Week7–TheMind-BodyBehindHormones

AfrouzDemeri,ND,DHMHS,IFMCP

KeyConcepts

TCMOrgans Awareness 4Inquiries Suffering Balance

KeyConceptsHormonearesignals,intendedtoCOMMUNICATEmentalandemotionalmessagestoyourbody.Sowemustlookatthementalemotionalhealthtocleartheairway,de-scramblethesignal,andallowhormonestodowhattheyaremeanttodo!Psycho-neuro-endocrineSystem–thebridgebetweenthemindandourphysicalbody

Thoughts&BeliefsàNeurotransmittersàHormonesàPhysiologicalresponseThenatureofourmentalandemotionalexperienceswilldeterminethehormonesthatareeffected.Eg.fearàelevatedepinephrine&norepinephrineandlinkedtoincreasedthyroidactivity–crankingupourmetabolismandabilitytorespondtostressorsquicklyandeffectively.Anotherexampleistherelationshipbetweensadnessan/orsuppressedgriefanddecreasedthyroidfunction–“swallowingyourtears”–linkedtohypothyroidism–difficultytoexpressoneself

TCMOrgans

Awareness

•  Acceptanceofwhatis-Howdoyoulivewhenyoubelievethethoughtthatyourbodyshouldbedifferent?Howdoesthatfeel?

•  Awareofdeep-rooted,self-limitingbeliefs•  MeditationtohelpyouPAUSEandcatchthethoughtsbeforetheyfullyarrive

•  Remembereverythingisinconstantflux-impermanent.

•  PracticeMindfulness

WhatisMindfullness

“Mindfulnessittobeaware.Tobeawarewhenyouarebeathinginandtobeawarewhenyouarebreathingout…itisthecapacitytobeawareofwhatishere.Anythingcanbetheobjectofmindfullness.Yourbreath.TheSky.Itistobeintouchwithourfeltexperienceineachmoment.”

ThichNhatHanh Bookrecommendation:PeaceInEveryStep

WhatisMindfullness

“Mindfulnessitpayingattention,onpurpose,inthepresent,andnon-judgmentally,totheunfoldingofexperiencemomentbymoment.

JonKabat-Zinn Bookrecommendation:FullCatastropheLiving

WhatisMindfullness

“Mindfulnessittodistinguish:AwarenessfromMentalactivityItistolearntobeawareofourownmentalstateswithoutbeingcaughtinthem.

JackKornfield Bookrecommendation:WiseHeart

4Inquiries

4InquiriesEg.AngryatMyHeartbecauseit’sWeak

1.Isittrue?StrongFamilyHistory–InheritedBeliefsystem?2.Howdoyouknowifit’sabsolutelytrue?3.HowdoyoureactwhenIbelievethis?–  “Igetfrightened.Ilimitmyactivities.Istayinsideandbecomevery

inactive.IgetdepressedthatIcan’tdowhatIwanttodo.Iimaginethepainandterrorofaheartattack.Ifeelhopeless.

TheFearcomesfromuninvestigatedthoughts.4.Whowouldshebewithoutthislimitingthought?–  “IthinkI’dbemorepeacefulandalsofreertodowhatIwanttodo.”–  Yourmindisdiseasedandweak,notyourheart.Yourheartreactsto

yourthoughts.Yourhormonesreacttoyourmind.Youfeeloutofharmonywhenyourbeliefopposeswhatis.

4Inquiries-Homework

Do

UniversalBeliefs

•  Ineedtoknowwhattodo.•  Idon’tknowwhattodo.•  Iknowwhatisbestfor

others.•  Iknowwhatisbestfor

myself.•  Somethingterribleisgoingto

happen.•  It’spossibletomakea

mistake.•  Peopleshouldnotlie.•  Peopleshouldrespectme.•  Icancontrolhowothersfeel

aboutme.•  Ifeelyourenergy.•  Ineedmoremoney.•  Lifeisn’tfair.•  Parentsshouldlovetheir

children.•  Childrenshouldlovetheir

parents.•  Ineedtomakeadecision.•  Ican’tdoanythingright.•  Icandisappointpeople.•  Idon’twanttolookfoolish.•  There’stoomuchtodo.•  There’snotenoughtime.•  Iknowwhatyouneed.

•  Iamworthless.•  It’smyjobtomakeyou

happy.•  Ineedapartnertobehappy.•  It’smyfault.•  Ishouldbedifferent.•  Imissedmychance.•  Ineedtobecarefulinlife.•  Peopleshouldlistentome.•  I’mnotgoodenough.•  Iamafailure.•  _______doesn’tcareabout

me.•  Ineedtounderstand.•  Ineedtodoitright.•  Ididitwrong.•  There’ssomethingwrong

withme.•  S/herejectedme.•  S/hedoesn’ttrustme.•  Thereshouldn’tbewarinthis

world.•  Womenshouldn'tbeso

emotional.•  Theworldisn’tasafeplace.•  Peoplearedestroyingthe

environment.•  Peoplearejudgingme.

•  Iknowwhatthey’rethinking.•  Theyshouldagreewithme.•  Ihavetoworkhard.•  Peopleshouldkeeptheir

promises.•  Otherpeoplecanhurtme.•  Moneywillmakemehappy.•  I’mtoofat(thin).•  Ineedtobeincontrol.•  Mybodyshouldbehealthy.•  Peoplearenottrustworthy.•  _______betrayedme.•  Thereisapurposetomylife.•  Ineedtoknowmylife’s

purpose.•  Lifeisdifficult.•  Peopleshouldbegrateful.•  Mybossshouldappreciate

me.•  Idon’tbelong.•  Peopleshouldn’tbeangry.•  ________diditwrong.•  Iamright.•  Peopleshouldn’tuseanimals

(medicalresearch,food,etc.)

Suffering•  Whatmakesyourstressed/Suffer?… Attachment•  Youfeelunhappywhenyouclingorattachyourselftosomethingthatis

impermanent•  ThereIsNoFixedSelfor“I”–WhatifItoldyouyouwerenothing.

•  Sufferingcomesfromnotwantingtosuffer–sufferingisuniversal•  Thehumancondition–wesufferbecauseofthewayinwhichwerelateto

ourhumancondition(notthehumanconditionitself)

•  Suggestion:Replacework“suffering”with“stress”thenreplacethatwiththesensationyoufeelinyourbody.

•  Goalforthisweek:Bekindtoyourself.Observeyourthoughtsevendeeper.Takeonamindfulnesspractice.

Balance

HowtoChoose3•  Practicemeditationdaily•  Practicemindfulness•  Practicedeepbreathing•  Introducehealthyrituals–eg.Herbalteatime•  Keepagratitudejournal•  Readaffirmationsortrywritingyourown•  Challengeyourmindtolearn•  Reframeandrethinkthethingsthatstressyou•  Keepanemotionjournal–“Ifeelstatements…”•  Practicecompassionandfinditinyoutoforgive•  Gofornaturewalks•  Practiceyoga•  Becreative•  GettoknowyourChakra’s–SeeCarolineMyssResources•  Keepadreamjournal•  DownloadLinkstodothework.comandcomplete•  SignupforaMBSRprogramnearyou–MindfulnessBasedStressReduction

BeEmptyofworryingThinkofwhocreatedthoughtWhydoyoustayinprisonWhenthedoorissowideopenMoveoutsidethetangleoffearthinkingLiveinSilenceFlowdownanddown,intoalwayswideningRingsofbeing

–  Rumi