I don’t know about you, but since lockdown began, I have been getting into podcast’s in a big way!
During a recent browse, I came across a series of podcast’s by by Kate and Oliver Hudson (Goldie Hawn’s adult children). In one particular episode, they had a brilliant guest speaker, Dr Joe Dispenza, a neuroscientist, who was talking about immunity and the bodies innate ability to heal itself. The ability for the body to heal itself is a foundation belief in osteopathy and now it is something that science is able to prove.
In the podcast, Dr Joe Dispenza explain’s that ‘living in fear is like living in survival mode. Survival mode switches on a rudimentary system, one which respond’s in the same way each time it is activated, irrespective of the threat (physical threat e.g. trauma, chemical threat e.g. diabetes or emotional threat e.g. anxiety).
If we live in fear, our body will mobilse all the resource’s we need to run away. This use’s a lot of energy, energy that your body could be using on maintaining a healthy inner environment: growing, repairing and building immunity, thus people living in fear are more susceptible to infection.‘
His remedy for this? ‘Trade fear for an elevated positive emotion e.g. joy or gratitude.’
A recent study conducted by Dr Dispenza during a 4 day workshop, recorded 120 participant’s baseline Cortisol (stress hormone) and IGA levels (primary immune defence system) before asking them to do a simple gratitude exercise;
‘for 10 minutes, 3 x per day, remember a moment of joyful happiness and re-live it, or be grateful – observe nature or think of something you are grateful for, something than means a lot to you, something that will open your heart.’
The result’s of this intervention on the baseline level of Cortisol and IGA were startling. In four day’s, participant’s had managed to increase their IGA levels by as much as 50% and their Cortisol level’s were significantly reduced.
His conclusion? ‘People who live in fear are more prone to virus’ and we have the power, within us all, to up-regulate our immune responses.
‘Help yourself to stay well by taking a 10 min break, 3 x per day and open your heart, take deeper breaths, and think happy thought’s.