True Wellness For Your Heart by Catherine Kurosu

Author:Catherine Kurosu
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: YMAA Publication Center

Eastern Approach to Preventing and Healing Heart Disease

The purpose of the practice of qigong, tai chi, and Eastern medicine in general is to bring balance to the body’s energetic system, which is connected to our emotions, organ function, metabolic processes, muscle resilience, joint flexibility, equilibrium, and immune functions. These practices improve the function of all these systems and decrease inflammation. Eastern medicine emphasizes a holistic approach to bringing balance and harmony to the mind-body. Treatments include herbs, diet changes, self-care, cultivating a healthy mind disposition, and physical training such as tai chi and qigong. The practice helps stabilize your body and manage the effects of stress. It is the mind-body philosophy that is the key to its effectiveness.

When we are exposed to a traumatic event or a perceived threat, our adrenaline suddenly increases, our heart rate increases, and our blood pressure elevates. Our blood cortisol level increases, and that causes our blood sugar to rise—this is our natural alarm system. Our body and brain communicate to control our behavior and mood. Once a perceived threat has passed, hormone levels return to normal. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, the heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels and other systems resume their regular activities.

If a person carries chronic stress, his elevated hormone levels continue to stay in the blood, which can have adverse effects. The adrenaline continues to constrict blood vessels and can cause chronically elevated blood pressure. Eventually the blood vessels in the heart will constrict. The cortisol will continue to increase blood sugar, decrease immune system function, and weaken the muscles in the body. This long-term activation of the stress-response system can disrupt almost all of the body’s processes, create an internal environment of chronic inflammation, and put the body at great risk for numerous health problems.

Prevention is a lifestyle. Being able to control our own lives is so important for maintaining our quality of life. We can discover ways to make choices that lead us toward better health. We are often influenced by commercials, political decisions, religions, and peer pressure. We allow others to control our lives and behaviors; we want to dress like others, do our hair like others, buy things like others, and we don’t want others to laugh at us, or look down on us. We may feel that becoming rich can lead to happiness. My question is, why do we allow others to control our lives? Do we have an identity? Do we have character? Do we know who we are? If we ask these questions and are able to answer them honestly, we may feel differently. I don’t want others to control my life; I like myself and I have my own special character; I am smart, and I know what I want and what I don’t want. If someone ridicules me, I know they have a problem. No matter what they say, I am still a good person, a smart person, I have my strengths and I no longer allow them to get on my case or determine who I am.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.