“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.”
My body has been a house-on-fire for half a decade. Alarms have been ringing at the internal firehouse in response to peril and pitfall nearly non-stop. From what I can tell, the last five years have been a compounding sequence of hyper-inflammatory responses. A healthy, normal inflammatory response has gone off the rails.
My body (and emotions) have experienced in succession:
1. Stroke
2. Cancer
3. Pulmonary Embolism
4. Septic Shock
5. Cancer again.
Each disease produced an internal sense of alarm, and a cellular memory under siege. The authors of Designed to Heal indicate,
“Our immune system…is all about memory…It stores molecular and cellular memories of past infections, as well as encounters with hostile intruders such as foreign blood type or protein. When it experiences those a second time, it is ready with a much stronger inflammatory response.” (1)
Cancer can be associated with an inflammatory response that is outsized and disordered.
The joyful antidote
This is why I am learning to practice both joy and quieting. I am also praying to bring shalom to disordered inflammation.
“Shalom is a Hebrew word that carries multiple meanings, the most common of which is “peace.” However, its meanings go beyond that, encompassing concepts like harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility. ”
Creating shalom in the body
McLauren and Culiat suggest that, “positivity assists healing rates from surgeries and serious diseases. It is an essential component of a healthy defense system.” (2) To be clear, “positivity” isn’t denial. We notice and name our emotions; then practice ways to return to joy and peace.
Creating shalom in your body can be done simply, over time, by any or all of the following:
Spending time in appreciation. As I scan my environment, what or who do I appreciate? What positive memories can I recall, then feel? Appreciation (especially feeling the positive emotions associated with a good memory) moves our noticing from rational thought to increased internal security.
Appreciation increases our sense of positive bonding with God and others. The more moments I spend in appreciation mode, the more my brain looks for the positive.Learning how to quiet from difficult emotions. The organization “THRIVE today” teaches skills for returning to peace after big emotions.
Exploring resources like, Building Bounce, by Warner and Hinman. Or, The Joy Switch, by Coursey.
Your body wants to heal. It is designed to heal. Building joy and quiet is a proven way to help us get there.
Sources:
Designed to Heal, by McLauren and Culiat
Ibid