Let’s talk about our Immunity
Have you ever noticed that when you feel well in yourself, it’s easier to feel good about life all around you too, whether that’s in love, relationships, family, work or travel.
If our inner world (both the physical and emotional) is happy, well and at peace, it often feels like our external world is too, or, at least, we find it easier to accept a situation as it is. We may have a sense that everything is
as it should be, or that things are going really well; life feels in flow and we cannot stop smiling.
From here, we’re all the more likely to invite in even more positive experiences, and I’ll come to this later on.
But, if we are feeling low, ill or unhappy, it’s more likely that our perspective will shift in the opposite direction and that we see a more negative and bleak picture.
So what does this have to do with immunity?
There is a direct link between how we feel and how we are physically, which is essentially, the health of our immune system. If we have good health within - physically or emotionally, it encourages a positive shift in
our perspective, both inwardly and outwardly and that well feeling, will in turn, support and strengthen our immune system further; meaning our emotional state is incredibly important.
For most of us, we recognise that it’s unrealistic to be in a permanent state of bliss, relaxation, contentment
and peace, nor would we necessarily want to be. Yes it might be great for optimal bodily health and the strength of our immune system, but the reality is, life happens and we naturally respond and react as our experience, upbringing or conditioning has taught us to; whether that’s to feel anxious or nervous about a future possible event, or upset about something that has already happened. We are human after all!
So instead of trying to fight a reaction or a response, (or our human nature), surely it makes sense to listen, accept and support as soon and as much as we can. And practically speaking, to ’hack’ the system just when we need to, to help promote wellness in the body. So that when we start to feel anxious, worried or stressed, we can use this trick to boost the immune system, just when it’s about to take a hit, and encourage a shift towards a more positive or at least, peaceful perspective.
When we experience stress, fear, anxiety and worry, we actually create a physiological shift within the body, activating our sympathetic nervous system - our fight or flight mode. Over time, if we were to call on our fight or flight mode with excessive frequency, i.e if we felt stressed most days, it would inevitably impact the effectiveness of our immune system.
Conversely, if we are able to reduce stress or anxiety, or at least recognise the feeling and respond in a way that helps us to relax, we activate our parasympathetic nervous system, which is our rest, digest and rebuild mode. The more frequently we can find our way back here, the more we will increase vagal tone (activity of the vagus nerve), and in doing so, stimulate our immune and eliminative organs as well as digestion, which will also help replenish our bodies with the nutrients we need.
So there is a hack. We can activate our parasympathetic nervous system just by one, very simple thing, and that is to become aware of the breath. This will naturally slow the breath down, and take our thoughts out of the mind and onto the breath, even briefly. Another technique is to slow the exhale right down to double the length or timing of the inhale; so if we inhale for a count of 3 or 4, exhale for a count of 6 or 8. This will ‘switch on’ the parasympathetic nervous system, and in so doing, slow your heart- rate and inevitably give a helpful boost to your immune system. You will feel a lot calmer too.
Think of a dog, or a duck after a confrontation with another of their own species. As they move away, they shake their body or flap their wings to revert back to the happy, peaceful, present state they were in before that encounter took place. They tend not to hold on to the negative emotion created in that moment. If we were to look into their physiological make up, they probably have good vagal tone, being able to go through a fast transition, from activating the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight), and back to the parasympathetic system again. Some children use foot stamping as a technique, which is actually a really great way to bring yourself back into your natural state of rest and digest, as quickly as possible. Fortunately or unfortunately, while we may have left the foot stamping in our childhood years, there are some elements of yoga asana that echo this body’s natural method of grounding.
The most straightforward method of maintaining good vagal tone, and supporting your immune system, is through pranayama - any breathwork in fact, meditation and yoga asana.
Here are some tools I frequently use:
Pranayama
Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing
Leaves you feeling: calm, cool and collected.
Physical benefits: infuses the body with oxygen clears and releases toxins
reduces stress and anxiety which compromises the immune system calms and rejuvenates the nervous system
helps to balance hormones
supports clear and balanced respiratory channels
helps to alleviate respiratory allergies
Bhramari or Humming Bee breath
Leaves you feeling: calm, cool and collected and depending on how you feel before you start,
either energised or restful.
Physical and emotional benefits: reduces stress, anxiety, anger and frustration
helps reduce insomnia
improve the health of the gums (if you allow the teeth to gently touch so that you feel a gentle vibration in the mouth and jaw)
lowers blood pressure cleansing, soothing and healing for the throat
improves sharpness of mind and sight
Shamanic breathwork is extremely detoxifying as it alkalizes the body through oxygenation, which helps to cleanse the system. The less carbon dioxide there is in the body, the less acidic it is. On an emotional and energetic level, breathwork helps to release energetic and emotional blockages that may be limiting you or holding you back. These can be from our own trauma, repressed or unexpressed emotions, ancestral trauma, or from the collective consciousness. Often times we don’t know what we’re moving or where it’s coming from, we just feel much lighter and more spacious afterwards.
Santi (Mindfulness)
I do a lot of gratitude work in my mindfulness coaching sessions, as anxiety, fear, and tension cannot exist in the brain and body when we are in a state of gratitude. Quite the opposite in fact. When we’re in a state of gratitude, we calm down, shift out of fight or flight mode (sympathetic nervous system) and shift into the rest and digest mode (parasympathetic nervous system), allowing our body and immune system to recharge, for better health, improved sleep and even, longer life.
But it’s not all about the physical benefits. Gratitude actually makes us happier; a daily gratitude practice can increase your wellbeing by 10% (equal to the same spike in happiness if your income were to double - which it may well do, given that the practice of gratitude can also make us more effective at work, improving our self-esteem and ability to network, and also increase decision-making capabilities and productivity.
Essentially, by focusing on what you are thankful for, feelings of envy and anxiety will naturally move out of focus, ergo reduce, meaning that even our memories become happier. We experience greater resilience, being able to bounce back from perceived setbacks and stress. And perhaps because we are happier and more grateful, we are more likeable too! In two studies with 243 total participants, those who were 10% more grateful than average, had 17% more social capital, aka good vibes. Meaning you are seen as more trustworthy, a nicer person, and are more appreciated.
Similar to perspective, as I mentioned at the beginning of the article, like attracts like, and “your vibe attracts your tribe”; the energy of gratitude and abundance invites in people with a grateful and abundant outlook on life. And what you appreciate appreciates, meaning you receive more of what you want when you focus on that, instead of what is wrong or lacking in your life.
The benefits of meditation, even five minutes a day, have been proven to be highly effective in reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Because meditation activates the rest and digest mode, it helps us to calm the nervous system, restore balance and boost the immune system.
By reducing activity in the monkey-mind (or DMN - default mode network), where our expertise of mind- wandering and ‘what if’ scenarios is honed, meditation literally does calm the mind, enabling us to concentrate more, sharpen our focus and prolong our attention span. In this management of thought, it also gives us the ability to respond rather than react, at first during the meditation practice, and eventually, increasingly in our daily lives, whether this is for pain management, conflict or in fighting addictions or destructive behaviors. Once we are aware of our own emotions, we then have the opportunity to step back and observe, and perhaps choose another road or emotion. Meditation is like a gentle therapy for the mind. You pick the time, the place and the pace.
Metta Meditation - a wonder-meditation! This is one of my favourite types of meditation to practice and teach and I believe the world needs it now more than ever.
Physical and emotional benefits: increases vagal tone, which stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the body to rest and digest;
heightens feelings of connectivity at a time when we are not able to connect physically as much as we may like;
decreases PTSD which can be triggered by events such as the one we are currently experiencing:;
helps to foster love, compassion, empathy, and kindness, during a time where we all need to stick together; cultivates positive emotions and decreases negative emotions
Yoga asana has a whole heap of benefits on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level. Essentially, we are bringing ourselves back into balance, and so back to our most natural (spiritual) state. This is what makes us feel at home in ourselves when we’ve finished a yoga asana practice, and so, brings a sense of wellbeing (and an immediate immune boost!). Physically, we are working all the way from the level of the bone and our skeleton, to our posture, muscles, organs, connective tissue (fascia), and even skin. By bringing the physical body into harmony, we build greater strength and flexibility throughout and our organs are able to function better, digesting goodness, expelling toxins, and so strengthening our immune system.
Yoga asana (recommended guidance with an experienced practitioner or self-practice)
Leaves you feeling: calm and relaxed, possibly energised depending on the session, but most of all, more balanced emotionally, perhaps physically, and more yourself.
Physical and emotional benefits: vary depending on the posture; a few examples are: Hip-opening poses work on releasing emotions such as fear, anxiety or sadness. Think how you clench the jaw when you are tense. It’s similar for the hips, but unless you release this area, you may not be so conscious of it. They also help to gently and softly, release tight hips. Heart-opening poses, can release joy, love, compassion, playfulness and creativity, and also courage. In so doing, practicing these poses will also likely welcome more of these aspects into your life. Backbends are great heart-openers and also help to release and relax the shoulders, open the chest and strengthen the back. Throat and neck opening poses, works with the throat chakra, communication and your own truth. Another good practice for this is Bhramari or Humming Bee breath. Forward folds are great for reducing stress, anxiety and even depression. They help you to see the world from another point of view, welcoming in a fresh perspective, as do headstands, and they give a gentle massage to the abdominal organs, aiding digestion or soothing menstrual cramps. Twists, whether seated, standing, static or dynamic, are all very beneficial for the movement and health of the spine and therefore the central nervous system. In addition, as we move into a twist, we actually compress muscles and organs, momentarily blocking the flow of blood to them; when we release the twist, fresh blood and oxygen rushes in, ready to repair and rebuild any damaged tissue - like a super charged healing process.
RAIN Mindfulness Practice
What is Non-Attachment?
Vairagya or non-attachment, you’ve likely heard the terms tossed around, but what does it mean? First let’s just be clear that it doesn’t mean complete renunciation of relationships or material possessions, and it certainly doesn’t mean indifference to the wide spectrum of situations and emotions that make up the sentient experience. Quite the opposite. Emotions don’t cease to exist as you learn to let go. You just relate to them differently because you understand their ephemeral nature. And that means there's a lot less to get riled up about. It doesn't mean you stop caring about people, places, things, connections. On the contrary, you appreciate them so much more because you're ever-aware that they won't last forever. You can live your entire life savoring every moment knowing that in each moment everything can (and often does) change. Non-attachment actually brings about the most profound sense of care, compassion, and freedom.
Attachment has a very specific meaning in the Buddhist dharma; it refers to a mental attitude or emotion in which we exaggerate or super impose good qualities on a person, object or idea. This projection makes us cling to things and we don’t want to be separated from it and we regard it as the source of our happiness setting us up for dissatisfaction if we don’t get what we want or suffering of change (when the satisfaction of getting what we want fades and we have to find something else to get satisfaction again) if we do. Indeed, the Second Noble Truth of Buddhism states that “the origin of suffering is attachment.” We lose all sense of freedom as we allow the object or subject of our attachment to own us, we do a disservice to the person or object as they are bound to disappoint us given the unfair expectations we’ve placed on them, and we disempower ourselves by seeking happiness from outside ourselves, attempting to fill a perceived void that can only be attended to from within. The Buddhist teaching on non-attachment is ultimately about realizing the truth of yourself. That is, realizing that you're an expression of the entire cosmos. That you're in the cosmos, that the entire cosmos is in you in a very real and observable way, and that there is no separating the two (and everything that comes with the realization).
As human beings we are wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain often leading us to cling to sources of (temporary) pleasure, thus developing attachments. It’s not hard to spot, we are a society plagued by attachment and the list of things we can become attached to is endless; people, ideas, places, our self images, expectations, praise, money, our practice, substances, material possessions, food, love, our body and having an extraordinary life (instagram syndrome).
I was introduced to the Buddhist dharma of non attachment while studying at Tushita and it offered me a new lens on my tendencies that allowed me to begin to transform behavioral patterns as well as providing me with tools to implement when I start to spot attachment taking over. I am looking forward to sharing the Buddhist wisdom surrounding this afflictive emotion as well as gems I have picked up elsewhere along my journey through eating disorders, substance abuse and love and sex addiction. Through mindfulness, investigation, understanding, compassion, non-identification we can begin to find freedom from destructive behavior and tap into real, sustainable happiness - it’s already there, within us, we just have to get out of our own way.
Self Empowerment Meditation
