People sometimes assume that because I emphasize holistic healing through the mind-body connection, I am against medical intervention, especially taking medication. That could not be further from the truth; in fact, I often teach the importance of having the proper mindset when taking medication to my clients.
I saw the importance of mindset with medicine in the most profound way when one of my clients went into labor. She called me on Zoom from the delivery room and was upset and panicked. She originally wanted a natural birth and was upset that she had been induced. As the medical staff reported to me, nothing was shifting in her body despite heavy doses of Pitocin. It was as if they didn’t even give her the medication. Her mind was preventing her body from being able to reap the benefits of the chemical that was already in her body. The baby’s vitals were dipping so a quick intervention was needed for both of their sakes.
With permission from her medical team to first implement mind-body tools before moving to a C-Section, I jumped in. We started by processing her upset feelings and anxiety about induction and moved toward acceptance of the current situation. With the anxiety calmer and out of the way, we could harness her desire to get the most benefit from the medication. Within minutes, her body started to respond to the medication, the baby’s vitals stabilized, and she was able to have a healthy, smooth, and easy birth. So what was happening? Simply put, her body was not processing the drug while she was believing that this was a scary option and against her ultimate desires. Her body got the message from her own feelings that something about this drug in her body was scary and so, her body didn’t begin metabolizing it. While there is no right or wrong in terms of her feelings about the medication and the process, it was already in her system so I wanted to help her get the benefit from the drug and prevent what she was even more scared of, the C-section.
This applies to all medications and medical treatment. We often choose to take medication because we feel we have to or out of fear of what could go wrong if we don’t take it. I have seen time and time again how important mindset is in order to get the most benefit out of medical intervention. So, for anyone who is on medication or preparing for a particular treatment, I want to share my protocol for helping the body get the most out of that treatment.
1. Approach is EVERYTHING
There is no objective truth about whether taking a particular medication is good or bad. I realize that can feel really frustrating. We want certainty and as a result, we tend to try to determine the “right” choice. But the truth is, 99% of the time there isn’t an objective “right” decision. I know this firsthand from every time I had to choose a new disease modifying treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). It’s really hard to choose.
So what do you do? How do you approach making a decision without getting stuck in the common spiral of trying to determine what is “right”? The most important thing to know is that the only objective right or wrong about taking medication or doing anything about your health is to never do it out of fear.
When choosing a medical intervention, it is essential to do so because you want to support your body’s path to wellness- not because you are afraid of what might happen if you don’t. The body is always listening. If it gets the message that you’re taking medication because you don’t trust it, the body will continue to create a scenario that furthers that mistrust. On the other hand, you could take the exact same medication because you want to support your body’s health and wellness and because you trust your body to make the most of the treatment.
When we make a decision out of fear of what could go wrong, we create a state of fear in the body. Fear activates the amygdala which controls our fight or flight response. That triggers a set of changes to the systems of the body that will directly impact how your body processes a particular medication or treatment. So, it’s essential that you make any choice from a positive place of harnessing health rather than the fear of what might happen if you do or don’t do this. That fear may quite literally prevent your body from being able to get the most out of the intervention.
2. Bless the Medicine
Many cultures bless their food before they consume it. I know it might sound odd, but it’s important to create a positive blessing for medication. Our words have energetic resonance and as proven in the famous Dr. Emoto study, words and thoughts directly change the structure of water molecules. Our food and medicine all receive energy and honestly, even if you don’t believe in the energetic aspect of it, blessing your medicine is about setting an intention for what you want for yourself, which prepares you and your body to get the most out of the intervention.
It’s great to use your own words but just as an example, a blessing or intention for medicine might sound something like this: May this medication/intervention be for my highest good. May my body be able to use this medication to the greatest possible benefit while eliminating any toxins associated with it.
3. Inform Your Body
It’s good to tell your body why you are about to engage in or avoid a particularly suggested treatment or intervention. Just like you might sit down with a six year old before their first flight and tell them what to expect in order to make it as smooth a process as possible, it’s also important to have a conversation with your body and bring it on board.
That might sound something like “I know that you are strong and that you have everything you need to heal. I am going to take a medication today and I want you to know that it is NOT because I don’t trust you. You ARE doing a great job and I just want to help the process. We are a team and this feels like the best way for me to help you right now.” It’s also a good idea at this stage to say thank you for how much your body is doing for you in all areas. For example, even if the nervous system is experiencing some challenges, you can still say thank you for your respiratory system – your lungs and breath – working fine and keeping you alive. There is always something to be grateful for in your body so it helps to mention that when informing your body of why you’re doing what you’re doing. With this, if the step you are taking is to take a medication, be careful not to mention any potential side effects. Just because certain side effects may affect a small percentage of people, doesn’t mean it will happen to you so we don’t want to give your body any ideas. If you go back to previous blogs, you will see how powerful our mind is at creating physical reactions in the body.
4. Expect the Best
Now that you’ve made the decision of what feels most aligned with harnessing health for yourself right now, and you’ve informed your body, it’s important to expect the best and let go of anything that you had to consider during the decision making process. Expect that the medication or intervention will be highly effective. Expect to get all the benefits without any downsides. See your body fully absorbing the intervention for its highest good and see yourself feeling great and getting the desired relief as a result.
We rarely consider how important our mindset is when taking or not taking medication. How we approach the process of intervention and treatment is everything. I have seen clients get zero impact from medication because they were afraid of it, which was unfortunate since it was already in their system. If you find yourself taking medication or considering a new treatment, I hope these steps will benefit your and your body’s ability to maximize the benefits.
