Q: What does the reduction of inflammation have to do with spiritual awakening?
There is really no separation between vibrant physical health, emotional well-being and readiness for spiritual awakening. It is all about being aligned with the flow of Life. Optimal physical health is the result of a body freed from the inflammatory response to toxins, and spiritual awakening is the natural result of consciousness freed from the mind’s inflammatory thoughts. While the physiological effects of inflammation may be far-reaching, inflammation on the level of consciousness is even more profound, pervasive and devastating.
The process of reducing toxic conscious inflammation is similar in principle to reducing chronic physical inflammation. We first need to identify the causes of the imbalance, then find alternative ways of responding. For example, if we are not even aware that a certain type of food is unhealthy, we would have no reason to remove it from our diet. In the same way, if we are not aware of how certain thoughts and beliefs create an inner state of distress, we may assume that there is no other way to live. Exploring how we inflame our own consciousness may seem “negative” but it is an essential step before replacing it with truer, more joyful and Loving ways of being.
Conscious inflammation is caused by the inner state of judgment which leads to fear. Fear tends to elicit even more judgment, causing a cycle of victimization, blame and outrage. Inflammatory thoughts such as “this shouldn’t be happening,” “this is terrible” or “this is scary” are guaranteed to cause distressing emotions. How many times have thoughts like these come up in regard to COVID-19?
There have been many studies that show that negative and fearful thoughts weaken the immune system and positive thoughts enhance it. For example, a study by Italian and UK researchers in 2003 showed that depressed elderly people have fewer lymphocytes and T-cells – the white blood cells crucial for fighting disease. Fear-based stress triggers the release of cortisol. Prolonged exposure to cortisol may lead to anxiety and depression, shorten lifespan, cause overall weakness and damage the hippocampus of the brain.
On the other hand, people with an optimistic attitude have more robust immune systems. There have been studies that show that positive emotions increase resilience against the flu. For more information on these subjects, see links below:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-power-of-positive-thinking
https://www.apa.org/research/action/immune
Another form of conscious inflammation is labeling a person (or group of persons) as selfish, irresponsible, ignorant, bigoted, unconscious, greedy, a jerk, evil, etc., which is often followed by a barrage of intensely negative thoughts to justify that point of view. This inflammatory cycle, which has nothing to do with the outer person or event, will propel dislike into outright hatred, and can even boil over into verbal or physical violence and chronic disease. Think of every conflict there is in the world today – personal, social and political. Are they not all caused by this dynamic? Notice how at this juncture of human evolution, most of humanity has a greater need to take sides and affirm rightness and wrongness rather than live in Love and Understanding.
The key is to realize that anger, judgment and the need to affirm a superior moral position comes from FEAR. While we readily recognize that fear is not a desirable emotion because it is the opposite of Love, we often hold on to feelings of anger and judgment. Why is this? Contemplate this deeply: Anger arises ONLY when we feel threatened by loss – loss of control, loss of what we value, loss of life, etc. We use anger in an attempt to compensate for the insecurity of fear. Therefore it is still fear-based. In fact, because the false-power of anger and judgment fuels fear in unseen and unconscious ways, it makes it even more insidious and destructive. This is why it is so rampant in the world today. Hating haters is more hatred. Judging people because they are not being loving and calling them bad, evil, wrong or unconscious is itself a form of unconscious fear and judgment. In no way does any of that bring more Love into the world.
As much as we may want to help resolve the conflicts of the world, it is impossible to force someone else or a political party or religious movement to let go of their fear-based judgment, control and violence. However, we can let go of fear and judgment within ourselves and thereby directly bring more harmony into the world. This is truly a win-win resolution. But it has to start WITHIN. Everything else is projecting outwardly what we are destined to finally face within. We have come to planet Earth not to control others or to be afraid of others trying to control us, but to awaken to the immutable, unified consciousness of Love.
Complaining and gossiping deserves special mention here because it is a socially acceptable form of affirming fear and blame. For some of us, this is the primary way we connect with friends and acquaintances – talking about everything that we feel is wrong or bad in the world. This absolutely breeds more fear and has no redeeming value whatsoever. Engaging in complaining and gossiping is the equivalent of eating the unhealthiest junk food, devoid of any nutritional value and full of toxic chemicals.
Seeing this is the first step to Healing, Liberation and true Empowerment. It is the only path that will result in no longer being beholden to the world or other people for our sense of identity and well-being. Be aware of when our minds are whipping up inner turmoil and choose a different response. Focus on something else. Learn to differentiate between real challenges and imagined ones. It is quite a revelation when we see that the imaginary stories in the head have a very real effect on our physical and emotional well-being. Even real challenges are made even more difficult and scary with inflammatory thinking. Conversely, our ability to respond clearly and effectively is enhanced when we are calm and at-ease. We may even begin to enjoy our challenges as opportunities to affirm and express our new-found Trust and Love of Life.
Q: What about standing up for equal rights or fighting to save the environment – are you saying that that is a form of inflammation and is bad?
Nothing is ever bad. That is the whole point. It is a matter of what will bring about the best outcome, both inwardly and outwardly. Being steadfast, having courage, conviction, dedication and serving a higher purpose all contribute to accomplishing a goal and bringing about positive change. These qualities are not the result of the inflammatory states of judgment, fear and hate. Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby Kennedy, and Nelson Mandala all calmed and reassured followers who were enraged and wanted to resort to violence. Jesus saying “forgive them for they know not what they do” is this same principle, a way of saying, “if you want true Power and Liberation, you need to first align yourself WITHIN rather than blaming others.” Judgment is never a true life purpose. If our attention and energy is engaged with blaming and criticizing others, we will not be able to see and embrace our highest and truest calling, which is the source of authentic power and satisfaction.
Q: Can you give any specific recommendations of how to attain the kind of equanimity, courage and unconditional love that you are talking about?
Yes, and I would add vibrant and resilient health to that list! Here are some recommendations which can be used as affirmations:
- Letting go of judgment is a simple and powerful act of Liberation
- Place attention on anything other than judgments, such as breathing and feeling body aliveness. In that breath and aliveness is the security and peace we are looking for.
- Emotions tell us what is going on INSIDE of us, not what is true about the world or other people. They are cues to do inner healing, not judge or attack the world and others.
- Affirming rightness is a way of avoiding inner fears
- When negative judgments are dropped, Life is realized to be inherently good and beautiful.
- It is okay to Trust Life! It is a calling higher than all the things we worry about.
- Take the high road of relaxation and acceptance, rather than the low road of mistrust and blame. You will go into higher and higher states of well-being
- Lighten up – feeling at ease is its own reward. As a bonus, it will also allow for clearer seeing and more effective action (or non-action).
- Laugh more – especially at ourselves!
- It is a good thing that we cannot control others and the world, for there is a Higher Love and Intelligence that is taking us infallibly to an unimaginable Happiness
Everything is interconnected. An inflammatory cycle of negative thoughts, craving for junk food, feeling unwell and not getting enough sleep can be transformed into a regenerative cycle of letting go of judgments, directly facing and healing inner fears, being drawn to healthy food, aligning with our life force rather than over-thinking, getting enough exercise and sleep, and sensing the glimmer of true Love, directly from the Universe, within. We then begin to live the life we were destined to discover when we made that first small, inspired step to lean away from the fear-based lies of the ego/mind into the Loving arms of the Universe.
Mark Okita
Mark Okita is a born energy healer and his diverse life experiences have further expanded and refined those gifts. He trained for many years in the martial arts with an emphasis on meditation and cultivation of internal energy. Mark loves nature and has had wilderness experiences in Alaska, Arizona and Hawaii.
His work experience has included working in the HIV/AIDS social services and medical fields. He has undergone extensive training in various forms of body and energy healing, as well as training and retreats pertaining to awakening human consciousness. He has been on numerous group and solitary retreats including a Self-directed 8-year retreat.
Mark has been a healer on a professional level since 1993 and has been doing spiritually oriented Energy Work for the past 20 years. His specialty now is distance healing and telephone sessions.
