The Missing Puzzle Piece To Total-Body Health & Vitality: Switch On Your Body’s Innate Healing Powe

The Missing Puzzle Piece to Total-Body Health & Vitality

Switch On Your Body’s Innate

Healing Powers with Meditation and Mindset Practices

INTEGRATIVE PHYSICIAN | BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

Isaac Eliaz, MD, MS, LAc is a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine with more than 30 years of experience as a physician and researcher. He has partnered with some of the nation’s leading research institutes, including Harvard and Columbia Universities. As an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of cancer and other complex diseases, Dr. Eliaz embraces a whole-person approach to healing He is the author of The Survival Paradox, as well as the owner and formulator of EcoNugenics, a line of science-backed supplements. He is also the founder and medical director of Amitabha Medical Clinic & Healing Center in Santa Rosa, Calif

PART ONE HOW THE SURVIVAL RESPONSE AFFECTS OUR HEALTH

CHAPTER

ONE

WHAT IS THE SURVIVAL PARADOX?

RebeccafirstcametoseemeatAmitabhaMedicalClinicin2011.Shewas seventy,withstage4lungcancerthathadmetastasizedtoherbones.Shehadno familyandlivedalone;hercompanionthatdaywasastone-facedchauffeur waitinginacaroutsidetheclinic.Withtearsinhereyes,shetoldmeshehad justbeendiagnosed.Handsshaking,sheshowedmethePETscanreport highlightingthemultipletumorsthroughoutherbody.Basedonwhatthe oncologistsaid,sheunderstoodthatherlifecouldcometoanendverysoon.

“Idon’twanttodie,”shesaid.“I’mnotreadytogo.”Everycellinherbody wasreelingwithanxietyandfear.Herrestlessnesswaspalpableintheair.

Asanintegrativephysicianwhotreatscancer,I’dhadthisconversationmany times.Ihandedheratissueandshewipedhertears.“IwilldoanythingIcanto overcomethiscancer,”shesaidfirmly.Iacknowledgedherfiercedetermination, herresolve.Afterall,determinationiswhat’sneededfirstandforemostto overcomeadeadlydisease,right?

Withheranxietysopalpable,Iwonderedhowthisfearmustbeaffectingher. Notjustonthelevelofheremotionsorqualityoflife;Iwonderedhowitwas affectingthecancercells.Willthisfear-baseddeterminationnottodiehelpher overcomeherdisease?Orwillitcausehertobecomesickerandshortenherlife? Heranxietywassoprominentthatitinfusedhersurroundings,affectingher abilitytotakeadeepbreath.Itwasconstantsuffering,anditwasclearshewas in“survivalmode.”

Beinginsurvivalmodemeantthathersympatheticnervoussystem hormones,thedriversofherinnatebiochemicalresponsepatterns,weredialed allthewayup.Heradrenaline,noradrenaline,andcortisolwereelevated,and herinsulinwasspiking.Herimmuneresponsewasbeingsuppressed,andher metabolic function was altered. Ultimately, it meant that many of the compoundssheexcretedinanefforttosurvivewouldverylikelynourishher cancerandallowittogrowandsurviveaswell.

Survivalmodeisoftenastateofstressandpanic.Thebodyfeelsrushedand doesn’tslowdown,andallcells,whethernormalorcancerous,fightharderto survive.Thus,Rebecca’sanxietyandfearofdyingcould“feed”thecancerous cells.Herbestchanceatbeatingthecancerandlivingalongerlifewastoshift awayfromsurvivalmodeandmoveintoastateofgreaterrelaxation,withless reactivityonthecellular,emotional,andpsychologicallevels.

Basedonresearchandmyyearsofworkwithpatients,onethinghasbecome clear: when facing a life-threatening or debilitating illness, the natural biochemicalstressresponse,ourinnatefight-or-flightmechanismsthatare drivenbyourinstincttosurvivearefundamentallyatoddswithourabilityto healandthrive.Thissurvivaldrive,rootedinoursympatheticnervoussystem andexpressedbyourbiochemicalalertsystem,isnotgoingtosaveus.Infact,it canharmus.

Howdoesthisphysiologicalresponsesystemturnagainstussodramatically, fuelingdiseaseprocessesandprematureaging?Andmoreimportantly,whatcan wedoaboutit?

Thegoodnewsis,wecandoalot.Andwecandoitinawaythatisactually simplerthananyonefacingacomplexhealthcondition—patientorprovider— mighthaveimagined.

We’llcontinuetodiscussthedetailsofRebecca’streatmentandoutcomesin thenextchapter.Iwitnessedsomethingincredibleinhercase,aswellasin manyothers.SomethingthatBruceLipton,DeepakChopra,andmanyothers havewrittenabout,andwhattheyogisandmysticshavebeensayingfor millennia: the mind can influence the body to heal spontaneously and completely.Themindcandeliverthebodyfromthebrinkofdeathanddisease tovitalityandlongevity.

THE CATCH-22 OF “POSITIVE THINKING”

Publishedevidenceonthemind-bodyconnectionissignificantandgrowing rapidly,andbasedonmypersonalandclinicalexperience,theresultscanbe exponential.Itspoweriswithinusallthetime,andit’sabsolutelyavailablefor ustouse.

So,

whydoesn’titalwayswork?

Ifmind-bodymedicineistheclinicallystudiedgoldstandard“alternative” deemedthesafestandmostbeneficialtreatmentandincreasinglyadoptedand appliedinclinicalsettingsaroundtheworld,itstandstoreasonthatmanymore peoplewouldbeabletomeditateor“positivelythink”theirdiseaseinto remission.

It’stheultimatecatch-22:whensomeoneisfacingalife-threateningdisease, askingthemtorelax,changetheirthoughtpatterns,andfocusonhappy, healingenergyismucheasiersaidthandone.It’slikeaskingsomeonewhose houseisonfiretostaycalm,thinkpositively,anddeeplyinhalethesmokefrom theirburninghome.

We’rebuiltforsurvival.Wedon’tjustwantbutintrinsicallyneedto overcomediseaseandtoheal.I’vecometofind,basedonextensivepublished researchandyearsofclinicalobservation,thatthissurvivaldriveistheone majorblockagestandinginthewayofwould-besuccesses.

Inanerawhenwetendtolookforquickfixesandsymptomsuppressors, we’rereallyjustsuppressingourhealingcapacity.Wedon’ttakethetimeto stop,slowdown,andlookwithin.Theideathatwedon’thavetime—thatwe must rush, and must compete with everyone, including ourselves—is detrimentaltoourhealthandwell-being.

WhatRebeccaneededaboveallelsewastoslowthissympatheticnervous systemresponse,butshecouldn’t.Herhousewasburningdown,and shecouldn’ttakeadeepbreathinthemidstofwhatappearedtobealifethreateningsituation.

Whenweexperienceasenseofrestlessness,notfeelingsafe,ornottrusting ourenvironmentandcommunity,itcantranslateallthewaydowntothe cellularlevel.Whenwefeelunsafeandbelieveweneedtosurviveonourown, itchangesthemetabolismandfunctionofourcells—theyreceivesignalsfrom theirenvironmentthatthereisalackofoxygen.Theformaltermforlackof oxygenishypoxia,andthehypoxiccellcan’tbreatheornaturallyrelax.(In cancerhowever,thecellsbehavethiswayeveninthepresenceofoxygen, whichwe’lldiscussindetaillaterinthebook.)

Tobeginthehealingprocess,weneedtomoveahypoxiccelltoaplace whereitfeelsitcanbreathe,createanormalmetabolism,andreturntonormal mitochondrialfunction.Todothis,thecellandthepersonmustshiftawayfrom astateofsurvivaltowardastateofrelaxation.Toachievesuchachange,the personasawholemustexperiencesafetyandbalanceallthewaytothecellular level.Thesurvivalalarmhastobeturnedoff!

So,howdidRebeccaandIbeginaddressinghercancer?Howwassheableto takeadeepbreath?Weworkeddirectlyonherbiochemistry.Wedidn’tjust circumventherfearandanxiety—wetransformedit.Weusedcertainnatural compoundstoquietthealarmsystem,normalizethecell,andfightthecancer.

Wecombinedthosecompoundswithmeditation,breathingexercises,regular acupuncture,andhealingsessionswithdifferentmodalities,includinghands-on osteopathic,craniosacral,sound,andvisualizationtherapies.Mostimportantly, we surrounded her with unconditional love and affection, a sense of community,andanenvironmentthatheldherwithoutjudgment—wecreateda worldwhereshefeltsafeandloved.

A DEEPER HEART-BODY CONNECTION

Themind-bodyconnectionisamazing,andit’snotaone-waystreet.Emotions, thoughts, and subconscious responses clearly affect our biochemistry, our physiology,andoursubjectiveandobjectiveexperiencesofhealthanddisease. Atthesametime,ourbiochemistrysharplyaffectsouremotionsandour thoughts.Itaffectswhoweareatthecore.

Meditationandothermind-bodypracticescanundoubtedlygiveusthe quantumedgeinhealing.Theyworknotonlybecausetheycancalmour anxiety,reduceinflammation,andreverseourbiochemicaldiseaseprocesses— theyalsoworkbecausetheymeltourrigidityandrelaxourfixations.They dissolvetheliteralboundariesbetweenthepersonandthedisease,allowingthe person to reach and engage the tumor, the atherosclerotic plaque, the burrowingLymespirochete,oranyotheropportunisticinfection.

However,mind-bodymethodslikemeditationcanonlyunleashourinnate healingpotentialwhenwefigureouthowtotrulyengageourhearts.Inthis regard,amoreaccuratetermforthistypeofhealingis“heart-bodymedicine” ratherthan“mind-bodymedicine.”Itisheartfulnessratherthanmindfulness.I callthis“openheartmedicine.”

Thebasicphysiologyofourheartandthefundamentalmechanicsofthisvital organfunctioninawaythatactuallyallowsandsupports“miracle”healing—an unexpectedpositiveoutcomethatdefiesprobability.

Ultimately,wehavetogetthroughthethinveneerof“positivethinking”and penetratethedeeperlayersofourdefenses.Ourinstinctualfearsandanxieties, whilepartofourinnatesurvivaldrive,obstructourhealingcapacityby triggeringbiochemicalchangesinourbodythatcreateliteralphysicalbarriers. Thesebarriersaremadeofdifferentcomponentsthatneedtobetreated.For example,therecanbehyperviscosity,whichisthicknessofthebloodthat hamperscirculationandtheabilitytodeliveroxygentothetissue;fibrosis, whichisthescarringorhardeningoftissuesandorgans;biofilmstructures, whichformprotectiveshieldsaroundtumorsandpathogens;andmore.Andall ofthiswilltranslateintochangesincommunicationsbetweenthecellandits environment.Thiscauseschangesinsidethecellsandaffectstheirfunction.

So,whatisthekeytoshiftingusfromsurvivaltoharmony?Fromdiseaseto longevity?Whatisthismetabolicsurvivalalarmthatmustbeturnedoff?

Researchershaveidentifiedonemasterproteinproducedbythebody,which isattheheadwatersofourbiochemicalalarmsystem.Thisproteindictatesour biochemicalandphysiologicalresponsetostress,illness,andinjury.

Themorestresswe’reunder,themoreourbodieswillviewlifeasabattle, leadingtoongoingconflictandfrictionwithin.Productionofthissurvival proteinwillrampupinanefforttoresolvetheconflictingdialoguebetweenthe bodyandtheoutsideworldandbetweendifferentsystemsandcellswithinthe body.Hereiswherewecanseetheparadoxofthissurvivalproteininaction.

Themolecularendresultofthisreactivedefensestrategyiscontraction, isolation,andoftendisease.Thesearesurvivalresponses,whicharedrivenby self-preservationbutunfortunatelyleadtoinflammationandfibrosis.These responsesalsoleadtodegenerationatthecellularlevel,organsystemlevel,and atthelevelofourwell-beingandlongevity.Theyhaltthecooperationbetween ourtrillionsofcellsthatwouldotherwiseseamlesslycommunicatewitheach otherinthemiracleoflife.Thebodyhasaninnatecapacitytohealitself—when thesurvivalresponsedoesn’tstandinitsway.

CHAPTER TWO THE ARCHITECT OF THE SURVIVAL RESPONSE: GALECTIN-3

Nowthatyouknowwhatthesurvivalparadoxis,let’smeetitsmolecular architect.

Ifyou’veneverheardofgalectin-3,youaren’talone.Despitethefactthat therearethousandsofpaperspublishedaboutitsroleindrivingeverythingfrom cancertoheartandkidneyfailureandmuchmore,thevastmajorityofpeople— includingmosthealthcarepractitioners—haveneverheardofiteither!But you’reabouttohearalotaboutit.

Therearedifferenttypesofgalectins,butthemoststudied(yetlittle-known) one is galectin-3, a fascinating carbohydrate-binding protein. On close examination,itplaysanimportantroleinthebalancebetweenhealthand disease. It is the core component and initiator of our self-preservation mechanism.Icallit“thesurvivalprotein.”Let’sdefineexactlywhatitisand whatitdoesinsidethehumanbody.

THE OPERATION OF GALECTIN-3

Wheninjury,illness,orotherstressorsoccur,ourinnatesurvivalresponse triggerstheproductionandactivityofgalectin-3.Intheseinstances,galectin-3 initiatesacascadeofprocessesthatarenecessaryforinjuryrepair.Howeverif thealarmfailstoturnoffafterthethreatsubsides,galectin-3getsoutofcontrol and can seriously harm us.

Whengalectin-3activitycontinuesuncontrollably,iteffectively“goes rogue,”drivinginflammationandfibrosisratherthanhealing.This,inturn,can leadtonumerousdiseaseprocesses.What’smore,pathogenssuchasdifferent infectiousagentsandtumorscanhijackgalectin-3anduseitfortheirown survival.Thisisakeyissuethatcanbetreatedstrategically,andwe’llfurther explorethisconceptthroughoutthenextchapters.

Galectin-3isproducedor expressed indifferenttypesofcells.Inparticular, galectin-3isexpressedinimmunecells,inepithelialcells(theonesthatcoat certaintissuessuchasthoseoftheintestinesandlungs),inendothelialcells(the inner-liningcellsofthebloodvessels),andinsensoryneurons,amongothers.

Weunderstandthatgalectin-3canbebeneficialorharmful,buthowcanone proteinharmandbenefitusatthesametime?Togainabetterinsightintothis paradox—oursurvivalparadox—let’stakeajourneytogetherintothestructure ofthisprotein.

Galectin-3hasachimerastructure,meaningthat different structures from various sources come togethertocreateit(achimericcharacteryoumight befamiliarwithisFrankenstein:hewascreatedfrom manydifferentparts).Whengalectin-3isactivated, itcanbindtoothergalectin-3proteinsandother carbohydratestoformcomplexstructures.Uptofive individual galectin-3 proteins can stick together, creatingfive-sidedstructurescalled pentamers.

Whengalectin-3formspentamers,thesecanattachtoothergalectin-3 pentamers,toothercarbohydrates(sugars),andtocell-surfacereceptors,where thesestructurescanthenmediatecellreactionsandcontroltheinteraction betweenthecellandtheenvironment.Soundscomplicated?Itisabit.Butdon’t worry,we’llbreakitdown.

Oursurvivalprotein,galectin-3,isactivatedwhenweexperienceasudden threat,beitphysical,emotional,mental,orpsychological.It’salsoactivatedin casesofinjury,infection,cancer,orotherillnesses.Whengalectin-3isactivated, itturnsonmultiplepathwaysthatinitiateinflammationandtheprocessof fibrosis,andsuchscartissuebuild-upcanleadtohardeninganddysfunctionof tissuesandorgansystems.Furthermore,itcanalsooverexpressitselfinspecific areasofthebody,forexample,inthejoints,cardiovascularsystem,orthebrain. Andwhatistrulyamazingisthatitcanexertverydifferenteffectsatdifferent sitesbasedonwhatit’sboundto.

GALECTIN-3 EXPRESSION IN MODERN LIFE

Tobetterunderstandthecomplexityofgalectin-3,let’srelateittothebigger picture:ourmodern-dayexistence.Weliveinaworldwherepeoplecontinue tobecomemoreisolated.Whenpeoplearelessconnectedtoeachotherandto theearth,allbecomeweaker.Weexploitandabuseournaturalresources,and weseetheeffectsofrapidclimatechange.Globalwarmingisaninflammatory processontheplanetarylevel.

Atthehumanlevel,ourinternalandexternalsenseofpeaceisdwindling,and ourattentionspansareridiculouslyshort.Wecannolongerwaitforweeks, days,orevenhourstogiveorreceivearesponse—wecanonlytoleratewaiting formilliseconds,andwefeeltheneedtoreactimmediatelytoeverystimulus.

Mostofuslivehigh-stresslifestylesinundatedwithelectronicandotherforms ofstimulation.Idon’tthinkit’sanexaggerationtosaythatourmodernsociety isinastateofoverwhelm.

Thecontinualbarrageofstimulifromeverydirection,theonslaughtof environmentaltoxins,theongoingmental,physical,andemotionalstresswe’ve grownaccustomedto—thesedisturbancesthrowusintosurvivalmodewhere oursystemsareonconstanthighalert,likeanalarmthatneverturnsoff.

Theresult?Unhealthygalectin-3expression,andwithit,progressivedamage tovitalorgansandsystemsoverthelong-term.This,inturn,fuelsmore galectin-3production,formingaperpetuallyclosedloopsystemthatisproving tobeperhapsthesinglegreatestthreattoourhealthandlongevity.

Theconditionofouralarmsystemanditsresponsetostressorsofdifferent originsdependsupontheconditionofmultipleothersystems.It’sinfluencedby theneurological,circulatory,andmetabolicsystems,aswellasmitochondrial function(ourenergyproductionsystem).Ourdietandlifestyleaffectittoo. Regardlessofthenature,origin,orlocationofthestressor,theresponse— galectin-3—hasanextraordinaryinfluenceonourbody’salertsystemand, subsequently,ourentirespectrumofhealthandlongevity.

Forouralarmsystemtoworkcorrectly,ourinflammatory,immune,and otherbiochemicalresponsesmustbecarefullyregulated.Whenthealarmsystem isworkingwell,itcanresolveslow-comingissueslikecancer,aging,orjoint pain.Itcanalsorampupquicklyandaddressimmediatethreatslikecuts, infections,bruises,emotionalstress,andotherdangers.Thenitcanwinddown

justasrapidlyaftertheproblemhaspassed.

Let’scompareahealthyinflammatoryresponsetoanunhealthyoneby thinkingaboutwhathappenswhenweturnonlights.Turningonasingle switchdoesn’ttakemuchenergy.Inthiscase,“turningononelight”alertsthe bodyofanissue,illuminatingtheneedforrepair.Whenthishappenswithinthe body,it’sanentirelynormal,acuteinflammatoryresponse,andwhenthe problemisgone,thelightturnsoff.

However,thetroublebeginswhenaswitchisturnedonandcan’tbeturned off.It’sasthoughacircuithasmalfunctioned.Whentheswitchstayson,it triggersacascade,causingmultiplelightstoswitchon.Thisisthestartof chronicinflammation,andthebodygoesintocrisismode.Atthatpoint,the bodyhasachoice:resolvetheproblemorkeepturningonmorelights.Ifthe bodychoosestokeepswitchingonlights,thiswilleventuallyleadtoamuch biggercrisis.

Anotherproblemwiththeselightsisthattheycanbeturnedoninisolation, awayfromthebody’sradar,meaningthebodywillbeunawarethattheselights areevenon.Justliketheselights,galectin-3canbeactivatedinanisolated microenvironmentwhereitgraduallycausesdamage.Insomecases,bythetime thedamageisdetected,itmaybetoolatetohealorreverseit.Apersonmay wakeuponedaytodiscover“sudden”kidneyfailure,wheninfact,thedamage occurredslowlyovertime—theywerejustunawareofit.

The Risks of Isolation Formations

Isolationisafundamentalsurvivalstrategy.Itisinitiatedanddrivenbygalectin3.Aswediscussedearlier,galectin-3usesmultiplepentamersboundtoeach otherindifferentwaystocreatelatticeformations(orcoatingsorbiofilms). Theseformationscreatepocketsofisolationaroundareasofdamage,infection, andtoxicbuild-up,amongothers.Withinthesemicroenvironmentscreatedby galectin-3,diseasescandevelopundetectedandremainprotectedfromdrug treatmentsandothertherapeuticagents.

Frequentharmfulvisitorswithinthebody—likebacteria,viruses,fungi, parasites,otherinfectiousagents,andcancercells—haveasimilarisolation strategy.Theycanhijackgalectin-3tocreateashieldaroundthemselves(a latticeformation)sotheyareundetectedbytheimmunesystemandcaneven evadetherapeuticagents.Galectin-3canalsoisolatevariousthreatsthataretoo difficultforthebodytodealwith,suchastoxinsandheavymetals.

Youcanimaginethatonapsychologicallevel,wegothroughasimilar process,buryingemotionsandtraumasthataretoodifficultforustodealwith. Evenifthesetraumasarenotatthesurfaceofourawarenessorconsciousness, theycanstillhaveapsychologicalandphysiologicaleffectonus.Youmight havehadanexperiencewhilegoingthroughadetoxprocesswhereanemotion ormemorysurfacesallofasudden.Wherewasthisemotionallthistime?Itwas likelyburiedinamicroenvironmentthatwasnotaccessibletous.Asweopen orrevealourphysiologicalmicroenvironmentsandreleasetoxins,wecanalso openpsychologicalmicroenvironmentsreleasingburiedemotions.

Evenifanisolatedareaisnotspecificallycreatedinordertohidean infectiousagentorcancercell,themicroenvironmentscreatedbythegalectin-3 latticeformationsarestillwalledofffromourcirculation,andthesealtered environmentscanoftenbecomeveryinflamedandhypoxicduetoalackof oxygen.

Hypoxia also shifts our cellular energy production pathway fromnormal mitochondrialfunctionto anaerobic glycolysis,whichisahighlyinefficientway toproduceenergy;itresultsinthebuildupoflacticacidandotherinflammatory metabolicby-products.Thiscanleadtofurtherhypoxia,whichproduces additionalinflammationandgalectin-3expression,causingthehardeningor dysfunctionoftissues,organs,andbloodvessels.

THE PROS AND CONS OF GALECTIN-3

Despitethepotentialharmitcando,galectin-3servesafewimportantpurposes withinthebody.Ithelpsintranuclearcelldevelopmentandextracellularinjury repairandsurvival.However,whenthebodyisincrisisandthereisan upregulationofgalectin-3production,itcanhavedetrimentalconsequences.

Duetocomplexbiochemicalstructuresandgenetictendencieswithineach person,thereisnostandard,predictableresponsewhenitcomestogalectin-3. Thisproteincanbeatdifferentlevelsindifferentpeopleandtriggerdifferent responses,eveniftheyhavethesamecondition.Forexample,somepeople’s bodiesare“hypervigilant,”alwaysonthealert,andtheyrespondtoastimulusor triggerwithoverinflammation.Otherpeoplemaynothaveagood“survival sense,”andtheylacktheabilitytofightandcreatetheproperinflammation. Instead,theyhaveatendencytoshutdownandendupwithsuppressed immunityoranincreaseinfibrosis.

Furthermore,thereisanadaptiveresponsewithgalectin-3,meaningthe reactionisamplifiedduetopreviousphysical,emotional,orpsychological trauma.Inanadaptiveresponse,oursystemhasbeenconditionedtorespondto specifictriggersinaparticularway.Inotherwords,itrepeatsthepatternsitis accustomedto,allthewaytothelevelofourcellularmemory.

Healing without Consequence

Forourbodiestohealproperly,weoftenneedtoremovethestimulantsthat causetheinflammatoryprocesstoperpetuallycontinue.It’snosecretthataswe getolder,ittakesmoreandmoreefforttodothingsthatoncetooknoeffortat all.Whenweareyoungandagile,ourbodiesaremoreefficientandlesstoxic; theyareflexibleandhaveahighcapacityforchange,growth,andrepair.We canmountarobustinflammatoryresponsetoshutaproblemdownwithout consequence.Likethemetaphorofabirdflyingintheskywithoutleavingany trace,orlikewritingonwater,wecanoftensolveaproblemwithoutleavinga trace.

However,asweage,ourbodieslosethatagility,andwearemoreapttocarry ourissueswithus.Forexample,ifaninjuryoccurstotheskininutero,the woundcanhealwithoutatrace,butasweage,thewoundhealingprocessslows andcausesincreasedscarring.Aswetraveltheroadoflife,ourbodiesdisplay theevidenceofourphysical,emotional,psychological,andspiritualtraumas— theynolongerhealwithease.

Themetaphorsforabirdflyingwithoutleavingatraceandwritingonwater comefromBuddhistphilosophy.Theyservetoillustratethenatureofthoughts andexperiencesasarisingandvanishing—anexampleofimpermanence.Thisis whatinflammationshouldbe:itshouldbeanacuteresponsethatoccursand thendisappears.Itshouldturnoffwithoutatraceandwithoutlingering consequences.Thisiswhathappenswhenwehavearobustimmunesystemand whengalectin-3worksappropriately.Andwhenitdoesn’t,thedamagebegins.

The Solution: Blocking Unhealthy Expression of Galectin-3

I’dliketotakeamomenttoemphasizeacriticalpointandtheprimaryreasonI wrotethisbook:wecanabsolutelyinterruptthiscycleofdestructionandhalt— orevenreverse—thesefundamentaldiseaseprocesses.How?Bydeactivating unhealthygalectin-3.

Whenweblockgalectin-3frombinding,wecanbreakuplatticeformations and reach the isolated pockets and areas of the body, including tumor microenvironments.Abnormaltissuesandcells,eventumorouscancercells,can becomenormalonceagain,which,needlesstosay,hastremendousimplications for our health and longevity. By blocking unhealthy galectin-3, we can dismantle its harmful effects and render it inactive, decreasing unhealthy inflammationintheprocess.Thismakesblockinggalectin-3oneofthemost importanttherapeuticstrategiesfortreatingavastarrayofconditions.

REBECCA’S STORY (CONTINUED)

Let’srevisitRebecca’sstorysinceithelpsillustratehowgalectin-3candirectly influencesurvival,health,anddisease.

WhenRebeccacametoseemein2011,itwasthefirstyearwewereableto testgalectin-3levelsintheblood.Thankstoasimplenewserumassaythatwas recentlyapprovedbytheFDAandisnowreadilyavailable,shewasoneofthe veryfirstpatientsinmypracticetohavegalectin-3levelstested.

Rebecca’sinitiallevelswereskyhigh,andtheby-productsofhersympathetic nervous system response to her crisis were elevated, as well as other proinflammatory,procancerousmarkers.Akeystrategyinhertreatmentplan wastotargetgalectin-3usingvariousprovenmethods.Weusedherlevelsasa markertogaugeherprogressthroughout.

Theresultswereunmistakable:whenRebeccawasdoingwell,hergalectin-3 levelswerelower,andwhenshewasinacrisis,herlevelswerehigher.For Rebecca,thismarkerservedasanimportantindicatorastowhenthecancerwas aggressiveandwhenitwas“quiet.”

Thishelpedusfine-tunehertreatmentsandstayonestepaheadofthecancer. (Note,however,thatduetoitscomplexbiochemistry,galectin-3cancause damageevenatlowlevels.Itisthereforeimportanttoaddressgalectin-3 regardlessofitslevels.MoreinformationcanbefoundinAppendixA.)

Rebeccataughtussomethingveryimportant:sheexemplifiedtheintimate connectionbetweenouremotionsandourhealth.WhenRebecca’sanxiety increased,hercancergotworse.Herpresentationwassopronouncedand immediatethatitwaseasytoseewhenheranxietywasworsening.Butwhen shewasabletorelax,quiettheanxiety,andbemorespacious,hersymptomsgot better. The way Rebecca responded as a person was the way her body responded as well. When her survival crisis decreased, and she became comfortablethinkingaboutlife,death,andimpermanence,itaffectedtheway thecancerfunctioned.Thecancerfeltlessthreatenedanddecreaseditsown survivalresponse.

Doesitsoundnew-ageyandfluffywhenItalkaboutchangesinthebehavior ofcancer?Really,it’snot.I’mreferringtochangesinthelevelsofgrowth factorsthatdrivetheaggressivenessofcancer,factorslikedownstreamproteins thatareregulatedbyoursurvivalprotein,galectin-3.Suchdownstreamproteins areimpactedbysignalingmolecules—whichthemselvesareimpactedbyour emotionalstate.

Rebeccawasabletocalmhersystemthroughregularmeditation,deep breathing,acupuncture,participationinmymeditationandhealingretreatsand workshops,andthroughtheuseofgalectin-3blockers.Thesehelpedtomitigate the initial survival process and significantly reduce the growth and aggressivenessofhercancer.

Rebecca’scancerdidnotcompletelyrespondtochemoandradiation,butit subsidedthroughthesehealingmethods.Herscansbecamenormal,indicating thathercancerhadgoneintoremission.ButRebeccadidmorethanjust incorporatethesehealingmethodsintohertreatment—she alsodeveloped communityandfriendshipswithotherpatientsinourcenter.

Thesefriendscheeredheronthroughoutherjourney,andthestoicdriverwho broughthertoherfirstappointmentwasnolongerneeded,asshebegan participatinginlivelycarpoolstotheclinic.Shewentfrombeinghighlycritical ofnonconventionalapproachesandbitteraboutherdiagnosisandfateto embracingherprocessandwelcominghertreatments.

Rebecca’stransformationsprofoundlyaffectedherphysiologyandallowed hertooutliveherprognosisconsiderably.Oneday,herlaughrangthroughthe clinicfromtheIVroom,remindingmeofthehealingpowerofjoy.Hercancer eventuallyreturned,butevenwithresiduallungcancer,shelivedsevenmore yearswithabetterqualityoflifethanshehadexperiencedindecades.Shesaid, “Isaac,Ifeelalivelikeneverbefore.”Shediedpeacefullyinherhome,ina meditativestate,surroundedbyfriends.Herlifewascelebratedbythemany peoplewhoweredeeplytouchedandinspiredbyherjourney.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN TRANSCENDING THE SURVIVAL PARADOX

Thesurvivaldriveisaninherentpartofeverylivingbeing,andwe’vediscussed itspurpose,importance,andmechanismofactionextensivelythroughoutthe book.Wenowunderstandthatwhilethisdriveisnecessaryforustosimply survive, its paradoxical effects can compromise not only our health and longevitybutalsoourqualityoflifeandthequalityoflifeforthosearoundus. We’veallexperiencedsurvivalmodemultipletimesinourlives,manifestingas highstressandreactivitydrivenbythesympatheticnervoussystem.It’snota pleasantplacetobe,andtheconsequencesofbeingstuckinsuchastateare enormouslydamaging.

Butwhatifwecouldtranscendthisstate?Whatifwecouldfreeourselves fromthisboundstateofsurvivalandshifttoastateofharmonydrivenbyan openheart,expressingitselfasinnateloveandcompassiontowardallliving beings,includingourselves?Andwhatifallofthiscouldhappenwithoutlosing theabilitytoutilizeoursurvivalmechanismswhentrulyneeded?

Webeganourjourneyintothesurvivalparadoxbyintroducinganimportant revelationandunderstanding:inflammationisaresponsetosurvival.Nowthat weknowthis,let’stakeadeeperlookandaskourselveswhatdrivesthesurvival response.Whyistheneedtosurvivesoinnatelyimprintedineachofourcells, inourbeing,inourcommunities,andinourcountries?

Ispentmostofmylifemeditatingandcontemplatingsuchissues.Istarted thisjourneyasateenagerinKoreaandlateronlearnedfromandtrainedunder someofthemostlegendaryTibetanBuddhistmastersintheUnitedStatesand Asia,includinginremoteregionsoftheHimalayas.I’vebeentrainingoverthe lastseveraldecades.Ispenttenyearsmeditatingdailyforhalfaday;andfor twentyyears,Iwentawayonceperyearforextendedperiods(sixtotwelve weeksatatime)tomeditateinthemountains.AndwhileI’mdefinitelyaslow learner when it comes to meditation, I’ve gained some insights and understandingsthatarenowexpressedinmyhealingworkandteaching.

WhileIwasfortunatetolearnsomeofthemostesotericmeditationpractices, thedeepinsightinto what drives survival wasinfrontofmyeyesthewholetime. It’salwaysinfrontofus.Wesimplyaren’ttrainedtonoticeit,recognizeit,and makethenecessaryshifttofreeourselvesfromit.Wegraspontowhatwe experienceoutwardlythroughoursensesandinwardlythroughourthoughts, feelings,andbodysensationsasiftheyarepermanentlytrue.Thisgraspingis therootofoursurvivalinstinct,ourstruggles,andthecauseofourinnerpain andsuffering.

Let’slookatthisingreaterdepth.WhatdoImeanwhenIsaythatwe perceiveourrealityaspermanentlytrue?Whyisthisfundamentallyflawed?If youexamineyourlifeexperiences,youcan’thelpbutseethat everything changes all the time.Nothingispermanent!

Takeourbodies,forexample.Considerhowmuchyourbodyhaschanged fromthetimeyouwereachilduptothisverymoment,whileyousitandread thisbook.Orthinkaboutthehomeyouliveinorthefurnitureyouown.One hundredorfivehundredyearsfromnow,certainlytheywillageandchange.

Andinonethousandyears,theywillprobablynolongerexist.Theveryatoms andmoleculesthatcomposeyourbody,home,andfurnitureareconstantlyin flux.Andofcourse,wecanlookatourownthoughtsandinternalexperience: Athoughtarises,expressesitself,andvanishes.Wedon’tknowwhatournext thoughtwillbe,orwhatthenextmomentwillbring. Everything is ever-changing and impermanent. Modernquantumphysicsknowsit,scienceknowsit,andour bodiesknowit.

Wetendtoforgetthistruth.Somuchtimeandenergyisspentworrying aboutthingsweholdtoasfixed,evenwhiletheyareactuallychangingby nature.Yetifeverythingchangesateverymoment,thereisthepotentialfor anythingtoarise.Thisiswheremiraclescanhappen!

Thispotentialityisunboundedandinherentwithineachofus.Froma spiritualperspective,wecouldperhapsthinkofthisasbeingthe“divinewithin us.”FromaBuddhistperspective,notrecognizingtheimpermanent,changing natureofeverythingcausesustosuffersinceweloseouropennessand equilibriumbyholdingontothingssotightly.Yetifwestepbackandseethe ever-changingschemeofthings,wecanbegintorelax,andinturn,thegripof ourexperiencebeginstoloosen.Asaresult,changecanhappen,andthe doorwaytoourunboundedpotentialitycanbegintoopen.Thisunbounded essenceisnaturallyexpressedineachofusasinnate,unconditionalloveand compassion.Wedon’thavetoinventorcreateit—it’spresentwithinus,andit’s whoweare.Whatweneedtodoisbecomeawareofitandintegrateitintoour lives.

Wow!Whatajourney!

Thisisanongoingjourneythatcontinuallyunfolds,anditholdswithinitthe potentialforinfinitehealingandtransformation—there’sthepotentialfora miracletohappenineachsecond.Theorganthatholdsthispotentialinour bodyistheheart.

REBECCA’S STORY (CONTINUED)

Withthisunderstandingandinsightinmind,wecanrevisitoursurvival response,ourbody,andourphysiology.Graspingtotheever-changingasifit’s permanenttriggersthesurvivalresponse:thisiswhytheresponseisinnate withinus.Inthisveryactofholdingontoourouterandinnerexperiences—of tryingtoprolongthem,tomakethemsurvive—weinhibittheconstantnatural changethatisneededforhealthandlongevity.Thefixationtothatwhichis ever-changingasifit’spermanentdrivesamyriadofemotions,reactions,and responsesonthephysical,emotional,mental,andpsychospirituallevels.

Graspingandfixationhaveanaturallycontractingeffect.Whenwefinally see and recognize that we’ve grasped things that could not be grasped, somethingsoftensandopenswithinus.Ourstruggleandourfightfallsaway.It isinthisplacethatwebegintoopenourhearttoourselvesandtoothers,and thehealingpowerofloveandcompassionenters.Whenthathappens,wecan livelongerbecausewetrulyhealourselves,andasaresult,wehealourillnesses. Whenourmotivationtolivecomesfromanopenheart,wereceiveunlimited energyandunlimitedstrengthbecauseweconnecttoamuchgreatertruth.

What,then,istherootofsurvival?Whydowefixate?Ithappensbecause we’velosttheabilitytoseethingsastheyare,andwhenit’stimeforwhatwe experiencetochange,wecan’tletgo.Butwhenwetrulyletgo,werealizethat fixationwastheverythingthatcausedustobesickandsufferphysicallyand emotionally.

Whenwehavetheabilityto“letgo”ofthesurvivalresponse,welivealonger andhealthierlife.Ourstresshormones,cortisol,insulin,IL-6,andILB1 decrease.Wereduceinflammatoryresponsesandenableappropriateimmune responsesandtheabilitytobetterhealfromillnesses.

Togiveanexample,I’vespenttimewithreveredBuddhistmasterswho’d sleeponlyonehourpernightandwakeupcompletelyrefreshed,whilenoneof theirattendantscouldkeepup.

Thesemastershadtappedintoanunlimitedsourceofenergythatcomesfrom theongoingrecognitionoftheimpermanentnatureofeverything.Ofcourse,I amnotsuggestingyousleepless.Rather,thisdemonstratesthatwhenwestop utilizingourenergytoholdontothings,afargreaterreservoirofenergyisat ourdisposal.

BreakingThroughtoCancer

Patientswhoaretrulywillingtoletgocancreatemiracles,but this is trickier with cancer. Even if the healing process is profound,thecancercreatesitsownmicroenvironmentthatis independentfromthebody.Sometimesthepatient’schanges can’treachthecancer,especiallyifthere’snolongeradialogue betweenthecancerandthebody.However,throughdisruption ofthegalectin-3latticeformation,wecanbreakintothat isolatedmicroenvironment.Itisherethatcombiningmindbodymethods—combiningmeditationwithagalectin-3blocker likeMCP—canyieldamazingresults.

Unfortunately,whenitcomestohealing,theimpulsetofixateisnot exclusivetothepatient.Doctorsandhealthcarepractitionerscanhaveasimilar mindset.Usingthetreatmentofcancerasanexample,whenanoncologist diagnosesapatientanddiscoversthestageoftheircancer,theyimmediately “catalogue”theirsituation.Theygraspandfixateontheappearanceofthe situation,whichleadstoananticipatedoutcome;thedoctordoesn’tcreatespace fortheunexpectedtounfold.However,whenapatientsurrenderstothe healingprocesswithoutexpectations,andthere’snopressurefromtheirdoctor oroncologist,amazingthingscanhappen.Thisisagreatlessonforallofus. Oncologistsoftensendpatientstomeafterthey’vetriedallconventional treatmentsandthepatienthasbeenclassifiedasincurableorterminal.Ifa patientissenttomewithalifeexpectancyoftwomonths,thedoctordoesn’t haveanyexpectations,meaningthereislesspressureonthepatienttofollowa certainprotocolincertainways.

Thepatientisofferedmorefreedomofchoice.Andwhilethisfreedomis allowed because the doctor “gave up,” true, holistic care can utilize this opportunitytocreatetheunexpected.Atthisjuncture,Iworkwiththepatient onanindividualizedprotocolwhilecreatingspaceforchangeandhealing.I offerthemmycare,energy,andheart.

Formostpatients,thisapproachmakesadifference,withsomelivingweeks ormonthslongerthanexpected,andotherslivingmanyyearslonger.Andeven ifthesepatientseventuallydie,ourjourneytogetherallowsthemtolivelonger withabetterqualityoflifeandtohealonadeeperemotionalandspirituallevel.

MELTING FIXATION THROUGH MEDITATION

Beforedivingdeeperintothisprocess,Iwanttoemphasizethatthereisa differencebetweenlettinggoandgivingup.Lettinggoofthesurvivaldriveisa processoffreedomandexpansion,whilegivingupisaprocessofcontraction anddespair. Whenweareinsurvivalmode,weareself-focused.Wethinkthewholeworld revolvesaroundus.This“contracts”ourlifeexperience.Theprocessofletting goisassimpleasitsounds.Yousimplyletgo.Let’sexperienceitrightnow. Sitinachair.Closeyoureyesifyouwish,andtakeafewdeepbreaths.Place yourhandswithyourpalmsfaceuponyourknees.Thentakeafewmoredeep breaths.Connectwithhowyourbodyfeels.Seeifyoucanfeelareasoftension andcontraction.Theninhaledeeply,holdyourbreath,andforcefullycontract yourfistswhilealsocontractingyourface,lips,andeyes.Feelthetension buildingupinyourbodyandrecognizewhatacontractedbodyfeelslike.Next, exhalethebreath,andasyouexhale,letyourpalmscompletelyopen,relaxyour face,andletyourwholebeingrelax.Youcanmakea“ha”soundwhenyou exhaleaspartoftheprocessoflettinggo.

Dothisafewtimes,andthensimplysitandgetintouchwithyourbody.You canexperiencehowdifferentyoufeel.Wespendmostofourtimelivingina stateofcontraction,thoughunawarethatwearedoingso.

Theprocessoflettinggoisendless.Wecanalwaysbemoreopen,more spacious,andlesscontracted.Thesecretoflettinggoistoletgoofthe experienceitself—don’tholdontoit,anddon’thaveanyexpectations.Any holding,anyidentificationcreatesgrasping.It’sremarkabletowatchhow peoplecanchangeoverthecourseofafewdayswhentheyactivelyengagein thisprocessinaretreatsetting—whentheenvironment,schedule,diet,and activitypromotethelettinggoprocessonalllevels.Throughmovementofthe body,throughbreathwork,andthroughworkingwiththemind,fixationsmelt away.

I’veseenpatients’cancermarkersdecreaseafterjustafewdaysofmeditation athealingretreats.Forthesepatients,relaxingandopeninguptheircirculation changedthecancer’smicroenvironment,exposingittotheirimmunesystem. Thefear-basedgraspingofsurvivalwastransformedintoanopen-hearted motivationtolive.Andthistransformationisthekeytohealingandoften reducestheaggressivenessofcancerandtumors.InthewordsofDr.BruceH. Lipton,“Themomentyouchangeyourperceptionisthemomentyourewrite thechemistryofyourbody.”

Wenowunderstandthatinflammatoryprocessescanbemodulatedbythe mind.Sincestress,anger,andquickreactionsallbringaboutinflammationand drivegalectin-3,itmakessensethatwecanminimizeinflammationbycalming themind.

Meditationisalifelongexploration,andit’snexttoimpossibletodiscussitin justafewpages.However,Iwilltrymybesttodoso!Meditationaffectsour cellularbiology,epigenetics,andphysiologyandcanhaveaprofoundimpacton ourhealth.Myguessisthatthemajorityofpeoplewhomeditatedosotorelax andfeelbetterorbecausetheywanttofeelhappier.Butwhenwedothiswitha focusonourselves,weareapproachingmeditationfromasurvivalpointofview andfromourownsmall,self-focusedperspective.Asaresult,welimitthe infinitehealingpowerofmeditation.

Themostbasicyetprofoundmeditationisapracticethathelpsus create more spaciousnessandcalmnesswithinoursystem.Itisthereforecalled calm abiding or shamata meditation.Whenwefindmorespaciousnesswithin,itcreatesa capacityinwhichloveandcompassioncanthenarise.Whenweengagein meditationwiththeunderstandingthatallbeingsarecaughtinastateof contraction,itallowsloveandcompassiontoflowtowardourselvesandothers asweareallinthesameboat.Let’stakeafewmomentstowalkthrougha simplifiedvariationofthismeditationpractice.

Preparing for Meditation

Beforewebegintomeditate,wemustenterapreparatoryphase,justlikewedo whenwegetreadytodetox.First,wepreparethebody,andthereareafew stepstothisprocess.Wecaneithersitonacushionwithoursitboneselevated orsitcomfortablyinachairwithourbackstraight.Weprepareformeditation bylettinggoofourongoingstrugglewiththegravitationalforce;weletour bodyandoursitbonessinkintotheseat.

Ourperineumrelaxes,allowingourdiaphragmtorelaxaswell.Thebreath cannowflowmoreeasily.Wecanlengthenourspineupwardwhilekeeping thebackoftheneckelongated.Ourhandsarerestingonourknees,andour shouldersandelbowsarerelaxed.Ourtonguegentlytouchestheuppersoft palateinarelaxedmanner,andthereisaslightopeningbetweenourteeth.Our eyesareopen,andourgazeissoft.

Nowthatwe’vepreparedourbody,wecanprepareourbreath.Wetakea fewdeepbreaths.Wevisualizethatwebringwhitelightintothebodywithour inhalation,andasweslowlyexhale,wevisualizethatwearereleasingall diseases,traumas,toxins,andnegativeemotionsasadark,black-graycolor,like smoke,exitingourbody.Afterdoingthisafewtimes,simplyletyourbreath flowsmoothlywithouteffort.

Wewanttoregulateourbreathsothereisanormalflowofoxygen,givingus theenergyandvitalitytocreatechange.Breathingisessentialandkeepsus alive,andcreatingregular,smoothbreathsisawaytobalancethereactive inflammatoryprocess.

Next,wepreparethemindbyopeningourheartstoourselvesandtoothers through contemplation of the principle of equanimity. We do this by rememberingthat everyone wantstobehappyandhealthy,notjustus.People welove,peoplewe’venevermet,andevenpeoplewedislikeallhavethissame desire.Weallwanttobehappy,andweallexperiencedifficultiesinourlives— thesetruthsareequalinallofus.Theyuniteusinourcommonhumanity.The truthofexperiencingdifficultiesanddesiringhappinessiswhatmakesusall equal—thisistheprincipleofequanimitywithinallofus.We’reallonthesame journey!Thisunderstandingopensourheartandexpressesitselfasloveand compassiontowardourowndifficultiesandthedifficultiesofothers.Itnaturally softensusandweakensourreactivesurvivalresponse.Thisistheidealstarting pointformeditationandhealing.

Ifweapproachmeditationwithanopenheart,wecanbringhappinessto ourselvesandtoothersregardlessoftheirbeliefsystem.Wemelttheisolation anddisruptthegalectin-3-drivensurvivalresponse.Asaresult,weimproveour ownwell-being.AstheDalaiLamaoncesaidwithhisfamouslaughter,“Tobe selflessisaverygoodthing,fromaselfishpointofview.”

Finding Calm, Openness, and Clarity

Onceourmindsareprepared,wecanbeginmeditation.Whenwestartour meditationsession,weneedtoslowandcalmourmindandoursystem, especiallyifwearenewtoit.Bringingourgazedownandlookingatanobject beneathoureyelevel,likeasmallrockontheground,canhelpusdothis.We focusourgazeontheobjectofthemeditationwithoutlettingourgazewander. Theeyesandthegazeareusedasadoorwaytosettlingthemind;whenthe gazeisfixedandsettled,themindcanbegintosettleaswell.Restingthegaze onourchosenmeditationobject,weaddthebreath.

Wedothisbyfeelingthatweareexhalingintotheobjectandinhalingfromthe object. We continue the breathing process without losing our visual concentrationontheobject.Thenweaddourmentalconcentrationbygently placingourattentionontheobject.

Weutilizethegaze,thebreath,andthemindinthemeditationprocessby softlyfocusingallofthemononesingleobject.Indoingso,ourmental distractionsslowlyfallaway,andwefindaplaceofpeaceandcalmness.Ifyour mindwanders,youfeelrestless,oryoufeelsleepy,don’tworry.Theseare normalresponses.Ourneurotic,“inflamed”mindthathasbeenincontrolfor ourentirelivesisrebellingagainsttheideaofbeingtoldwhattodo.Butslowly overtime,yoursenseofcalm,openness,andclaritywillexpand.You’llstartto findthenonconceptualspacewherethoughtsfallaway.Thissimplepracticehas profound health benefits on multiple systems: on our circulatory system, endocrinesystem,immunesystem,andnervoussystem.It’salsoverybeneficial fordepressionandanxiety,andtocounteractthesideeffectsofchemotherapy.

Afterwe’vecalmedoursystem,wecanbringourgazetooureyelevel,softly restingourgazeinthespaceinfrontofus.Usingourbreathastheanchorto ourmeditation,weopenourselvestoallvisualsensationsthatweexperience. Whilemaintainingthisvisualopennesstowardthefront,wealsoopenourselves toallvisualsensationsonourright,behindus,onourleft,andaboveandbelow. Wedothiswithoutjudgmentorgrasping,neitherrejectingnorholdingthe experience.Wesimplyacceptourexperienceasitis.Whilebeingopentoall visualsensations,weslowlybringtheothersensesintoourawareness:whatwe hear,whatwefeel,whatwesmell,andwhatwetaste.

Witheverybreath,ourfieldofexperienceexpands.Wepayspecialattention tothegapbetweentheexhalationandtheinhalation.Itisherethatwecanlet gointothenonconceptualspace.Ourbodyisstillandquiet,ourbreathis flowingsmoothly,andourmindslowlyexpands.Wecancontinuethisphase forsometime.

Whilemaintainingthisopennessoutwardly,wecanbringourawarenessinto ourbodyinthesameway.Wecanobserveourthoughts,ourfeelings,andour bodilysensationswithoutgraspingandwithoutjudgment.

Wetrytomaintaintheopennessbothoutwardlyandinwardly.Onceweare morecomfortabledoingthis,wecanlettheconceptualboundarybetweenthe outsideandtheinsideofthebodyfallawayandsimplyrestinthisvastopenness.

Engaging our Healing Heart

We’vepracticedthequalityofopennessinmeditation.Fromthisplaceof openness,wenowconnecttoourinfinitehealingpotential—toourhearts.Take amomentandplaceyouropenhandsonyourchestandsayhellotoyourheart. Feelthewarmth,love,andhealingqualitiesoftheheartspreadthroughoutyour chestandradiatewhereveritneedstogountilitfillsyourwholebody.Youcan directthewarmthtospecificareasinyourbodythatrequirehealing.Thenletit spreadoutsideyourbodyandfillallofspace.

Nowbringyourhandsslowlybacktoyourkneesandsimplyrest.Experience thatyourbodyandtheworldoutsideofthebodyareinseparable.There’sa senseofunity,ofoneness.Ifyourmindwandersawaywhiletryingtostayin thenonconceptualspace,youcangentlybringitbacktothecontemplationof equanimity,justaswedidatthebeginningofthesession.Focusonloveand compassiontowardyourselfandallbeings,andthenletgoagain.Youmayalso contemplatetheimpermanent,ever-changingnatureofallexperiencesandthen letgo.Feelfreetogobackandforthbetweenanalyticalmeditationandletting gointhenonconceptualspace.

Forguided-meditationresources,visitSurvivalParadox.com.

Creating Space for Insight and Transformation

Creatingspacemeansthereismorespacebetweenourthoughts.Initially,we maysimplybecomeawareofhowmanythoughtswehave,makingitfeelas thoughwehavemorethoughtswhenwefirstbegintomeditate.

Theseareallbeingdischargedfromoursubconscious.Whenourthoughtsrun oneaftertheotherwithnospaceinbetweenthem,wehavenoawarenessof them.Thereissomuchmental“noise”thatthereisnospacefordeeper thoughts,contemplations,feelings,orinsightstoarisefromourdepthtoour consciousness.Whenweslowourmind,thespacebetweenourthoughts expands,allowingforthoughts,feelings,andinsightsthatwewerenotawareof toarise.

Thereisnosuchthingas“good”or“bad”meditation.Anythingand everythingweexperiencechangeseventually,asitisimpermanenttobegin with.Meditationisnotaboutwhatweexperience;it’saboutourrelationshipto ourexperienceandhowwereacttoit.Forexample,arewegraspingorpushing awayourmeditationexperiences?

Ifweholdontothemortrytopushthemaway,we’llhavemoreofasurvivaldriven,reactiveresponse.Ifwecansimplyletthembe,lettinggooftryingto changeormanipulatethem,we’llhaveamoredetoxifyingresponse.Andif whateverarisesfromwithingeneratesloveandcompassion,it’sagenuine, transformativemeditationpracticeledbytheheart.

Ifwewanttofindgreaterfreedom,weneedtobecomfortablewiththe unknown.Livingfearlesslywithoutgraspingputsusattheforefrontoflife.It givesustheabilitytoliveinthemoment.Ifwearetrulyfree,wewillnoteven hold on tothemoment.

INSIGHT AND INNOVATION

Whenweliveinthemoment,wecanfindspaceforinsightandinnovation. Beforewetalkaboutinnovation,let’sdiscusswhatthewordmeans. Innovation is aprocessoranactionthatspursonchangeortransformation.It’sbringing somethingtolifethatdidn’texistbeforeorchangingsomethingthatexistsand givingitanewordifferentfunctionandmeaning.Agoodexampleofevolving innovationiswhenmyteamandIbegantoresearchgalectin-3.Wehadanidea inourmindsaboutwhatthisresearchwouldlooklike,buttheendresultwas muchdifferentandbetterthananythingweimagined.Weinitiallyfocusedon galectin-3’sroleincancer,butastimewenton,wediscoveredthatit’satthe rootofmultiplechronicdiseasesandaging.Andovertime,astheprocess unfolded,theroleofgalectin-3asoursurvivalproteinandupstreamregulatorof somanyprocessesmadeitselfevident.

Whatallowstheprocessofinnovationtotakeplace?Theprocessofinno‐vationhastwoparts.First,wehaveaninsight,andanidearisesupinsideofus. Somethingcomesalive.Theprocesscanbeaidedandsupportedbymeditation practice.Byfindingthespacebetweenourthoughts,weareopentodeeper insightsthatwewerenotawareof.

Thesecondpartistheactualmanifestationoftheidea.Thisisthepartwhere wepresentourconceptorideatoothers.It’stheprocessoftakinganinsight andbringingittolife,bringingittofruition.It’smakingoldthingsnewor creatingsomethingnewthatisvisiblyandpracticallyusefultotheoutside world.

I’vecreatedalotofunusualinventionsinmylife.Medicaldevices,dietary supplements,clinicalprotocols,andthewayIteachmeditationareallexamples. Sometimes,whenImakeamedicalinvention,peopleaskme,“Howdidyou comeupwiththisidea,whenscientistsinthepharmaceuticalindustrycouldn’t thinkofit?”Myansweristhatthescientistswerefollowingthesametrendof thought;theyfollowedthesamelogical,rational,andskepticalapproaches. They didn’t give themselves the opportunity to break through their preconceivedconceptsandunderstanding.Iaminnowaysmarterorbrighter thananyofthesescientists.I’msimplytrainedinhowtoletgoofpreconceived conceptsandideas,whichpresentsagreaterpossibilityforinventiveness.

Whileyouneedinsightforinnovation,thismustgobeyondthemere possessionofknowledge.Youmustalsobewillingtosurrenderandletgoof yourknowledge.Inordertodothis,wehavetodiscoveradeeperpartof ourselves,andthisbringsusbacktotheconceptofcreatingspace.Ifourmindis constantlyoccupied,andonethoughtimmediatelyleadsintothenext,thereis nospacefortrueinsightorinnovation.Toreallyprogress,weneedtogo throughtheprocessof“unlearning,”whichisprofoundlydifferentfromnot learning.First,wegaintheknowledgeandthesolidbaseline,andthenwelet goofitintheprocessofunlearning.

Inordertocreatesomethingnew,wehavetoletgoofsomethingold.This meansthatdetoxificationandcreatingspaceisa prerequisite for innovation,justas it’saprerequisiteformeditationandhealing.Thisiswhymeditationisso helpfulinthisprocess.

Innovationisakindofhealing:awayofmovingoutsideofortranscending problemsorpatternsthatnolongerserveus.Whetheritisfromtraditional modesofthinkingthatinhibitsocietalgrowthorlatticeformationsofgalectin-3 thatblockthemovementofmolecules,humanbeingsstrivetotranscend.

Fixationandgraspingaredeath.Motionandchangearelife.Thisisthe essenceofthesurvivalparadox:tohavelife,youcannotholdit.Youmustletgo inordertolive.Anyway,thereisnosuchthingas“having”life—asifyoucould storeitinaboxonashelf.Toliveisaverb,amovement.Itexistsonlyin constantchangeandmotionasittravelswithinourbodiesandbetweenour hearts.