There are basic principles of healing which are all based on natural laws. This is because good health is not a matter of chance, but a consequence of good habits.
A closer study of these principles leads one to believe that it is simply based on common sense. And what seems to flow harmoniously with one’s being is truly the way to go.
The eight natural laws are pure air, sunlight, proper diet, exercise, rest, water, moderation and spiritual power.
Ellen White, a pioneer in natural remedies, shares an enlightening truth: Disease is a cleansing process. It is the action of nature to free the body from a condition that has resulted from a violation of the laws of health.
If you have fallen ill, it isn’t enough to treat the symptoms. Find out what the cause is. Bad, unhealthy habits must be changed and corrected. Then allow time for nature to take its course as it expels the impurities/toxins from your body in order for it to be restored to a state of balance.
For example, you overload your calendar with work and social commitments. If, at a social event, you feel weak or dizzy, don’t linger at the party.
Instead, go home and rest. For all you know, exhaustion is your problem. Don’t be stubborn. Heed good advice from your own body, which is sending signals to you.
1. Pure air—While many of the world’s big cities are polluted, try whenever possible to visit forests, beaches or mountains to give your lungs a break.
Effects of good respiration:
- Soothes and calms the nerves
- Stimulates the digestive system
- Oxygenates the blood and contributes to its bright red color
- Detoxifies the body through exhalations from the lungs
- Improves the skin and complexion
- Stimulates the brain
- Improves the mood
Be mindful of your own breathing habits. Most people hardly take deep breaths and resort to shallow breathing. This means taking in less much-needed oxygen.
Retreat to a natural hideaway where you can be still, recharge your body and breathe clean air.
Oxygen level
Trivia: Forest and mountain air are high in negative ions which raise the oxygen level of the air and improve its quality, which in turn has an immediate effect of healing and relaxation on the body.
Rivers, water walls, beaches, every place where there is water, has the same healing effect on the body and the senses.
Remember that every cell of your body requires a constant supply of oxygen. Without it, your body will weaken and eventually die.
2. Sunlight—A vital benefit of 15-20 minutes’ exposure to direct sunlight, preferably from sunrise until more or less 8 a.m., is enough to produce lifesaving vitamin D in the body.
A growing body of research clearly shows the absolute necessity of vitamin D for good health and disease prevention. It fights infections, including colds and flu, as it regulates the expression of genes that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses.
Vitamin D from sensible sun exposure appears essential in preventing 16 different types of cancer, including melanoma (which is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and the leading cause of death from skin disease), and a host of other health problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, fractures and infections.
In fact, optimizing your vitamin D with sun exposure may cut your risk of dying from all causes in half. (https://articles.mercola.com)
Adequate and gentle sun exposure can also prevent depression, and in some cases cure this mental condition.
Throughout the 3,000 square inches of your skin, millions of red corpuscles are flowing via small blood vessels. As sunshine hits the skin, substances called ergosterols are transformed into vitamin D.
Good news for diabetics: It is said that exposure to sunshine produces an insulin-like effect on the body by lowering blood sugar.
Short, frequent sunbathing is also more beneficial than long, infrequent sun exposure. Vital sunlight eradicates fungus and bacteria on the skin.
If you have a cold, try some morning sun exposure. It will recharge you.
3. Proper diet—It is believed that 90 percent of all illnesses, other than acute infections and contagious diseases, can be attributed to diet. If properly planned and served, instead of one’s diet being the cause of sickness, it could very well be the cure.
After all, wasn’t it Hippocrates who said that food should be one’s medicine?
John H. Kellogg, MD, a pioneer in natural remedies, says that a physician who is well-acquainted with the healing power of a plant-based diet could successfully treat his patients without the use of drugs.
Trivia: Try the after-meal walk. Instead of lying around after a full meal, take a short seven-minute leisurely walk. Believe it or not, it aids digestion. This will also clear your mind while assuring a calm mood.
Some pointers:
- Do not have too much variety in the variety of food to eat. Placing more than four varieties of food on your plate could confuse and even tax the digestive process.
- Do not overeat.
- Avoid fried foods or anything cooked in margarine— they clog the arteries.
When nursing a cold or flu:
Try vegetable/fruit juicing four times daily. The apple-carrot combination is the most popular. But if you want more greens, add romaine lettuce. This will cleanse and detoxify the system immediately.
Fountain of youth
4. Exercise—It is the proverbial fountain of youth.
In many studies on people with an active life who walk or jog daily for 20 minutes, it has been observed that:
- Blood pressure dropped
- Body fat decreased dramatically
- Mental capacities improved, such as clearer thinking and calmer, happier moods
- Muscles were toned and strengthened
- Bowel movements normalized
- Energy levels were boosted
- Digestion improved
Because exercise provides a powerful increase of oxygen to the body, the immediate effect is renewed energy.
For example: A person inhales 500 cubic inches of air every minute. After a 30-minute brisk walk, the same person inhales 2,500 cubic inches of air per minute. Can you imagine that dramatic burst of energy in the entire body? So, instead of sitting down all day, get up and walk!
5. Moderation means doing things sparingly—whether it is food, fun or work. This is where self-control enters the picture.
To be moderate in the enjoyment of life’s many pleasures means that you are careful with your diet, watch your emotions by not going to the extreme, exercise enough and not too much, get the right amount of sleep—and the list goes on.
Octogenarians, when asked what the secret to their longevity is, give only one answer—moderation.
6. Rest—Even God rested on the seventh day.
Most hyperactive people will complain about their lack of time. As a result, because they do not make time, there is a host of problems to deal with—overwork, worry, overeating, fatigue—which all lead to physical and nervous breakdown.
When one relaxes, this is what happens: the heart rate slows down, brainwaves enter into an alpha state (the level of brain activity where creativity and inspiration reside).
Get enough sleep and relaxation. And find time for recreation. Everyone needs it. How do you know when it’s time to slow down? When you admit to yourself that you are tired.
7. Water—We all die without it. Yes, the most inexpensive beverage in the world can save your life. Do you know that in a 24-hour period, your kidneys filter 50 gallons of fluid, while more than eight quarts of digestive juices flow inside the digestive tract?
However, about two to four quarts are lost via perspiration, urine and the lungs. For this important reason, your kidneys cannot function properly without water. Make it a habit to drink 10-15 glasses of water daily.
8. Spiritual power—Be divinely led. Find time to know God.
Human beings are not only physical beings. There is an aspect of ourselves that transcends the physical.
It is our spiritual nature to do more, be more, become more. If you are in touch with your inner nature, know that your soul can speak to you in ways that can only inspire and uplift you.
By tapping into our spiritual force, we can automatically connect with our Creator.
The healing power of a human being is deeply connected with one’s spiritual nature. Thus, by tapping into this powerhouse within, you can only become more whole and complete.
(Reference: Natural Remedies Encyclopedia Heritage Edition, Vance Ferrel, Edgar Archbold, MD, and Harold Cherne, MD)
Your affirmation for the week: “I am empowered by the divine in me.”
Love and light!
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