Achieving a state of physical, mental, and emotional coherence is often very simple. It does not require complicated methods and techniques to turn toward a lifestyle of alignment, harmony, and well-being. Sometimes an extreme life event, such as a disease or an illness, forces the person to face the consequences of incoherent living and expedite the necessary readjustments toward a state of wholeness and coherence.
---
Adeline’s Diagnosis
In her early 30s, Adeline received devastating news from her doctor. She was diagnosed with late-stage uterine cancer which had already spread to other places in the body. She was told that she had to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Even after completing all that, the doctors said, she had minimal chances of survival.
Seeing the odds stacked against her, Adeline decided not to submit her body to invasive treatment and therapy. Instead, she thought, she would rather make the most out of her last few months of life. She withdrew from her social life, and stayed close only with her closest friends, whose company she found uplifting and positive.
---
Choosing Harmony
Adeline turned to a different lifestyle. She began to spend a lot of time connecting to nature. She lived in Northern California, in the vicinity of a beautiful redwood forest. Each day, she took long walks, immersing herself in the healing greenery, and connecting to the energy of the forest life. She also connected with the energy of the water by taking long tub baths daily.
Her new way of harmonious living was augmented with other activities as well, such as daily meditation and switching to a healthy diet.
While engaged in these activities, she often visualized small, sparkling stars filled with healing energy falling from heaven. She imagined those stars touching her skin and passing through her body cells. In her visions, each time those stars touched one of the cancer cells, they would cause it to pop and disappear.
---
Miraculous Recovery
Within just a few months of her new life, Adeline was already feeling much stronger, healthier, and better than she had felt ever before. Nine months later, she went for a medical checkup, and her doctors were astonished to see no trace of cancer in her body.
Adeline’s miraculous healing was a result of a simple readjustment to a more harmonious lifestyle. Through several positive activities, she aligned (brought to coherence) her body, heart (emotions), and mind (thoughts).
- Her daily baths and walks in nature nurtured her body and helped her counter the free radicals that cause oxidative stress and lead to cell degeneration.
- Having disconnected from people who caused her negativity and frustration, she filled her heart with elevating emotions.
- Her visualizations of healing energy descending upon her body and healing her meant that she was freeing her mind of negative and fear-based thoughts.
This young woman reclaimed her energy by withdrawing it from people, places, and activities which had caused her chronic stress and a potentially terminal disease.
As a result of redirecting this energy toward her benefit, Adeline experienced complete self-healing, and she achieved a state of holistic well-being. Even though completely healed of cancer, she embraced this new lifestyle as her permanent choice. Seven years later, she still meditated, spent a lot of time in nature, and stayed away from negative people.
---
Stress and Health
Science has confirmed that stress weakens the immune response, alters hormonal levels, and leads to unhealthy behaviors. The combination of these three risk factors is dangerous, as they can adversely affect our health.
Stress has been identified as the leading cause of many serious psychosomatic diseases and several leading causes of death. People who are exposed to continued stress are at a higher risk for:
- Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases
- Type-2 diabetes
- Weakened immunity systems
- Sleep problems
- Depression and anxiety
It is therefore important to understand stress—what it is, what triggers it, and what are some of the more common coping mechanisms that one can easily adopt.
Stress occurs as a response to specific situations, challenges, and demands that we perceive as overwhelming. When we feel pressured and unable to cope with a situation, we develop stress. We experience stress as physical or emotional tension. Stress is a reaction to either actual (real) or perceived danger. As a chronic condition, it can cause chronic ailments and diseases.
Sources of stress can be found everywhere—in situations related to school, education, work, career, finances, family, community, or even society at large. The environmental triggers of stress—such as aggression, particular noises, exams, interviews, financial loss, or a loss of a loved one—are known as stressors. Even positive experiences, such as getting a new job, moving to a new house, getting married, or having a baby can lead to stress.
---
Types of Stress
There are three types of stress:
- Traumatic (due to an extreme event/situation)
- Sudden (due to a disruptive change in one’s life circumstances)
- Routine (due to daily demands)
Stress can also be:
- Acute (short-term)
- Chronic (long-term)
---
Effects of Stress
It is important to understand that stress is not always negative. Stress is a natural defense/survival mechanism, which prepares our body for a fight-or-flight response.
Due to the physiological changes that occur in the body at the time of stress, we are prepared to either evade or confront the situation. A controlled amount of stress (especially when the individual can cope well with it) can be a strong motivator.
However, there are many dangers linked to long exposure to stress. If stress triggers occur too often, become regular, or there are too many concurrent stressors, then they can take a toll on a person’s mental and physical health.
Some immediate symptoms of being stressed include:
- Nervousness and irritability
- Headaches
- Heartburn
- Sweating
- Back pain
- Pain in the chest
- Fainting
- Cramps
Stress triggers the following changes:
Physical
The body gets flooded with stress-induced hormones (cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine). It prepares to act, activating all its resources.
As a result:
- Pulse and blood pressure rise
- Breathing becomes more rapid
- We become more alert
- We start to sweat profusely
- Muscles stiffen (heightened muscle preparedness)
- Most importantly, immune activity decreases
Emotional
Some of the most common emotional reactions to stress are:
- Nervousness
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Nail-biting
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
- Forgetfulness
Behavioral
- Eating disorders
- Substance abuse
- Public emotional outbursts
- Social withdrawal
Our stress reaction is subjective. There is no one unique way people respond to stress. Some individuals are resilient to stressors and have a high threshold of tolerance. Others can respond strongly to a single stressful situation.
---
Managing Stress
Fortunately, there are many stress-management tips and tools that can help one become more resilient to stress and cope better with stressful situations.
Some simple ones include:
- Eating and sleeping well
- Engaging in regular exercise or physical activity
- Practicing relaxation, meditation, massage, yoga, tai chi, breathwork, and other spiritual techniques
- Target and goal setting
- Engaging in hobbies and arts
- Staying connected to people who make you feel good
- Spending time with family and friends
- Cultivating an attitude of gratitude
- Learning to say “no” to overwhelming demands
---
Sources
The case study is adapted from the book Mind to Matter: The Astonishing Science of How Your Brain Creates Material Reality by Dawson Church, published by Hay House, in 2018.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145855#symptoms
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/
https://www.cancer.ca/en/prevention-and-screening/reduce-cancer-risk/make-informed-decisions/myths-and-controversies/stress/?region=on
---
Experience - Clarity - Case-Study