It is said that the process of atherosclerosis begins in early life, at a rate dependent on lifestyle and sadly we have too many examples of chronic illness afflicting people scarcely out of adolescence. The atherosclerotic process is one of arterial repair following micro abrasion of the endothelium, the lining of the arteries. To prevent arterial scar tissue breaking off and floating down to the arterioles where it can cause blockage, the endothelium grows over any scar tissue so that the artery gradually narrows in a process called stenosis. When coronary arteries constrict, blood flow is inhibited and the individual can experience angina, heart pain, especially in response to exercise when greater blood flow is required.
It is said that the ‘The Mind is like a parachute; it works best when it is open’. This jibe can be levelled at just about anyone since we are all encultured through our upbringing and experiences. Indeed it’s very hard to remain open minded since we actually depend on stereotyping and patterned behaviour as a means of providing mental short cuts to help us cope with life. For most of the time such patterned thinking is harmless and, at a societal level, it is much prized by marketers wanting to target groups with particular interests. It seems to me that stenosis of the mind occurs in a similar way to the atherosclerotic process. A sensitive individual, perhaps one with low self esteem, may struggle to deal with chronic irritations such as cyber bullying, academic difficulties or limited financial means etc. The easiest defence to employ may be to ‘run with the crowd’, denigrate academic achievement or continue retail therapy with another credit card. By ingesting poor spiritual nutrition they are engaging in behaviour which limits their perspective, if not their prospects, and which will inevitably lead to crises later on.
A diet of mental hurts over a prolonged period can cause us to build up ‘emotional calluses’ that can damage our ability to create healthy relationships, limit our potential and can even fuel prejudice. We may withdraw to the company of similarly blinkered folk to soothe our wounds with like-minded ‘stinking thinking’. We may also feed our minds on a strife filled diet of TV soap operas or imagine living our life as the vengeful crusader in a host of violent movies. Not infrequently we’ll prepare for the event by opening a can of beer or a bottle of wine and sit with a TV dinner on our lap. Inevitably over time our outlook becomes narrowed and our attitudes hardened. For too many of us this is the life we have chosen. We become sponges for the social engineering programme of the moment.
Achieving true health in mind and body requires broad spectrum healing and cannot be limited to purely diet and exercise. Just as the subconscious will undertake physical repairs when fed the right nutrients, the soul will respond to a wide range of ‘spiritual anti-oxidants’ that rejuvenate us and work in concert with our physical reconstruction. Prayer, meditation, gratitude and service nurture the soul. Playing music, reading challenging texts or learning a language stimulate the mind. Playing sports and physical exercise like dancing will strengthen co-ordination and co-operation. Any and all of these activities enrich us as individuals and in our ability to serve each other, our communities and the wider world. Instead of accepting the status quo of the lowest common denominator leading to chronic illness, premature ageing and death, let us instead choose a life rich in love, learning and healing. Are you ready to undertake the journey to responsible living and true health?
