Restoration

My recent Journey Into Health event emphasised the need to treat health in a holistic manner addressing Mind, Body and Soul. In this way we can live joyous lives appropriate to our age and fill each day with wonder and fascination at the magnificence of creation. I called for a shift in perception such that we would break away from the cultural norm of our Sick / Not Sick existence in which we are stalked by illness that finally overwhelms us, to one of living optimally well every day. As a simple framework for health I liken it to a stable three legged stool. To be optimally healthy we need to Stop Getting Sick, Remove Accumulated Toxins that keep us sick and then to Use Best Building Materials to restore the health we deserve. It’s often useful to think of the Journey Into Health as a restoration project on a dilapidated house. The first requirement is to seal the roof, fix the windows and clear the drains to stop any further damage from the elements. Secondly any damaged floors, walls and ceilings need to be removed to prevent the spread of rot. Finally the house is ready for the craftsmen to move in and work their magic. As owner of the property there has to be a driving force to make you undertake the work and to commit the necessary resources to the task. You also have to engage your imagination to visualise the end result. However similar the exterior of our house appears to those around it, it is in the decoration and furnishings that our unique character is displayed. Do we keep our curtains drawn and the TV on? Or do our curtains and windows open regularly to let in sunlight and fresh air? When they do, do we set about cleaning our house of the accumulated trash of daily life? Until we let the light in we’re generally unaware of how the dust has built up. It’s often necessary for us to see our house as others do for us to get the work done. Isn’t it strange how we’ll often dash around tidying things up before a friend’s visit? Why wouldn’t we choose to keep house properly for ourselves? It is the contents of our living quarters which reflect what’s important to us in this temporal existence. We may all have somewhere to prepare our meals, a washroom and bed but these functional items seldom bring the same smile to our faces as the family photographs, the treasured musical instrument or a favourite book. So I invite you to indulge yourself in some personal restoration ‘Because you’re worth it’. What would you want your home to look like when your best friends visit? How do you want to look and feel each day in your life? What puts the sparkle in your eyes and the friendly smile on your face? Does your physical diet reflect a strong respect for your body? Does your mental dietary intake stimulate your best self and your best interests? Do you marvel at the Glory of God (of your understanding) in the people you meet, in the joy of music, in the abundance of nature and in the stillness of your soul? Before undertaking your restoration, seek the counsel of your ultimate architect to ensure that the design uses everything that you are and displays your talents to best advantage so that you naturally give your best performance in your home, your community and on the larger stage of creation.

Ich Bin Ein Nephron

JFK’s famous speech in Berlin brought reassurance to the population resisting the Soviet threat of the time. He was making it clear that the US intended to oppose any attempt to overrun the city or starve it into submission. Berlin was a front line hotspot during the Cold War and fortunately an open conflict was avoided. The symbolism of the era is as important today. A major power identified with a relatively small community to appreciate its contribution and guarantee its safety. A similar protection is afforded whenever we take the trouble to nurture every cell of the body and protect their right to life. There is physical assistance from appropriate nutrition to parallel the US airlift, and there is an unambiguous message from a conscious mind instructing the subconscious to protect cells and organs from attack and promote healing.

For years I’ve had a ‘Big Picture’ view of the world and tended to subsume the identity of the individual toward the common good. I used to say things like “I’m first a European and then an Irishman”. Or “I’m first a businessman, then an engineer”. While such an approach has merit, it is also dangerous if it requires individuals to go along with an idea against their will.  In such a situation there is an opportunity for dissatisfaction, even enmity, to foment. Sadly this is generally the outcome of our system of polarised politics when an election majority is taken as an excuse to trample the interests of those holding an opposing view. Nations suffer when the contributions of its citizens are denied. Similarly families can suffer if one partner is domineering – even unwittingly. At the level of the individual the same philosophy holds true when the mind is divided against itself or the body’s tissues are subjected to a barrage of toxins masquerading as ‘food’.

Yesterday I was delighted to watch a recording of Satish Kumar’s address at the TEDx Exeter event in which he promoted a call for a 21^st century revolution – ‘Soil, Soul and Society’. Kumar speaks passionately about a truth I have come to appreciate. All of humanity, and the earth in which we live, are one. When we exploit natural resources without consideration of the sustainability of such practice then we are effectively poisoning our planet. When one society attempts to suppress or deny another we foment anger, discontent and risk conflict. If within our individual bodies we tolerate chronic stress or ingest unnatural foods we ravage our health and usher in disease. We are overdue for a change of perspective and as the scales on my eyes fall away I recognise that it’s been here all along.

On discovering that I had a high blood pressure problem I chose to adopt a natural approach to bring it under control. Instead of medicating symptoms I chose to address the cause and my journey to health has been very rewarding. Today I try to look out for the health of every cell in my body appreciating that each has a unique role to play. As a nephron I cannot be a braincell nor part of a mitral valve but my contribution to the health of the body is vital. Similarly every individual on our planet has a unique role to play as part of the oneness of humanity. There cannot be a truly healthy body where one organ claims supremacy over another or grows at another’s expense.

“Ich bin ein Nephron” is my call to recognise the unique role that each individual plays and to take a personal stand for sustainability, -  soil, soul and society.