruit at all.

I recognized that my mind had become unnatural by natural health ideology. I was filled with fear. And fear is not our natural state—nor is it a healing state of being, nor is it helpful to the world.

I see some of my friends caught in this trap—afraid of cooked food, certain food groups, combining foods incorrectly or eating out. I read posts from my most natural-living friends about the harm of our phones, their anger toward our government and how to ward off other people’s negative energy.

They’re angry and afraid, and separating themselves from others—and that’s not natural.

When my daughter was born it opened up a whole new level of potential fears and worry—to vaccinate or not, use fluoride or not, keep her away from gluten and peanut butter or expose her to it.

I decided that listening to the latest findings on everything and worrying wasn’t good for me. I understood the research, but looked up and found research supporting both sides of most arguments. One new development was revealed and then another.

I remembered one of my most beloved teachers, Dr. Henry Grayson, saying, “The mind trumps all.”

I decided to get a hold of my mind and return it to its natural state as often as possible.

The natural state of the mind is relaxed and open. Naturally, I love. Naturally, I recognize the connection between myself and anyone else, whether I like them or not and despite their energy output. Naturally, my intuition lets me know when I need to be cautious or concerned. Fear leads my mind away from its natural state.

In Dying To Be Me, Anita Moorjani tells of her near death experience after she fell into a coma, her organs shutting down, with end stage Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Much was revealed to her during that experience, and when she returned, her body healed itself of the cancer completely. One of the things she understood was how her fear of cancer had contributed to her illness. She was someone who ate a healthy diet, for fear of getting cancer. She tried to have a healthy lifestyle, for fear of getting cancer. So while she was making these healthy choices, her mind was in fear and focusing on cancer.

She recommends that when we hear the latest research or see fear producing posts in our Facebook newsfeed, we should hold them lightly—thinking, “Oh, that’s what someone thinks about (this subject) now.” or “So that’s the latest.” She suggests not taking this bad news personally or applying them immediately to ourselves.

Moorjani also notes in her book how any type of medical treatment works best when there is trust and belief in it, by the patient and by the culture. Traditional Chinese medicine in a small village in China where that is the accepted and expected course of treatment for illness will more likely heal someone than when that same treatment is used by an American (who is aware of all of its benefits and limitations, and all of the other treatment options, and the disapproval of his doctor and family members). Information isn’t always power.

The mind trumps all, in its natural state.

Love is its natural state not fear, stress or worry.

We can make food choices with love for our bodies and believe in our choices.

We can decide on a course of treatment, for our ailments, and trust in it with our whole heart.

We can expect nothing and allow our own experience to unfold, moment by moment revealing what we need to know, which path to take and where we can be of service.

~
Author: Reverend Lisa Sarick

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: Pexels

Leave a Thoughtful Comment
X

Read 0 comments and reply

Top Contributors Latest

Lisa Sarick