Our body is an incredibly well programed factory. Isn’t it amazing to think that we are made of trillions of cells that work all together to keep us alive even when we are asleep?
Every cell in the body is regulated by hormones and neurotransmitters. When hormones function in perfect harmony, we are healthy and full of energy.
When neurotransmitters, which control our nervous system, are released in optimal amounts in our nervous system, we feel uplifted, and we respond better to the events and the people around us.
However this equilibrium can be threatened by stress, environmental factors, illness, and by the aging process.
When the balance of hormones and neurotransmitters goes, so does our ability to generate energy, and we start feeling anxious, tired, overwhelmed, and not as motivated. We are falling in the so called state of “depression”.
It has become such a common diagnosis that we see younger and younger people taking anti depressants, which don’t necessarily work and have a whole range of side effects.
So instead of taking a pill for symptoms that are caused by an imbalance in the body, why not use natural ways to prevent it and fix it?
There are ways to regenerate and sustain a state of joy that is not dependent on the events and the people in our lives, and certainly not on a pill.
The first thing we need to look at is our hormonal balance. Both men and women can be affected by too low or too high levels of hormones, and develop all sorts of symptoms, from fatigue, weight gain, to “brain fog”. Hormones are not only affecting sexual function and fertility, even our brain cells need estrogen (for women), and testosterone (for men) to function properly.
We also are very dependent on Thyroid hormone, as this is the primary hormone that drives our metabolism. An epidemic of thyroid dysfunction has been occurring in the past few years; whether it is related to toxins in the environment or stress is unclear, but it is very important to make sure thyroid hormone is properly balanced.
Neurotransmitter imbalance is rarely a physical cause. It can happen, and of course needs to be ruled out, but most often our mind is at the source of the issue.
The imbalance in the body is often caused by an imbalance in the mind.
As much as the body is an amazing factory that we can understand through medical testing, the mind is an abstract place that is not as easy to interpret and manage. Trying to control it with medications that acts on brain chemistry is not the optimal answer. We have to gain power over our own thinking processes, so we don’t become victims of our own thoughts.
Good thoughts result in good feelings, and good feelings create good health.
The one thing that can be of tremendous help to us in controlling our mind is our breathing. We go through the day without paying any attention to the way we breathe, when we can actually use it to our utmost benefit.
It’s much easier to generate good thoughts when we able to take full deep breaths.
When we are mentally stressed, we breathe more superficially, and we deprive our body from oxygen. This, in turn, offsets the release and circulation of hormones and neurotransmitters in our system, and over time it can lead to the burn out symptoms of depression.
We need to re-learn how to breathe in ways that serve us best, and use our breath to calm our overactive, overstimulated mind. When we are in a calmer, less reactive state, we are also less vulnerable to illness.
Join us at the Institute of Conscious Health where the newest advances in Medicine and Mindfulness meet to provide you with the best healing and regenerative tools.
