Day 3--Some Support from a Friend

Ok... today I am giving you some sage advice from one of my favorite books. Dr. Karen Wolfe, with her friend Dr. Deborah Kern coauthored the book, "Create The Body Your Soul Desires."

This exerpt is from Page 118, The Energy of Relationships:

As human beings, we all have a need to belong--to be in relationship to others. A strong relationship enriches your life and provides much needed stability and support. On the other hand, a troubled relationship can drain your energy and wear you down. It's easy to tell if a relationship boosts your energy or drains it. Simply pay attention to how you feel when you are with a person. Since emotions are energy, if you feel positive, rejuvenated and uplifted when you are together then that person is nourishing your soul.

In "Outsmarting Female Fatigue," Debra Waterhouse uses the terms balcony people and basement people to categorize the different energetic effects people can have on your life. Balcony people are the ones who build you up and enhance your energy. These people nourish you and give you peace of mind. They might be family members, kids, friends, co-workers, or your spouse or significant other. The more you surround yourself with these positive, vital people , the more energy you will have. On the other hand, your basement people are the ones who bring you down and drain your energy. To create the body your soul desires, you may need to see less and less of your basement people.

There's another aspect to consider: no people. Lack of nourishing relationships in your life can create isolation, which can be exhausting, stressful and damaging to your health. In his first book "The Broken Heart: The Medical Consequences of Loneliness," James Lynch presents health data and fascinating research on the links between social isolation and illness in contrast to social connection and health. For example, he explains the healthy effect of blood pressure falling below baseline whenever we become quiet and listen to others, relate to companion animals, or pay attention to nature. In his second book, "A Cry Unheard: New Insights into the Medical Consequences of Loneliness," Lynch describes how loneliness has been made worse by powerful new social forces such as tht "electronic diembodiment" of human dialogue, school failure, family and communal disintegration, and divorce. He tells us that loneliness remains an unrecognized medical danger.

So what do we get from this passage? It is a scientific fact that we hold on to weight when we are under stress. So think how important it is to have nourishing, enriching relationships that relieve stress. It is important to do things that feed our soul. Walk in the woods. Canoe or Kayak down a river. Sit quietly and read a book. Think. Talk to our friends. We need to be in touch with what is important to us. We need to take time for ourselves...to cook a healthy meal, to exercise, to be outside... to be with friends...

Our physical health is intimately connected to our spiritual and mental health. It is all connected...