Hay House Radio Episode Recap
- Episode Name: “Ritual, Ceremony, and Ancestral Healing for Anxiety”
- Live Broadcast: March 28th, 2018 at 12:00 pm Pacific Time
Episode Summary Re-cap
Emotions like sadness, fear, worry, grief, and anxiety can be stressful and debilitatingIn this unique show, Heather will reveal aspects of Native American medicine, including the use of ritual, ceremony and ancestral healing that can shift your mindset and have DNA-healing benefits. Find out how to create your own healing rituals and ceremonies. Participate in a grounding meditation designed to return you to a sacred space of love, safety, and trust.
What’s the Root Cause of Anxiety?
Studies show that anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders. Unfortunately, anxiety is not often taken as seriously as depression and bipolar disorder, even though it can be just as debilitating.
Anxiety disorders can include PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), panic attacks or panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, acute stress disorder, or specific phobias (e.g., animals, insects, environment, etc.).
There have been a variety of theories about why anxiety disorders occur. For example, researchers have looked at genetics, trauma, biology, stress, gut-health, nutrition, and nutrient deficiencies. Treatments have also run the gamut from cognitive behavioral therapy, energy therapy, bodywork, neurofeedback, pharmaceutical drugs, nutrition, supplementation and lifestyle changes.
I always want to know why something is on the rise. Why are researchers finding more evidence that stress, anxiety and other mood disorders are on the rise?
What if we were missing something in our search for the solution? What if we could go back to the wisdom of our ancestors to find the answers?
Reconnection: Rituals, Ceremony and Ancestral Solutions to Heal Anxiety
In the 1990s, scientists from around the world participated in the Human Genome Project, Over the course of a decade, they found out that our genetics do not control our health, and the science of epigenetics was born. Epigenetics tells us that genes actually dictate about 5% of our health and the other 95% is influenced by lifestyle factors outside our genes. These lifestyle factors include our thoughts and beliefs about our lives, the environment we live in, the food we eat, and how we live our lives. In other words, we are able to shift the 95% that dictates our health.
The challenge comes in with the question…what do I do and how do I do it? It’s nice to know that we have 95% of our health in our own hands, but often, it’s hard to find the RIGHT information in the mainstream. The mainstream often promotes exactly what goes against nurturing that 95% back to health.
Interestingly, there are studies which show us what actions support us in healing epigenetically. Some of these solutions actually invite us to go back in time…to reconnect to the things our ancestors did when life was much simpler and we lived closer to the earth. Let’s examine them here. Pay attention to how you feel as you read these words. Notice where your attention and intuition are drawn. These are good clues about what may work for you!
6 Ways to Heal Anxiety with Rituals, Ceremony, and Ancestral Connection
#1 – Spending Time In Community
Imagine what it was like, when your ancestors woke up and came outside, their feet touching the soil of the earth. Their eyes looking into the eyes of their community members. Once upon a time, we were all indigenous people. Most of us don’t remember this, but we can feel it at the DNA level. Perhaps, in our memories, we remember going to visit grandparents who lived in the same neighborhood all their lives. They knew all of their neighbors, walked to work, and had strong ties to the community.
Today, we’ve moved to far-flung locations. We no longer live with extended family or even know our neighbors. Many of us are too busy to get involved with the community. We may even feel like we don’t have the like-minded friends we wish we did. These are all points of disconnection.
Interestingly, many studies have been done on the healing aspects of relationships and community. All studies point to social interaction being critical to health, happiness, and longevity.
#2 – Eating and Preparing Foods the Way Your Ancestors Did
Your DNA comes from your mother and father, and theirs from their parents. When genetic issues occur, if we look to the genes related to the symptoms, we can see the enzymes and other nutrients that are needed to make that gene function properly. Over the years of looking at my clients’ gene reports, I began asking what their ancestors ate. From their answers and additional research, I found that our healthy ancestors were often eating nutrients that we’ve lost from our diets. These days, we have so much processed food and sugar, while at the same time, we have less minerals in our foods.
I often recommend that people talk to their families and Google what their ancestors ate if you go to your great-grandparents’ time period or earlier. Then add some of those foods to your diet, while reducing and then eliminating processed foods.
#3 – Speaking Your Ancestral Language, Even If Just a Few Words
I used to believe that language didn’t really matter, until I started listening to the way words actually translated. As I began reconnecting to my Native American culture and language, I listened to what other indigenous people said about their lost languages. Meanings and nuances change, which speaks to a change in perspective and cultural understanding. In Lakota, the word for sex means weaving yourselves together like a braid. Now, think of that when it comes to the double helix that makes your DNA? The Lakota word for pregnancy means “to make yourself strong.” How does that change your perspective?
We know from science that emotions are passed through the DNA. Becoming aware of how things are said and their meanings can make a huge difference in how you look at the world. Just learning some of your ancestral language can remind you of this. Try learning words like thank you and I love you in your ancestral language and see how you feel.
#4 – Honoring Ceremonies and Rituals, Which Keep You Grounded
These days, it’s cool to be irreverent. However, in the days of our ancestors, we were much more reverent. There were more ceremonies and rituals to show respect for meaningful events in our lives, from meals shared with family to daily prayers.
According to an article in Scientific American, Why Rituals Work, rituals can reduce anxiety, increase confidence, and alleviate grief, even if people don’t believe they’ll work.
There was an article in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, The therapeutic use of ritual and ceremony in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (1994), in which researchers found that ritual and ceremony were effective forms of treatment. According to the study, relevant ceremony and ritual enabled participants to reconnect to and repair relationships with to family and society, while embracing forgiveness and releasing trauma.
#5 – Slow Down and Listen
At least 15% of you who have chronic anxiety are highly sensitive, energetically sensitive, or psychic. This means you are picking up on unseen energy – and possibly even feeling it as if it were your own. This can be very stressful for your body and mind. Over time, if you do not learn to recognize when this is happening, you could experience chronic anxiety, depression, and other health issues. Slowing down and listening to your body is critical to discerning which energy is yours and which belongs to others. It also allows you to take appropriate steps for self-care, so that you can feel better. Learn more by reading: Tips for Highly Sensitive People.
#6 – Connect To the Earth
Before modern times, our ancestors lived and worked on the land. Farms and gardens were the norm. Imagine a time before electricity, before technology and cars. Imagine the quiet sounds and sights in nature. You already know how you feel when you spend time in nature and there are many studies to show that you can count on that feeling because nature really does help us heal. Here’s an excerpt from a 2014 article in the journal, Frontiers in Psychology, The great outdoors? Exploring the mental health benefits of natural environments by David G. Pearson and Tony Craig:
There is growing evidence to suggest that exposure to natural environments can be associated with mental health benefits. Proximity to greenspace has been associated with lower levels of stress (Thompson et al., 2012) and reduced symptomology for depression and anxiety (Beyer et al., 2014), while interacting with nature can improve cognition for children with attention deficits (Taylor and Kuo, 2009) and individuals with depression (Berman et al., 2012).
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Tune in Next Week
Tune in next week to 21st Century Medicine Woman, we all know hydration is important, but why are the guidelines so confusing? David Getoff joins me to answer every question imaginable about hydration and water.
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