THE SEVEN PILLARS OF HEALTH by Sheena Murphy & Lori Preshing
Sheena Murphy
Life is not a linear path, as with everything there will always be ups and downs. Marriage, career, family life, raising children, reaching life goals - all take resilience, persistence and a positive outlook. With the complex challenges of today, self care is more important than ever. How can we provide for our children’s complex needs, if we ourselves are running on empty? Our philosophy is about creating awareness for the pillars of health for yourself and family: air, hydration, sleep, nutrition, movement, detox and connection.
AIR:
The number one thing your body needs to survive is air.
Our bodies are biochemical machines. The way you feel, decisions you make, emotions that come up, are all a result of chemical messages in your body. Breathing communicates very specific messages to your body, it is bred into our DNA that shallow chest breathing is our bodies’ response to danger, as evolved when our ancestors lived in the wild.
The bodies’ reaction to stress is to respond in flight, fight or freeze, which means your nervous system responds accordingly, stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) are released and you begin to breathe shallow and fast. All energy is diverted away from organs and shunted to limbs for survival. Said another way- in this state, your digestion, immune system and brain are shut down so your body can physically react. Today, most of us stay in this constant state from the daily stress of work, family issues, news etc. So, when we understand this basic principle, we can change the messages being sent to the body, by a very simple technique...BREATHING! Deep breathing (into the belly) communicates a biochemical message of safety to the body, which calms the nervous system, reduces the stress hormones and rediverts energy back to all the internal systems for proper functioning.
Learning breathwork and meditation are a simple but a powerful way to change the state of your body.
The quality of the air we breathe is important too! As we spend much of our time indoors, draw your attention to its quality:
1. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): are gases and odors released from chemicals in our daily lives (paints, cleaning products, carpets, toys, cooking products, furniture, etc.) and can compound with long-term effects like minor irritations, to organ damage.
2. Radon: in certain areas, this gas is released from land development, which can have a significant effect on our lungs.
3. Particulate Matter (PM): range of particles of dust, dirt and liquids in the air that can get into your lungs or blood stream, which can cause a range of minor irritations (runny nose, sore throat), to triggering asthma or allergies, to aggravating cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
4. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): in large amounts, can affect your sleep, increase drowsiness, headaches, and blood pressure.
5. Pollens: plants in the environment that can be irritants and cause allergic reactions responses.
6. Molds: this is a major problem in the household, when you spot mold bring in a service to assess the area. Breathing in mold spores over time can cause health issues that compound with other conditions.
Tips:
WATER:
While you can go weeks without food, you need water daily.
Humans constitute about 70% water and our brains are largely made of water. Water is needed to perform every mechanism and system in your body. Most of us are walking around in chronic degrees of dehydration that lead to a variety of unnoticed symptoms - fatigue, joint pains, brain fog, headaches.
Dehydration sends messages of scarcity and distress to our bodies. Our ancestors would have consumed a great deal of their water through the fresh foods they ate since water was not so abundant. As a result, our bodies evolved to send a hunger signal when we are dehydrated in order to prompt us to eat water rich foods. Today, all processed food is severely lacking in water and actually dehydrates us even further.
Tips
SLEEP:
In our busy society, unfortunately sleep is slowly being underestimated and undervalued. Sleep is crucial for the body to do all the things it cannot during the day when digestion and focus take priority. During sleep, the body does cellular repairs, elimination of old cells, detox takes place in all organs, including the brain, optimization of the immune system occurs, and it is the only time for muscle and bone growth- highly important for little growing bodies.
Sleep debt is the new growing term used for the chronically sleep deprived. This state becomes the catalyst for dis-ease and premature aging.
Tips:
NUTRITION:
Every species on the planet has a specific diet. Humans have evolved to require a diversity of whole foods, which provide nutrients in order to optimally function.
Think about a high-performance sports car that needs a higher-grade gasoline for optimal performance. If you put a low-grade gasoline in that same car, it will still run but you will lose some of the performance capabilities and overtime leads to costly repairs.
Our bodies are the same way, we are meant to extract vital nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, proteins, fats) that keep our body working efficiently. Todays food choices mainly consist of starches, sugars and processed boxes that do not provide what we need. Shelf life has become more important than human health. We need to return to the basics of gardening and eating foods that are living in order to get the nutrients that we need:
MOVEMENT & DETOXIFICATION:
Movement is a core component of our detoxification system. Most of the vital systems in your body are built on a pump system, however, our lymphatic system (detox), moves toxins and waste out of our bodies, does not have a pump.
This system needs movement to mechanically move the fluid that carries the waste and toxins throughout the body. Our ancestors would have been moving constantly to find food, protection, searching for water, or building camp, movement was built into the day. Today our sedentary ways have taken their toll on the physical body, not only in weight, reduced limb mobility but detoxification. Coupled with our growing toxic environment, our bodies are no longer able to eliminate the toxins from everyday life - they compound and cause dis-ease. Keeping a regular practice of movement/activity in your schedule, something you enjoy, is now the only way to keep these systems moving as we age.
Core Movements to consider:
Connection: We are social animals and best we survive by living in a community setting. Physical touch and the act of connecting and giving with another human causes the release of oxytocin and serotonin hormones, which boosts our mood, supports immune function, and reduces stress. Taking the time with your loved ones, therapy, massage, neuromovement, osteopathy, there are many ways you can remain connected and grounded with others.
For a worldwide listing of certified NeuroMovement® professionals serving Children with Special Needs, please visit www.NeuroConnect.world
For more information about the Anat Baniel Method® NeuroMovement®, please visit www.anatbanielmethod.com
