Radiant Body : Balanced Mind

Inflammation, with all its bad press, is actually a beautifully constructed response by the body. It’s simply the immune system pointing out where there is a problem and initiating a pathway towards healing. The challenge to overcome is when we keep ourselves in a state of disharmony, ignore what the body is saying and inflammation becomes chronic.

The need to create an intimate connection with our body is more important than ever. With scarily escalating numbers of inexplicable health conditions and exponential growth of cancer and diseases, many are looking for a new way to relate to their bodies to create higher health.

Health practitioners are taught to identify five classical signs of inflammation – heat, pain, redness, swelling and loss of function. All these are your body’s way of telling you to be careful and protect the area with inflammation. During this time, your body sends antibodies and increased blood flow to remedy the problem.

More and more evidence shows that inflammation effects your emotions, influencing memory, cognitive thinking, sleep, metabolism, impulse control and so much more. Studies also show that depression and bipolar disorder are linked to an immune system dysregulation and inflammation. Inflammatory conditions later in life are linked to childhood exposure to trauma or adversity. A recent study published in the Journal of Psychoneuroendocrinology showed that people with extreme grief from the loss of a spouse had high levels of inflammation.

There’s a difference of course, between acute inflammation, (when your body is reacting healthily to an issue), and chronic inflammation, when there’s an underlying issue that isn’t as clear-cut as a twisted ankle. When you twist your ankle, the area gets red and swollen, but the swelling goes down when healed. Chronic inflammation, however, doesn’t quite go away. Chronic inflammation can be triggered by a variety of factors, and is known to play a role in almost every major disease, from cancer and heart disease to diabetes, Alzheimer’s and depression.

Avoiding chronic inflammation is a lifestyle choice – things like avoiding negative stress, habitual smoking and excessive drinking. Dodging other triggers like pollution or chemicals may not be as easy as making good lifestyle choices, although everyone can strive towards a chemical-free home.

Even with discerning wellbeing decisions, stress is inevitable, so are the many pollutants that surround us. That’s why it is important to be mindful and proactive about upkeeping your health on every level.

Herbs, good nutrition, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, and supplements can support an inflammatory condition as can detoxification and intermittent fasting.

One of the star curative herbs is turmeric, with its active ingredient, curcumin, being highly effective in combatting inflammation. This Ayurvedic gem is proven to be a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at a molecular level, making it incredibly efficient. The key is to take it in a form the body can assimilate effectively. Other herbs proven useful include boswellia, ginger and ashwagandha.

During intermittent fasting your body initiates an important cellular repair process and changes hormone levels to make stored body fat more accessible. This encourages healthy weight levels, reduced insulin resistance and inflammation.

These are some of the signs of chronic inflammation:

Excessive fatigueBody painSkin rashes (like psoriasis)Poor digestion (bloating, stomach pain,constipation)Swollen lymph glands (under your arms,near your groin and on your neck)Stuffy nose or excess mucousFoggy brainConsistent heartburnRegular headaches When living with an allergic reaction to the vibration of the planet, an exaggerated level of consciousness causes you to oscillate between spiritual highs and emotional lows. This can create much suffering until you cultivate love as a potent form of energy medicine to return your personality to its original form.

When living with an allergic reaction to the vibration of the planet, an exaggerated level of consciousness causes you to oscillate between spiritual highs and emotional lows. This can create much suffering until you cultivate love as a potent form of energy medicine to return your personality to its original form.

“Ego is what happens when the personality gets inflamed. That ego is much like an allergy toward the unconsciousness that each of us came here to resolve. When the ego is active, the innocence within you, or within anyone else, exists in an exaggerated manner.” ~ Matt Kahn