Acknowledging the Neuro-Emotional Body

 

Several weeks ago I had an appointment with my homeopath.  I was having sinus congestion and digestive issues.  My throat was raspy and my ears were plugged up.  This happens every so often after spending many hours in the ocean (or so I thought).  I also happened to be going through a transition and was feeling depressed after experiencing great loss.  My emotions included grief, anger, guilt and sadness.

I walked into the doctor’s treatment room and started bawling as I told her what I was experiencing emotionally and physically.  After testing me, she said something like, “Nothing physical is coming up… I have to treat your emotions.  We must do NET.”  NET (Neuro-Emotional Techniques) is a mind-body stress-reduction technique that uses a methodology of finding and removing neurological imbalances related to the physiology of unresolved stress.  NET is a tool that helps improve mental and physical health. (NETMindBody.com).  Put another way, NET treats the root of your physical problem by addressing the emotional stress that lies beneath, trapped in your body’s cells.

So, that day in Dr. Karlin\’s office, we did NET, and boy was it a wild emotional ride.  At the end of the appointment I felt much better emotionally.  My physical symptoms were still present, but she gave me a few tonics and insisted that as I treat my emotional symptoms, the physical symptoms would disappear.  I felt a little let down, because I was obviously sick and I wanted her to treat me for my clogged sinuses and funky digestion!  Darn!!  Lo and behold, after a day or so, my physical ailments began to disappear, but not without continued emotional work.  I journaled at least once a day and followed her other instructions.  I returned to surfing in the ocean because I decided Dr. Karlin was right on!  My physical ailments were purely caused by my emotional trauma and the way I was reacting to it.

I know that right now you might be thinking… “Crazy new age hippy!”  Not so fast…

I began to do more and more research and was just recently contacted by the controversial Marty Murray of Creating Paradise.  Marty has made incredibly bold claims stating that there is a cure for ALS, cancer, MS, allergies and other ailments.  Marty believes that all of our ailments are caused by our conscious or unconscious choices.  He has alienated himself from ALS groups and patients with his bold statements.  No one wants to believe that the reason they are suffering from one of the most painfully severe neurological diseases may have been brought on by nothing other than themselves, their choices and their interactions with environmental and emotional stresses.  I was also actually a little put off by Marty (he commented on my blog “It’s All in Your Mind,” which referenced Stephen Hawking and his journey with ALS), until I questioned him and dug a little deeper.

Marty is not alone in his philosophy. He sent me dozens of links and tons of information supporting his hypothesis.  I found myself listening to Dr. Gabor Mate (a clinician studying and working with mind-body connection and disease) and reading about Dr. Craig, an ALS patient who appears to be curing himself of the disease.

The common thread connecting these articles and practitioners was the simple re-enforcement of the mind/body connection.  I am still unsure of how deeply I can dive into the idea that a devastating disease is purely brought on by certain choices and emotional reactions, but I do feel that our choices, environmental/emotional stresses and the way we react to them do play a large role in our health.  I tell my students that the work we do together is roughly 50% body and 50% mind (although the mind may actually play a larger part). If you are not fully committed with your mind, then you’re only doing half of the work.  My students feel a big difference when they settle their minds and focus on what results they are aiming to achieve and how to make the conscious choices to help them attain those goals.  It has also become more and more clear to my students and to me, that when they are under emotional stress, their bodies slow way down in the healing process or completely stop healing all together.  Symptoms are inflamed and the student slightly regresses until emotional issues are resolved.

So, I do encourage you watch Dr. Mate’s interview and take from it the idea that we quite possibly may have the choice to be fully healthy.  The next time you feel a little achy, have a headache, poor digestion or low back pain, look at what is going on in your life, your emotions, how you are reacting to situations or towards others.  Think about treating those aspects as much as you treat your physical ailment.  It has definitely been helping me and I have learned so much more about my physical and emotional make-up.  The two are not separate.  The physical and emotional intertwine and must be treated by acknowledging both equally.