May 2010
“OM IS WHERE THE LOVE IS”
May 1… wow time has flown!! Forgive the lapse in writing. Like many, I got caught up in the dynamics of our present day. And for me that has been the health care/Medicare saga. Nonetheless life goes on and we all must continue to work on rising above the Cirque de Media, so to speak. So, when I step back and look at the big picture, the world needs a healing! Crazy weather, rioters, immigration issues, oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico… good grief we could use some Prozac in the water to help cope! Yet “running for the shelter of our mother’s little helper” is not the answer. I believe that at this juncture we need music and rhythm to soothe the savage beast inside us. Going out on a limb – and showing my age! – John Lennon penned a little ditty years ago: “All You Need Is Love”. After reading some fascinating research I really appreciate the wisdom held in that song title.
In the world of complimentary medicine we talk of self-love, the healing power of the Christ’s love, the Buddha’s compassion, etc. Love thy enemy, thy neighbor, the IRS (ok, so that may be stretching it), but you get the point. The philosophy behind this “kill ’em with kindness” modus operandi is that when we approach the person who cut us off on the road with love and compassion we heal them and ourselves. Now to be sure, one can say that “well of course that helps! You don’t get all riled up and shoot up your blood pressure doing that!!”. And that is correct! We know that stress kills. More heart attacks occur on Monday morning than any other time. Stress suppresses the immune system, leaving the body open to infection and cancer. What I recently found fascinating is the work by Greg Braden in which he dug a little deeper on the concept: all we need is love. In his book The Isaiah Effect, Braden presents research from many avenues, demonstrating that the blueprint for life – our DNA – is “alive and kicking”.
In short, one of the big points he presents first is that DNA curls or unfurls in response to our emotions of stress vs. being at peace. When we are upset our DNA coils up, shutting down many genetic sequences. It’s almost as if the DNA goes into survival mode. The caveat: what genes are shut down? Ones for health? Lower cholesterol?? And yet when we are at peace, happy, in love the blue print for life molecule stretches out and becomes fully functional. Cool stuff!!! And it gets better!! (If you act now… ok, ok, on with the program! I got it.) Our military conducted experiments with human DNA’s response to emotion. From the human white blood cells DNA was extracted and placed in a test tube next to its human counterpart. The people were then subjected to pictures and/or words that would elicit certain emotions: happiness, anger, sadness. Now I don’t know how the scientists witnessed the response but the person’s DNA (in a test tube outside the body) reacted in the appropriate fashion at the same time the subject experienced an emotion, ie if they became angry the DNA coiled up. And the way out, Star Trek-like part is, that this was true for up to 50 miles apart (the person and their DNA)!! What happened at 51 miles – the experiment was stopped at 50.
So… cool beans, but what does this mean? There must be some grid of energy that exists within and around us, allowing for us to affect one another and our environment. This may be why people who are prayed for from a distance fare better than those who are not. It may even explain the old adage: be careful about for what you pray. And if this grid of energy idea is true, think of what we are doing to ourselves buying all the drama on CNN. What if we instead focused on prayer, inspirational readings, or even laughter?? If a group of people can affect a positive outcome in an unknown sick patient (which has been published in medical journals), what could we do with a “love focus” to stop crime, poverty, and disease?? The possibilities are endless! And yet to accomplish such a feat we must set aside ego and operate from our own divine selves. (Oh darn! You mean I can’t go cuss that person out? Not once?) Nope. No can do.
Worry not. I’m about to teach you a couple mantras to help accomplish this feat. Prayer of course can be used as can affirmations. But these do not affect the energy take in centers of the body (chakras) like mantra. Religious affiliation has nothing to do with the efficacy of mantra. It is pure energy – just like electricity. First mantra is Aham Prema (a-hum pray-ma) – I am divine love. The second invokes Supreme peace: Om Shanti (shawn-tee) Om. When you get angry, filled with fear, feel hopeless, try saying one of these mantras over and over again. Whether chanted aloud or silently, they work.
Now if these two mantras whet your appetite for more please consider my class on May 16th: Mantras, Mudras, and more. And for those with a more insatiable hunger for knowledge consider attending the class Mantra: A path to Spirituality and Abundance. November 12-14th with my mantra teacher Namadeva Acharya (Thomas Ashley-Farrand).
In summary, love does conquer all, including disease. Our health care system is changing, and those changes will necessitate the patient to operate from a more “self responsibility” mode. Greg Braden and our military have shown how our emotions affect our DNA and hence forth our health. If we can operate more from a love centered emotion as opposed to fear or anger we individually and collectively are put in a better place. There are many paths to achieve this “love center” frame of mind, and mantra is a simple, powerful path to such an end.
May peace replace your inner turmoil. May the Love of God enfold you, protect you, and empower you.
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