BEING WELL
Healing happens at joy STORY AND PHOTO BY CATHERINE STACK Cathi Stack's latest source of joy is her pug puppy, Josephine.
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hat do you think of when you think of joy? That feeling of your heart-bursting happiness when your cup is running over with pure bliss? The tears that come to your eyes when you see a baby for the first time, or watching that baby take her first steps? It could be an elated scream as the roller coaster careens down the track or the way your dog welcomes you home each and every time you come through the door. Joy is present in so much of life, and an important emotion to experience as often as we can. All emotions have a frequency these higher frequencies, healing happens with fluidity. Negative of vibration. For example, love and joy vibrate at a very high frequency thinking, anger, and fear vibrate (528 hertz, to be specific). At at much lower frequencies. These
frequencies facilitate disease and chronic illness and inhibit the healing process. Yes, diet, rest, proper supplementation, and medications are part of the healing process, but without joy, laughter, and happiness, it’s an exhausting uphill battle. Joy has more restorative properties than most individuals know. It can reduce pain and blood pressure, and increase immunestrengthening antibodies, making for a longer, higher-quality life. A former patient of mine, Grace, came to see me while being treated for metastatic breast cancer. She had already had a bilateral mastectomy and radiation and was currently on chemotherapy. Many patients come to me for supplementation, diet optimization, and advice on anything else they can do to improve their situation. By most in the healthcare field, Grace was considered terminal and, if I recall correctly, was given about another year to live. What surprised me was that Grace was already eating and supplementing for optimal health. Her diet was near perfect for an individual battling cancer and there was little more I could offer. I remember being puzzled as to why she’d come to see me. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable, as I wasn’t going to find her cure or maybe even going to help her for that matter. As the conversation continued, however, I began to see the purpose of her visit. Grace was making the most of
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the time she had left, but every time she ate the “wrong” foods or celebrated with a drink, she felt as if she was accelerating her cancer. She wanted to travel more and worry less. The bottom line? She was looking for permission to do things that made her happy. To have an occasional glass of wine or piece of cake without thinking she was doing something wrong. Telling people what to do is not how I roll; I prefer to make suggestions I believe will help them achieve the goal they came in with. In this case, I told her to book the trip, drink the good wine and enjoy the occasional piece of cake…and she did. We even had the opportunity to travel together. Grace outlived her diagnosis by nine years. I am not taking any credit for this—she did it. She was also fortunate to have an extremely supportive family that was an asset to her happiness. She was happy and, if you didn’t know it, you would never guess she was ill in the first place. If you ask me, joy bought her time. Not just time, but quality time that she and her family fully embraced. Here are a few things that cost little to nothing yet fill me with joy: a hug, a smile, a beautiful sunset, being with friends, Sunday dinner with my family, and the most recent addition: Josephine, my beautiful pug puppy. What brings you joy? If you do not know, seek it out. It will improve your time on this planet. FY
Catherine Stack is owner, facilitator, and Doctor of Naturopathy at Journey II Health. She specializes in colon health and bio-identical hormone replacement and is a practicing staff midwife at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. Her books, Free Yourself from a CONSTIPATED Life and PUSH, Labor & Delivery from the Inside Out are available on amazon.com. Visit cathistack.com for more info.
