I was having dinner with a friend last night and she was telling me that she was really struggling with asthma flair up and was having trouble breathing. It turns out that the asthma flair up started soon after the death of a close friend. In Chinese Medicine grief weakens the lungs, so it’s not uncommon for people dealing with grief to develop lung issues. My friend had also recently been eating more dairy than usual. Dairy is also a common trigger for asthma.

I was also struggling somewhat. I had recently had flair up of my allergies, which had been dormant for years. The flair up coincided with a high mold count in the air (I’m sensitive to mold), a return to eating wheat (a food I generally avoid), and an emotional upset I was having with a friend. I had developed an almost uncontrollable cough due to the allergy.

The physical health symptoms we experience can come about due to a number of reasons. They can come about due to allergic reactions to foods, side effects from medications, vitamin deficiencies, and past injuries. They can come about due to environmental factors such as pollution, gmo’s, contaminated water, ticks, or radiation exposure. They can also come about due to emotional issues. For example, if there is something you need to say and are not saying you might develop a cough, or a hoarse voice or thyroid issues. If you are experiencing a lot of grief it may affect your lungs. If you are experiencing a lot of resentment and anger it might affect your joints or your skin. The possibilities of how are emotions can affect our body are endless.

If you are experiencing health issues, you may want to pause and ask yourself what the contributing factors might be. I paused in the middle of my allergic reaction and saw several things. I saw that I had started eating wheat again, and that the wheat was weakening my immune system. I also saw that I was feeling like a victim in one of my friendships and that feeling like a victim was also weakening my immune system. I saw that I needed to step into my power and confidence. So, instead of focusing on feeling hurt by my friend, I started affirming to myself:

I am powerful.
I am powerful.

I feel powerful.
I feel powerful.

I embody power.
I embody power.

I am a powerful being of light.
I am a powerful being of light.

I have the power to influence.
I have the power to influence.

I use my power in service to all of humanity.
I use my power in service to all of humanity.

My words are powerful.
My words are powerful.

I am powerful.
I am powerful.

I am filled with the power of spirit.
I am filled with the power of spirit.

I am a powerful being of light.
I am a powerful being of light.

It was sort of amazing, but as I started shifting from a victim mentality to a mentality of confidence and power, my physical symptoms begin to subside (I started coughing and sneezing much less). The symptoms didn’t go away completely, but they definitely became more manageable. The next day when I decided to fully express myself to my friend, my cough quickly subsided and health began to return to my body.

I share all of this today as a reminder of the impact that our emotions play on our health.

Take a moment to assess your internal environment. How might the thoughts and feeling you are having be impacting your physical body?

When I shifted my thoughts and feelings from that of a victim to that of being a powerful being of light my physical symptoms improved. When I said what I needed to say, my cough improved.

Practice addressing your physical symptoms on many levels. What food choices do you need to change? What vitamins do you need to add? Do you need to exercise more or less? Are you getting enough sleep? What feelings do you need to work on? Are you resentful and angry? How might that be impacting your health? Are you not saying what you need to say? How is that blocking your energy? Are you struggling with lack of self acceptance? How might that be impacting your well being?

Practice elevating your thoughts and feelings and see how this impacts your physical body. Let this be your experiment for the week.

If you would like additional assistance with this be sure to check out our You Tube Page at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjOQSO4tSZN1ltGeb-KFC7w where there are lots of inspiring videos that can assist you in elevating your emotional state.

I am also available for in person and phone consultations to help understand and address these various issues.

Again, there are many reasons for the health issues we face. Emotional factors are just one piece. But since this is an area where we can exert influence it can be helpful to really examine our emotional state and elevate our awareness where we can.

Have a good week.

Hayley Mermelstein