Tag: healing

Creativity Will Keep You Well

On By mary3atkinsIn BlogLeave a comment

Do you remember that catchy song written by Bobby McFerrin in the late 90’s ‘Be happy, don’t worry.’ If you do hum along with me as you read the good news of why the fun of creativity is so-ooo good for us.

Biologist Dr Bruce Lipton explains –
‘Cells, tissues, and organs do not question information sent by the nervous system. Rather, they respond with equal fervour to accurate life-affirming perceptions and to self-destructive misperceptions’ .

Dr Bruce Lipton

‘Each of our cells is a living entity, and the main thing that influences them is our blood. If I open my eyes in the morning and my beautiful partner is in front of me, my perception causes a release of oxytocin, dopamine, growth hormones – all of which encourage the growth and health of my cells. But if I see a saber tooth tiger, I’m going to release stress hormones which change the cells to a protection mode. People need to realize that their thoughts are more primary than their genes, because the environment, which is influenced by our thoughts, controls the genes.’ Dr. Bruce H Lipton

Be happy ……

What makes us happy is being in the FLOW

Flow is a psychological state in which individuals feel entirely and joyfully absorbed in an activity that challenges their skills and abilities. 

The term Flow was coined by Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (delightfully pronounced Me-High-Chick-Sent-Me-Hi) Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University in California USA. He was also the founder and co-director of the non-profit research institute Quality of Life Research Center that studies happiness and creativity. 

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Died in October 2021 aged 87

Creativity is not limited to our stereo type idea of picking up a paintbrush, threading a needle, using a hot gun, a block of clay or strumming a guitar it can be a physical activity like sport. According to Prof Me-High-Chick-Sent-Me-Hi the act of stretching yourself, is the first important step of getting in the Flow.

Flow is when time means nothing, your whole being is involved and you are using your skills to the utmost. 

‘The best moments in our lives, are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times—although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them. The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.’ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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Be Still and Know I am God

On By mary3atkinsIn BlogLeave a comment

I am not religious but I am spiritual (whatever that might mean to you) and a favourite quote of mine ‘Be still and know I am God,’ which will immediately make me feel connected to a higher power. Stillness I believe is peacefulness and quiet. 

Periods of silence were important to my healing so many decades ago. But just as valuable in helping us to survive these times. ‘Quiet is a part of care, as essential for patients as medication or sanitation.’Said the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale in the 19th century. It is an old-fashioned notion but one that today’s researchers have found is true.

In 2006, the University of Pavia in northern Italy conducted a study of the effects of music on our cardio and respiratory health. Test subjects were given a random series of two-minute musical tracks. The study results found music did stimulate changes in the body but the most exciting outcome came when they looked at the two-minute silent tracks, which interspersed the music. They found that silence was far more relaxing and beneficial to health than music.

University of Pavia

In another research on the effects of periods of quiet by a biologist at the Duke University in USA found that mice when subjected to two hours silence a day prompted cell development in the (learning and memory) hippocampus region of the brain. 

The quote ‘silence is golden, talking is silver,’ originated in Finland – a land of lakes, forests, and yes you guessed it, stillness. The Finnish Tourism Board recognised the worth of serenity and quietness both of their people and their landscape, seeing it as a valuable point of difference. They have successfully rebranded their country with a tourism campaign ‘Silence Please.’

When in the silence the mind quietens and you are at one in the moment it is easy to surrender. Surrendering is an act of faith, a handing over to a universal love or your form of God trusting that all will be well. Marianne Williamson, the spiritual leader and author said ‘Something amazing happens when we surrender and just love. We melt into another world, a realm of power already within us.’

How Open Are You to Possibilities?

On By mary3atkinsIn Blog2 Comments
I saw a post recently that dumbed down someone’s healing from multiple sclerosis. Several people posted to the effect that the person had been misdiagnosed and the assumption being that his beliefs in being ‘healed’ had no real foundation.
 IMG_4972When I was a young bride in the early ’60’s and a new mother I had episodes of muscle weakness, paralysis, impaired vision, headaches and painful nerve twitching for nearly five years.  This was put down to severe morning sickness, having two babies close together – exhaustion and in pregnancy  – the babies’ lying on the nerve’.  50 years ago there was no MRI, so sophisticated tools for diagnosing MS save a rubber mallet and a pin.  They basically went on the past history and presenting symptoms.  When I was diagnosed my random symptoms like pendulum waves created the perfect event for the first and second opinions of what they called back then ‘aggressive’ MS and that I would be wheelchair bound within a very short time.
But I recovered – full health – and have been in remission for 54 years.  Yes, of course, it could have been a misdiagnosis – but consider that at the time it was extremely difficult to diagnose with the tools available to neurologists.  They would have needed to have the strongest evidence to support their diagnosis.
Nevertheless, to me, it does not matter whether I had had a series of small strokes (as a medical friend later hypothesized) or MS. Simply  I was extremely sick.  Back then there also was no drugs, no medication to help.  Instead, I listened to my intuition and through rest, mediation and focusing a daily creative practice I came back to full health.  The only possible indicator that I had a severe illness is in my feet -peripheral neuropathy – a result of damage to nerves (or could it be simply old age?!)
The point here is what the heck does a label of a disease matter? People do recover from 18053023catastrophic illnesses, life-threatening illnesses. Read Radical Remission by Kelly Turner – visit the Radical Remission Project  FB page or website to see authenticated stories of people healing. In March I received the privilege of being Radical Remission’s Healing Story of the month – amazing being alongside so many who have returned to wellness.
Over the years I tried to tell my story to people who suffered MS but their eyes glazed over, ‘yes, but …..’ so I stopped until I could prove the steps that I had taken ticked all of the scientific boxes only then did I write my story  ‘A Journey of Creative Healing.’  Naturally, I would love you to read it,  but more importantly I want to ask – how open are you to possibilities, or still open after disappointment and disappointment in learning to live with the disease?
 I know the disease is wretched but please don’t close down to possibilities.  My story, like virtually all the stories in the Radical Remission Project records, was no ‘pick up your bed and walk’ miracle, it took time, resilience, focus and a powerful belief that I would recover from whatever ailed me.