The Second Most Precious Thing in the World 


A reflection on health. 

We never miss it until we start to loose it. Health is a close second to friendship as the most valuable thing we can have or pursue. I'm going to define health as functioning effectively in mind, body and spirit to achieve one's goals. I'm no expert, but I have struggled with effective functioning of mind, body and spirit throughout my life, and from time to time, I believe I have achieved that. I've also struggled with what my goals are or might be. So I have a universe (my universe) of experience to draw on as I write about this important matter.

I'm going to begin my discussion with healthy mental functioning because mind will connect us both to body and to spirit, once we understand it. If you haven't read Ken Keyes' Handbook to Higher Consciousness, I suggest you do. In this book, Ken unlocks the secret to a peaceful life: upgrading your addictions into preferences. Many have written about this topic, but I like Ken's approach because it's basically devoid of "ooga boooga." (This term derives from my former friend Sheila, who claimed to have a built-in "crap detector." Ken's writing is refreshingly free of crap.) A very good summary of his descriptions of the Seven Centers of Consciousness and Twelve Pathways to Higher Consciousness can be found at highervibrations.org.

Basically, Ken suggests that consciousness starts out centered in preoccupation with security, sensation and power, moves to loving yourself and experiencing the loving quality of the world, and finally can move to non-judgment and even transcendence. His Twelve Pathways are summarized as twelve affirmations that focus on freeing yourself, being here now, interacting with others, and discovering your conscious-awareness. Through your conscious mind, then, you can, by following these steps, reprogram yourself to experience love and even bliss. Interestingly enough, Ken himself was a quadriplegic, yet achieved health through the discipline of his mind.

Ken's philosophy points to the spiritual dimension, so I'll take that up next. However, I have recently read a book that even better describes the healthy relationship between mind and spirit. The book is Shortcut to a Miracle by Michael C. Rann and Elizabeth Rann Arrott. The book starts out by making a point that I firmly believe in, that is, that the Twentieth Century begat a new worldview through quantum theory which better helps us to understand how miracles are possible. And, miracles are possible because we know through quantum theory that everything is connected, The book proceeds to lead us to a discipline of consciousness that mines that connectedness for miracles.

A corollary of the Law of Expectancy is that we must think only about what we want, not about what we don't want. And of course, a little reflection on your own consciousness will tell you that most people seldom are able to not think about they don't want. Rid yourself of negative thinking, the authors say, and believe that miracles are possible, and you will experience them. They give a list of habitual negative thinking patterns: complaining, blaming, self-criticism, criticism, guilt and regret, and envy. These we must give up. Then they give a list of things that will make a miracle happen: be clear, expect the best, let go of fear, open to all possibility, see you as you want to be, keep it a secret, do what needs to be done, and pray a lot. Needless to say, you will have to read—no, study—the book in order to make sense of this.

And finally I will put my own interpretation on this important work. If you read it sympathetically, and allow it to work, it will reshape your awareness so that you are connected with infinite possibility. And by the way, I think that a good way to define the spiritual dimension of our life is as the relation of us (finite) to us (infinite). I'm not saying that we're God—nothing will deflect spiritualization more quickly than getting confused about our createdness. However, as we become more spiritual, we do become less finite, and more like the infinite, our perspective becomes less ideocentric and more universal.

If you are mentally and spiritually healthy, you are definitely healthy, but there is the physical dimension of health, too. Most of us don't need too much guidance with this very familiar area of health. However, in this modern world of pollution, electromagnetic radiation and toxic chemicals, it is quite a challenge to get nutritious food, clean water and fresh air. I'll tell you what I have been doing to maintain my physical health.

Whenever I can, I drink distilled water. I've done this for twenty years. You cannot trust the current food pyramid offered by the federal government. A better plan is Walter C. Willett and Meir J. Stampfer, Rebuilding the Food Pyramid, which was published in Scientific American in January, 2003. And finally, you need to eat only enough to keep you within a certain weight range. Recently, I struggled to loose 30 pounds. You can read about my odyssey, discoveries and success at my personal website under the category of diet.

Don't smoke and don't hang out in environments with second-hand smoke. Don't hang out with people who insist that you engage in unhealthy practices. (I didn't say avoid them, I said don't hang out with them, especially if they are blowing smoke into your face. That's disrespecting yourself.) Limit alcoholic consumption, and read up on the studies that suggest that red wine is good for you in moderation. So is dark chocolate.

You need to keep your body in good physical shape and functioning well. This is done by finding the right range and intensity of activity and exercise for you. Most studies show that even moderate physical activity two or three times a week for 30 minutes is far better than total inactivity. You do get a high from vigorous aerobic exercise. However, most dedicated runners enter middle age with significant permanent injury of one kind or another. From the standpoint of long-term health, walking is a much better choice than running.

I have to say a word, too about finding your own balance. On balance, I've been quite healthy for 66 years, but it turns out that I have carried with me three chronic conditions for most of my life. I have been living with gout, allergies/asthma, and now, pulmonary hypertension. When I got control of my diet and drinking, my gout became very manageable. When I tried homeopathic remedies (under a trained physician's care), my allergies became very manageable. The pulmonary hypertension was diagnosed two years ago, but I NEVER could tolerate aerobic exercise. Medical analysis shows that was due to an underlying cardiac/pulmonary condition. Nevertheless, with all these challenges, I still consider myself healthy in the senses we are discussing.

I always took a multiple vitamin tablet from my youth. Somewhere along the line I learned that the MRD (minimum recommended dose) proposed by the federal government is based on the prevention of deficiency diseases, rather than on a preventative health approach. For twenty five years I've taken antioxidants, first vitamins E, C, and A, and later a more complex blend of supplements. Currently, I believe that everyone needs an array of vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals, and immune strengtheners. I am taking Mannatech's Optimal Health Plan. If you don't know about them, read up on the benefits of phytochemicals and neutriceuticals.

Finally, as you make your way through the bewildering array of health systems, beware of one size fits all theories. We all are unique, and, there are many classifications of human beings. 

Posted: Tue - October 25, 2005 at 12:08 PM          

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