By Richard Tardif
The body knows best how to heal itself, but science has come up with a plethora of ways to ingest, rub on, and intervene in the name of healing. In many cases, but not all, we become dependent on and believe in the medicine as a cure. This is leading to long-term dependency on pain killers, mashing up our bodies, our minds and inevitably, robbing us of our spirit.[mfn] https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/painkillers/understanding-why-painkillers-become-so-addictive.html [/mfn]
It also robs us of the opportunity to promote personal wellness and better manage those things in our private and professional lives. This includes finding time to tend to our own health needs but also taking part in activities that revitalize us, strengthen our resilience, and keep us connected.
Heal thyself [mfn = style #0101df ] The moral of the proverb in general, containing within itself also a criticism of hypocrisy, is to attend to one’s own defects before those in others. This meaning is underlined in the fable of The Frog and the Fox that was attributed to Aesop. [/mfn] is something that is based as a biblical proverb meaning that people should take care of their own defects and not just correct the faults of others. According to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, Jesus said he expected to hear this proverb from the people of his hometown of Nazareth, because they would want him to work miracles there, as he had in other towns nearby. But he “did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.”
As a modern term, heal thyself refers to the readiness and ability of Doctors to heal sickness in others while sometimes not being able or willing to heal themselves. Doctors, nurses and administrators are more likely to be diagnosed with asthma, depression and obesity than the general population, and according to a 2016 study,[mfn] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5119873/[/mfn] they made more trips to the emergency room for chronic conditions like congestive heart failure and hypertension. In addition, these employees spent nine percent more on medical expenses and prescription drugs, and they were five percent more likely to be hospitalized. They were also less likely to get standard preventive tests for everything from high cholesterol to breast cancer.
Parents often think of others first. Our professions are often our priorities. Fortunately, we are learning how to access our inner pharmacy.[mfn] More than 5,000 years ago, ancient yogic seers discovered the mind’s infinite capacity to heal the body. They understood that we are all inextricably woven from the fabric of the natural world and therefore have unlimited access to the intelligence, energy, joy, abundance and health of the universe. https://www.yogitimes.com/article/awakening-consciousness-david-simon[/mfn]
Often, we refer to this as “me” time, or “quality” time yet it is time stamped, meaning it is temporary and we often return to what ills us.
Over the lifespan, we can start by adopting small changes, like getting one extra hour of sleep [mfn]https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-why-good-sleep-is-important [/mfn]each night, getting to the gym, add in some nutrious foods while eliminating the less nutrious foods, and dedicating quality time to spend with family and friends. Throughout the day, stop, breath in and out, and do it for yourself. Tai Chi. Yoga. Meditation. When it comes down to it, it’s about how you can change. Just. Eat. Right.
Richard Tardif is a personal fitness trainer, health & fitness author, speaker and an award-winning journalist. Richard’s first book Stop the Denial: A Case for Embracing the Truth About Fitness,[mfn] https://www.amazon.ca/Stop-Denial-Embracing-Truth-Fitness/dp/1775026809/ref=redir_mobile_desktop/142-4173396-5574135?_encoding=UTF8&dpID=41mlSwp4%2BuL&dpPl=1&keywords=stop%20the%20denial&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&qid=1507476266&ref=plSrch&ref_=mp_s_a_1_1&sr=8-1[/mfn] challenges, surprises, and inspires you to embrace a fitness lifestyle that will work in achieving your individual goals.
