I know I keep harping on about the relationship between our health, our emotions and stress levels, but it’s a point that has really hit home to me lately because I’ve been in the middle of experiencing it.

There’s nothing like learning something really well by going through it yourself, and because I had a bit of stress earlier this year, I noticed a direct relationship between it, and a decline in my usually quite good health.

I do have a bit of a tricky adrenal and thyroid system that needs lots of support - but even with doing that AND eating really well and exercising regularly  - during the times I felt the most challenged, I had quite a number of negative physical changes.

My skin broke out a bit, I gained a few kilos, my hair was falling out, I was tired, and had lots of aches and pains.  It wasn’t until I resolved the emotional component and got back on track, that my physical health then naturally improved.

It just goes to show what a huge impact how we feel has on our physical health - and I am beginning to count this area as being just as important as what we eat, and maybe even more so.  I don’t believe that we can eat well and do everything else right - but leave our emotional garbage unresolved, and still be healthy. 

Our mind / feelings / emotions live in every cell in our body and we cannot separate them.  To be really healthy we need to heal the body and the mind, not just one or the other.  I see my best results in clinic, when someone embraces the physical side of healing, and also works on resolving their emotional issues as well.

With the launch of my Embracing Life! Six Day Detox, Healing and Renewal Retreats, I’ve found a new passion and have become very excited and enthusiastic about it all - and these feelings have resulted physically in a new-found energy, clear skin, healthy hair, a few kilos dropping off and a brighter outlook.

We never stop learning, and the best lessons are the ones that we experience ourselves. The power of observation in our own lives can be a powerful tool for significant insights and healing experiences.

With stress being the causative factor in so many degenerative health conditions, part of my philosophy on healing is to lower and manage stress through various techniques.

I talk to people about the benefits of regular exercise in stress reduction, we talk about resolving and working on the emotional aspects of stress, we can look at using herbs and supplements that support our body and help us adapt to stress - but one tool that I think is essential, is meditation.

Now when I say that to most people, they have a vision of having to sit cross legged on the floor, eyes closed, and “OM” for a half an hour while the mind races and reminds us of all the other things we could be doing.  For most people this style of meditation doesn’t suit, and causes more stress that it relieves.

There are many people who do have the discipline and interest to study and learn these type of techniques, such as Transcendental Meditation, yet for many of us, we try, we get bored,  and we’re not really that interested.  We may practice that style of meditation for a while, and then we give up and move on.

Because the benefits of meditation are so numerous - physically, mentally and spiritually - it is important to include in out lives - but we need to find a style of meditation that suits us, and that doesn’t mean sitting cross legged on the floor.

All sorts of practices can move us into that meditative state, where our mind has switched off and we have a heightened but peaceful awareness and connection.  Often that comes doing something we love that we are so focused on that we lose the racing mind and enter another state.

I realised that yesterday when I spend some time with some horses - my mind was still, I was immersed in what I was doing, and I was definitely in a meditative state for quite a while.  When I had finished with the horses I felt rested, alert, energetic and very calm.  That is the state that helps us be healthy, and the more often we can access that, the better for our stress levels.

So meditation doesn’t have to be a cliche.  We can find that meditative space doing all sorts of things - surfing, horse-riding, gardening, walking in nature, yoga - often it will be found when you are doing something you love.

Being healthy doesn’t mean we have to do things that are difficult that we don’t enjoy just because we think they’re good for us.   Happiness keeps us healthy, and if we are aware of what brings us to a peaceful, joyous space, then that is what we need to do.

I know I’ll be spending a lot more time with horses - what is that you will do?

Explore the power of natural medicine by understanding and applying the 7 laws to health. Part 7 of 7 in this series by Leisa describes how important stress management is in your quest for perfect health.

This is something I’ve been working on for quite some time, and now it has finally launched!

My new website www.salivahormonereport.com is up and running, and this is something quite new in the health world, and is a very unique health service that many people will find extremely helpful.

With today’s adulterated food, stresses, xeno-oestrogens, pollution, toxic chemicals, pharmaceutical medications and crazy lifestyles, many more people today than ever, are suffering from hormone related health issues. 

Knowing that hormones regulate physical development, fertility, libido, metabolism, stress responses, immunity, aging and sleep - there are plenty of areas that can be affected if there is an hormonal imbalance.

Balancing hormones naturally has been an area that I have studied extensively, and I find Saliva Hormone Testing an invaluable tool when it comes to interpreting someone’s symptoms.  It is an excellent guideline as to how their body is coping with life.

Now anyone can have this vital information, and what I am offering to people, is not just the test itself, but my comprehensive analysis of your results.  This comprehensive report is 15-20 pages long, and gives you an enormous amount of information, including an explanation of each hormone, what it does and what effect your level may be having on your health; suggestions as to how to regain your health naturally; other tests that may be helpful to investigate a health issue further; recommended reading and much, much more.

 I guarantee you will not find this type of personalised information anywhere else!

Take the time to read more about it at my new website, http://www.salivahormonereport.com/

This is a question that I often ask myself, especially when dealing with people that are often not willing to change what needs to be changed, to allow healing to take place.

I think there are many perspectives that can come out of such a question, but the important one for me is “What can help the patient in front of me, have a better quality of health, within the circumstances of their life?”  And the answer is not always something completely natural.

Now, if people were willing to do what it takes to get well – then that would be a different story, it would be natural medicine all the way.  But when people are caught up in a lifestyle that doesn’t allow true healing, do we dismiss these people as not worthy of being helped, or do we do the best we can within those limitations?

One area that comes to mind in this situation, is women who are having problems with menopause.  They are often suffering an hormonal imbalance that presents with high oestrogen, low progesterone and adrenal fatigue.  Many women at this age have been under stress for the past thirty years, with marriage, raising children, developing a career, being under financial pressure, and trying to be everything to everyone.  It is no wonder that their adrenal glands are fatigued.

Now if I was a Dr. practicing about 150 years ago, my prescription for adrenal fatigue would be “six months by the seaside”.  With nothing to do but rest in the sun, do gentle exercise, eat fresh food, drink clean water and de-stress, many cases of adrenal fatigue and ensuing hormonal imbalances would resolve.  The only problem is that in today’s society we never get the opportunity to “opt out” for any period of time to rest and to get well.  This is where medications such as Bio-identical Progesterone cream can be a life-saver for some women – but it is not considered “natural” and in Australia is only available on prescription.

Our busy 21st century lifestyles can inhibit our ability to heal.  We can’t think that changes in out diet and some gentle herbs are going to correct our imbalances if we are still choosing to live an incredibly stressful, fast paced life.  The two are totally incongruent and we won’t get complete results from natural medicine unless we endorse lifestyle changes as well. 

As not every patient is ready to take on a complete lifestyle change, my preferred way of working is to implement as many dietary changes and natural medicine options as possible; but then if there is an imbalance such as an hormonal one that can be helped by a Bio-identical medication, then I will recommend we move in that direction.

Everyone is at a different level of understanding in health matters, and rather than being so righteous that we alienate those who need our guidance, as a health practitioner it may be better to be open enough to meet people on their level and offer the best advice we can for their individual situation.  Even though the treatment options we recommend, may not be OUR preferred choice.