Healing Modality - Depression
Healing Modality - Depression |
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Different emotions affect different organs in the body.
TCM practitioners have spent over a thousand years correlating
emotions and their effect on different organs in the body.
These practitioners have found that treating the proper organ
at the physical level improves our health at the
other levels. Any emotions have a basis in our biochemistry. When
we feel angry, this translates into a complex mixture of hormones and
other chemicals, which go to various parts of the body, to ready it
for action. Fear, jealousy, joy--all these emotions can have a profound effect
on our body, depending on the strength and duration of the emotion.
THE PHYSICAL LEVEL OF HEALING
Since we are treating depression, we have to focus on the liver and
eliminations. The liver, being the seat of anger, needs to be
detoxified and relieved of the anger stored in it.
The Liver functions to:
1. Filter, detoxify, and nourish blood;
2. Regulate amount of blood in circulation, release blood when needed and
store blood until needed;
3. Store sugar in the form of glycogen, released into the body as glucose
when extra metabolic energy is needed;
4. Manufacture enzymes essential for optimum immunity;
5. Store all toxins the body takes in;
6. Receive all amino acids extracted from food by small intestine then
recombine amino acids to synthesize various forms of protein required for
growth and repair of bodily tissue;
7. Harmonize emotions and prevent emotional stagnation;
8. Control peripheral nervous system by regulating muscle activity and tension;
9. Control ligaments & tendons (along with muscles determines physical coordination);
10. Create bile, which breaks down fats;
11. Help maintain electrolyte and water balance;
12. Break down and eliminate excess hormones;
13. Control the smooth flow of Qi.
When the liver is overloaded, increased amounts of toxins circulate
through the blood affecting most of our body systems. Our liver must transform
the hormones released during emotional states, so they can be eliminated. When
the liver is not functioning properly, emotional states that should come and go.
stay around longer than necessary. When our environment is full of excess
emotions, this puts a burden on the liver.
Our
goal at this level of healing is to help you remove offending
toxins from your body and re-establish optimum balance of
your body's systems.
At the
physical level, we have to start healing our body through diet,
herbal and vitamin supplements, deep breathing, and body work and
exercise.
Diet
In the Western world, we have to take many preventive measures
because of our lack of nutrition. Supplements to our diet are
important because of our lifestyles and the depletion of minerals
in the soil. There are many supplements to choose of which we will
recommend a few important ones. Firstly, let us state that balance
is the key.
We will use the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang to discuss how diet can
effect balance. Yin and yang are ancient Chinese philosophical
terms with very simple meaning. Originally the terms were used to
designate the two slopes of the mountain. The sunny side was Yang
and the shady side was Yin. Later their meaning broadened to include
all opposites.
The introduction of Yin and Yang is important, in order to
understand the male/female energy. The Mother Earth is Yin (female).
The air/sky or heaven is Yang (male). Part of our healing will
entail creating Heaven on Earth by using those energies.
(This is also spoken of in Christian beliefs.)
Chinese medicine maintains that illness is a result from the loss
of equilibrium between Yin and Yang. In simple terms Yin
represents "cold" syndromes while Yang represents "hot" syndromes.
Lack of energy is representative of an excess Yin state.
Rage or hyperactivity is representative of an excess Yang state.
Eating the right foods can help the body regain its balance.
When you become more aware of your body's condition you will be able to
choose the right foods to maintain its balance.
EXAMPLE: Fish is Yin. Poultry and cow are Yang. Vegetables and
fruits are Yin. Dairy products are Yang. Some herbs are Yang,
but most are Yin. (Ginseng and ginger are Yang.)
Toxins stored in the liver also reduce the body's natural ability
to maintain its balance. Regular consumption of garlic and onions,
as well as brassica family foods (cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli)
improve the liver's detoxification abilities.
Herbal & Vitamin Supplements
Many health food stores have combinations of herbs that will help
detoxify the liver. We recommend:
Deep Breathing
Breathing can alter your body's physical state. Relaxation is an
important step towards healing. The simplicity of deep breathing makes
this process easier. Inhale through the nose and draw as much air
as is possible. Once the lungs are completely filled, hold the lungs
full for a count of 5 (five). After a count of five, exhale from
the very bottom of your lungs through your mouth. Do this 3 times.
To start, this breathing should be done three times daily with an
increasing count.
Body Work & Exercise
Body work is important for unlocking the storage places of stress and
issues (toxins). Emotional issues flow through channels in our body
called Meridians. Have you ever noticed how you
get knots in your back when you are stressed out? These knots store
toxic chemicals and represent blockages in the circulation and the
flow of Qi. Simple body massage can remove the blockages.
The pleasant feeling you experience after a good massage is the result
of cleared blockages.
We recommend massage therapy and especially rolfing.
Rolfing (a deep muscular massage) is a terrific method to help cleanse
muscle and connective tissue where our 'toxic' issues are stored.
Additionally, start a regimen of walking for short distances with
distances increasing as strength returns.
Certain 'cleansing reactions', cause by released toxins, may occur
such as headaches, diarrhea, muscle or joint pain, fatigue,
to name a few. This is generally a good indication that the body is
successfully being cleansed of impurities. Consult your physician
if conditions persist.
Common Causes for Increased Risks of Liver Toxicity
THE EMOTIONAL LEVEL OF HEALING
The LIVER
They say laughter is the best medicine for good reason. Our emotional
states affect our physical body. The liver represents our desires and
creativity. When healthy, we can respond to changes in a flexible manner;
when impaired, we have a tendency to be overcontrolling/undercontrolling,
rigid, inflexibile, irrational, irritable and short-tempered. Through
visualization you can engage in a process of healing yourself emotionally.
Bio-feedback allows your mind at an emotional level to change your
bodies physical state. In this section we will give you two
techniques for doing this.
The liver is the seat of anger, and it stores not only your anger
but the anger from others, as well, especially your parents.
The toxic energy stored in the liver affects the liver's function.
Anger injures the liver's yin energy which results in a flare up of liver
yang energy. This rising liver yang ascends to the heart and head--causing
headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, and mental confusion. Irritability,
a short temper, and outbursts of anger further damage the liver and
create a cycle of disease and destructive emotional energy.
Since we're dealing with depression (anger), you will find the
following techniques important and worthy of practice.
We are going to lead you through some techniques to discharge the
storage of anger in your liver. You will become acquainted with your
liver and will be able to sense your liver in ways you've never
experienced.
Healing Sound Technique
1. Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit with your hands in
your lap (right over left). Find the location of your liver from the
chart. Connect mentally to the
location of the liver because the use of the healing sound and light
for the liver will be employed. The better the connection, the quicker
the results will be.
2. Practice your breathing as earlier explained. Bring your breath
deeply (through your nose) to the bottom of your lungs and link up
mentally to your liver. As you start to exhale, tilt you head back
with teeth clinched, tongue to the roof of your mouth.
3. Exhale and sub-vocally (heard only internally) say SHHHHH. You may
want to orally practice this sound for a while. The sound is like HUSH.
Once you have used this sound for a while, it becomes easy to
remember.
4. Repeat this technique at least 4 times. You may do it as many
times as you wish but in multiples of 3. Your are ventilating the
toxicity in your liver so the more you practice the greater the results.
Practice it also during times of anger and stress.
The next technique will be coupled with the healing sound. Each
organ has an associated color. The color for the liver is
green--bright dark green--like emerald green. We will use two
things to impact the liver-the smile-down and healing light.
Think of an event in your past that was the funniest thing you've ever
experienced. Just thinking about this event causes you to laugh.
This is the smiling energy you'll use to help your liver. After
doing the healing sound for your liver begin this technique.
Smiling Energy and Healing Light Techniques
| 1. Using the same breathing technique, take that smiling energy after
a deep breath and hold the breath while smiling down into the liver. 2. Exhale through the mouth. Smile down into the liver as many times as possible, at least 3 times. Sense the energy in your liver. 3. Use the same breathing technique and inhale through the nose and breathe deeply into your lungs, hold, and look down into your liver and see it being covered with waves of emerald green light. Do this at least 3 times. |
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On completion of the above listed techniques perform the following:
These are some basic techniques that can detox the liver and remove the charge of anger stored there. With daily practice you'll find the depression lifting and the triggers that used to key your anger no longer working. Practice becoming the observer.
THE MENTAL LEVEL OF HEALING
The mind can be a great builder or destroyer. The system
you came out of helped create destructive mind sets which must be
changed. Our brain is much like a computer. The programming from our
past creates predictable results. That programming starts at birth and
continues until we die. For depression, the mind set, or programming,
is based upon those experiences of life. Those recordings of our
past experiences will play a major role in our perceptions of
events and behavior. When there is another similar event,
our recordings of past begin to play, and we have a predictable outcome.
Part of our programming perpetuates our depression.
We also see ourselves as victims of all things-childhood, parents,
husbands, wives, bosses, society, and events. We learn to react to
those things in a very predictable way.
Reprogramming the "Old Tapes"
Unfortunately, we can't just erase the old tapes, but we can write over
them. As an example, If I have a mind set of lack, I have lack.
If I believe I'm unloved, them I'm unloved, etc, etc. As earlier stated,
the mind is a powerful thing. Our experiences helped create that knowing,
so we have to change our experiences--new experiences that have
positive outcomes. We start by learning not to react to the old tapes
and substituting new tapes in place of the old. Rather than reacting,
practice becoming the observer of the old tapes and place stoppers
in the old tape. You can control that tape by consciously
stopping the internal dialogue and placing another tape to be played.
The new tape has to do with a different perspective and outcome--through
visualization. Create the event mentally by seeing it with a
filter. This filter cleans out the old tape and leaves only the event
as it is, without the tainted projections, assumptions, interpretations,
or justification. The event just is!
With depression we usually have less mental power.
Because of our suppressed anger, our programs are tainted and have
little happiness or joy. Create a picture of the event(s) with
different outcomes--then use positive affirmations. "I choose to break
free of my past and experience life from a positive perspective."
THE SPIRITUAL LEVEL OF HEALING
With depression most people are disconnected from
that spiritual link. To open this link to God, practice the
breathing techniques. God has always been there, but we're the one
that has closed that channel. The things that have wounded us, the
conditions we are in, and our negative experiences were not God's
punishment. God's love for us is so great that he/she has allowed
us to live out our issues without interference. The wounds are
from man, not God. The parents didn't know that to the child
they were God. They fell short and so does man. By doing this
work you can link up with God and carry a lighter burden. Ritualize
more things in your life--giving thanks for what you do have,
and you'll be led to Grace. With practice and more technique
you'll discover and be led into the Stillness.
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