***Are Your Emotions Affecting Your Health?

Today, more and more people are focusing on health and wellness. One important aspect of health and wellness deals with how we feel. In particular, the types of emotions we deal with on a daily basis. We all have emotions, that is a given. As our day unfolds, we may experience a variety of emotions depending upon the people we interact with, the tasks we undertake, our communing and so on all of which stimulate feelings which in turn result in emotions. What about relieving stress?

When driving to work and traffic is heavy, do you find yourself tense and anxious? If you get cut off or a driver won't let you over when you need to change lanes, do you become enraged? At work, are your co-workers chronically complaining about their families or health issues? All of these situations add stress, anxiety and a general feeling of negativity to your life. Not a very pleasant picture. Do this on a daily basis and it is no wonder you begin to have aches, pains, stiffness, stomach trouble, etc. All related to some form of emotional stress.

Fortunately, there are alternatives; there is a bright and shiny light at the end of the tunnel. How we choose to react to these interactions will make a difference as to the affect their emotions can have on our body. We do have the option of taking control of the emotional roller coaster we are on. Having the freedom to enjoy a higher quality of life is our God given right. We just need to know how relieve stress, anxiety, fear, frustration and a host other negative emotions in our life.

First, let's take a look at what goes on in our body when we react to various emotions. We know that our body is designed to protect us when in danger and this is a good thing. This is called the fight or flight syndrome and during this type of situation our body releases certain chemicals that causes our body to shut down certain systems and put other systems into overdrive. This served us quite well during the cave man days when threatened by beasts. It also comes in handy if we are threatened by a mugger or other such incident. But it also comes into play when our brain receives signals from out body through our emotions that relay heightened states of duress or stress which releases a chemical called cortisol.

During these times of stress, the ongoing release of cortisol stops the healing process and actually causes damage to the immune system. So, when you find yourself feeling anxious or stressed, you have higher levels of cortisol running amuck in your body which causes degenerative changes. It suppresses your immune system and over long periods of time can lead to other process such as disease.

Pharmacologist Connie Grauds, R. Ph., states in her book The Energy Prescription that "An undisciplined mind leaks vital energy in a continuous stream of thoughts, worries, and skewed perceptions, many of which trigger disturbing emotions and degenerative chemical processes in the body".

Our genes determine our physical characteristics but NOT our psychological characteristics. We can exert a tremendous amount of control over our genes actually changing the quality of our life simply by taking control of our emotions. Our genes can be activated through stimulation from our environment - both the outer environment in which we live, work and play as well as our internal, biological environment.

The outer environment consists of our family, business, social networks, foods, toxins, church, parks, etc. The inner environment consists of our thoughts and beliefs, emotions, biochemical, energetic and spiritual components.

Our thoughts and emotions affect our genes everyday every bit as much as the environment we live in. Your beliefs become biology! The more we focus on a specific thought or practice a specific action, the higher number of neurons are required in our brain to transmit the thoughts which means increased pathways are required to handle the processing of this information. So our brains can be reshaped according to our thoughts and thought patterns.

Our thoughts and emotions turn are genes on and off. Our brain holds the keys to our own pharmaceutical division which has a complete array of healing compounds waiting to be delivered throughout our body - on command. Our body was perfectly engineered, created and designed to secrete chemicals specifically to enhance our immune system. We have chemicals on board to make us feel happy (serotonin), chemicals that reduce or eliminate pain (endorphins); all of which can be released through conscious action on our part.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, optimism heals and promotes a longer life. People who have a positive attitude toward aging tend to live 7.5 years longer than those individuals who held negative attitudes toward aging.

Energy techniques such as EFT, also known as Emotional Freedom Techniques, are wonderful methods for relieving stress through which you can take control of your thoughts and emotions and improve the quality of life you live. Medical science has known for decades our ability to actively turn our genes on and off. We are capable of generating the molecules needed for healing. As I stated previously, our brains are already a well stocked pharmacy, ready to generate and circulate into our body chemicals similar in nature to many of the drugs prescribed by doctors.

You now know that you can turn on the stress response through the process of your thinking which releases cortisol into your body; inhibiting healing and suppressing your immune system. You also know that you can turn ON the healing process and release helpful endorphins, hormones, and chemicals into your body such as serotonin in the same way. When we consciously change our thinking through beliefs, intentions, spiritual practice, meditation, or prayer, we can effect miraculous healing as a result. Beliefs do become biology!

Two thirds of doctors now believe in the power of prayer; seeing it as important as medicine. They see it as psychologically beneficial to the patient as they feel God may answer their prayers. Miracles abound in the medical community. The more people learn about the use of alternative techniques such as EFT, the more miraculous changes will occur.

By changing your beliefs, intentions, spiritual practice, prayer, you can change the quality of your life. Whether you choose meditation, yoga, EFT, or some other type of energy technique to assist you, knowing that you can take control over your emotions will make a difference in the quality of your life. So, what will it be? Will you continue living life on an emotional roller coaster or change course? Personally, I prefer living in the fantastic lane of the emotionally free. Sure, I have my days when things can get a little chaotic but I also have the ability to turn my emotions around and change the way my body is affected. You can too, if you want to.