Module 7 Presentation/slides

Module 7. Emotional Detox/release/healing

We’ve explored many ways to nourish the body and feed the mind through nutrition, habits, thoughts and actions. In this module we are going to consider how to replenish the soul and discover more emotional balance. We will discuss emotions and illness, emotions and healing, the power of emotions & the tools, strategies and therapies used for detox and renewal. 

“Illness is not a purely physical problem but rather a problem of the whole person, that includes not only body but mind and emotions…” Dr. Carl Simonton

He goes on to say that “Emotional and mental states play a significant role both in susceptibility to disease, and in recovery from all disease”

An important step when undertaking a healing journey is to address the potential psycho-emotional cause or cause(s) of cancer. 

Emotional trauma and stress are attributed for 90% of health issues. This can negatively affect the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems. And ultimately a person's health. 

Emotional and psychological traumas are often suppressed and forgotten by the conscious mind. But the subconscious mind and the cells in the body store these traumas, negative emotions and memories. Often without us realizing. And as we learned in Module 6, the subconscious mind is responsible for 95% of our thoughts and beliefs. Past experiences, both good and bad, and the memories and emotions we attribute to them are stored in the cells of the body. Every cell has a memory of past experiences and a correlated emotion.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, our physical health and emotions are intricately connected. A certain emotion is associated with a particular organ in the body. For instance, anger is associated with the liver, sadness & depression with the lungs. Fear is kidneys and bladder. Worry, anxiety and mistrust is linked to the stomach, pancreas & spleen.

The Stress and Emotion Creation Chart outlines how stress and various emotions impact the body. And the associations that exist between emotions and organs.  If you would like to learn more, access the document in the next lesson.

Emotions impact us physically, just as illness impacts our emotions. When we lose a sense of control or feel prolonged anger, helplessness, sadness, fear, etc, chemical changes begin to happen in the body. Over time, dis-ease and imbalances can result. 

Suppressed negative emotions can both cause and continue to fuel cancer at the cellular level.  

Surgically removing a tumor, administering CT and radiation treatments may help with the physical manifestation of disease but it does not resolve the underlying root causes. While these conventional therapies can certainly be effective in reducing the tumor, an integrative approach that incorporates optimal nutrition & lifestyle practices and treats the mind and emotions as well allows for complete healing and recovery. Discovering ways to remove these toxic conditions is vital to long term recovery. Emotional and psychological aspects must be addressed in order to heal.  

You may be surprised to see such a topic. But bear with me. 

We live in a culture that encourages and promotes hard work, being busy, materialism and consumption. Self-esteem and self-respect are often based on productivity and success.  In general the expression of emotions, particularly sadness, grief, anger and hostility has been discouraged.  In such an accomplishment-oriented society, where self care is rarely a priority, illness can offer important lessons.  

When a person is diagnosed with a severe illness, emotion is both expected and accepted.  A patient may, for the first time, give themselves permission to do things that they otherwise wouldn’t do if they were healthy. Asking for help or for love and expressing unhappiness may come easier. Items on a bucket-list may be ticked off. Illness may also give a patient an acceptable reason for not doing certain jobs or things that had previously been a source of stress. I encourage you to consider the blessings, and the opportunity for growth and reconciliation. As noted in earlier modules, the quote from Hippocrates which states: 

“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.” 

PARTICIPATING IN YOUR HEALTH: Everyone participates in sickness or health. Some are conscious of this is fact, whereas for others this reality is hidden in their subconscious.  A powerful step can be in identifying how you participated in the onset of your disease. This process consists of asking yourself to identify the major stresses that have occurred in your life in the past 6 to 18 months prior to your diagnosis. Next, consider any traumas that may have occurred within the last 5 years. Once these have been identified, [Speak slowly] examine which undue stresses have been created by allowance and which ones are there because of a refusal to recognize your emotional limits.  

The objective of self-examination is not to evoke guilt but rather to identify the behavior (or thoughts or emotions) that needs to be modified if you are to live a healthy, balanced life. 

By becoming aware of the stressors in your life, and finding more effective ways to cope with them, you effectively free your energy to fight disease. Furthermore, by identifying some of the benefits of illness, you can find ways to maintain the same emotional benefits in recovery. 

So let’s shift gears and dive into the POWER of EMOTIONS

Your emotional life is a manifestation of your thoughts and beliefs. And yet our emotional energy can be an extremely potent force, especially in healing. We can cultivate emotional health, just as we can prioritize nourishing our bodies and minds. When the body, mind and spirit are nurtured and tended to, rapid transformation can happen. Positive change, personal growth, increased energy and vitality, a sense of calmness and peace, and a sense of hope can all take root.

Emotional traumas and stress can be released and replaced with more empowering thoughts and beliefs and positive emotions. Thoughts, beliefs and emotions are deeply connected, interwoven and equally responsive to one another. It takes a willingness, and an openness to address these stresses and traumas and create change. There are many wonderful techniques and actions that can facilitate this opening. Which doesn’t necessarily entail “talking about your feelings” by the way. 

So let’s discuss some ways to address emotional blockages and stagnation.

The strategies and tools are designed to touch all parts of the system to restore the physical, mental and emotional balance so that the whole person returns to health.

Ways of influencing beliefs, attitudes and emotions can be learned using a variety of accessible methods.  When these abilities are developed in a mindful way, they become more natural and proficient, just as when learning any other new skill. Greater harmony within ourselves and improved quality of life results. The insights gained can change our perception of death by reducing fear. Again, by releasing energy in this direction we can free up more energy for healing, restoring health and experiencing a more fulfilling life. 

[Psychotherapy] The more traditional approaches to addressing the mental and emotional aspects of illness, detox and healing include counselling, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis and the like. Talk therapy was born out of Frued, continued by other European therapists who introduced concepts about psychological functioning and change. While some find these practices helpful, others are daunted by the prospect of discussing childhood and traumas. The emerging field of Energy Psychology incorporates holistic, eastern medicine philosophies within the traditional framework of psychotherapy.  

[Yoga] In my opinion, a purely intellectual or mental approach is not sufficient for deep healing. Since we know our conscious brain is only responsible for 5% of our thoughts, our mind can become trapped in negative thought patterns which can intensify our emotional experience. When body, mind and spirit are all invited into the healing process, we allow for massive shifts and transformation.  Practices such as yoga, tai chi and Qi Gong unite the physical with mental and spiritual. With a mind-body-emotional approach, we can feel more balanced. We become more flexible in the physical and emotional realms and open to possibilities that we previously weren’t able to consider. 

[Meditation] Meditation and breathwork can offer deep healing for emotional blockages and traumas. They can take you to places in your mind, body and spirit that you were previously unaware of. We can activate the healing energy that exists within each of us. Breathwork in particular can help turn off the mind and allow the body and spirit to release emotions and stagnant energy. Breathwork is a form of active meditation that provides opportunity to release stress, emotions, traumas and experiences.  Breathwork can detoxify the lymphatic and nervous system, release unresolved emotional pain and truly nourish the soul. Meditation and breathwork, although seemingly simple healing modalities are extremely effective at expediting the emotional healing process.  

[Energy medicine] defined as any energetic or informational interaction with a biological system to bring back homeostasis in the organism. We are all made of energy, possessing a life force that flows through us keeping our heart pumping, blood & lymph flowing, muscles contracting. It is the foundation of all the systems in our body- the immune system, respiratory system, nervous system, etc. Different cultures have different name variations- In Chinese medicine it is known as Chi, Indian/Ayurvedic it is Prana. When our life force depleted, through toxins, illness, negativity and the like, the energy can become blocked and stagnant. Energy therapies can be applied to treat symptoms and disease. They can dissolve blockages, release trapped emotions, heal traumas and ultimately help to restore our life force. My own personal and professional journey into holistic healing has led me to the practice of energy medicine. There are so many incredibly powerful techniques and therapies that can be used to activate deep and lasting healing in the mental, physical and emotional realms. More traditional energy healing modalities include massage and acupuncture. Technology based therapies include bioresonance, and other frequency balancing methods. Non-invasive techniques such as reiki, tapping or emotional freedom technique and sound healing. This may seem “out there” but it’s back by science and there are countless stories of spontaneous healing and recovery from the application of these therapies. Donna Eden, a pioneer in energy medicine states: 

"Energy is the foundation of physical and emotional health."

Einstein himself said “the future of medicine will be the medicine of frequencies.” 

In today’s world, we are bombarded by things that interfere and disrupt with our energy. From poor nutrition to lack of sleep, lack of movement, to stress, unhealthy relationships, trapped emotions and many other lifestyle choices. Our energy can be re-balanced through health promoting habits and choices, more positive empowering beliefs and emotions. Through fostering healthy relationships, setting boundaries and pursuing things that we are passionate about. Our emotions significantly influence health and recovery from disease (including cancer). Emotions are a strong driving force in the immune system and other healing systems in the body. The same can be said for thoughts and beliefs. The three are inter-related and all equally powerful forces in healing. I have provided many tools and strategies throughout the Cancer Reset program that can detoxify the mind, body and spirit and help restore balance.