Embracing Illness?

We encounter health problems in Life. How do we cope without creating further harm for ourselves or others?

Illness and aging seem like obstacles to happiness. But it is possible to learn and grow despite (and even because of) the difficulties they cause. Mindful Biology can aid to this process, because it helps us gain clarity on our true situation, placing it in a human, biological, and evolutionary context. With clear understanding and gentle acceptance, we can gravitate toward contentment no matter what life imposes.

Many websites and books help manage bodily and mental health issues. Fewer help us embrace them. Mindful Biology takes the latter approach, by focusing on haw hard our bodies work to keep us going, even in the face of illness, pain, limitation, etc. We honor the Life within by focusing not on the treatment, but on how we can live—at least mentally and spiritually—with bodily impairment. It helps us accept feel gratitude for our present condition rather than looking toward a preferred, improved, or recovered state in the future.

Of course it makes sense to promote healing with aid of clinicians and medicines, by changing diet and activities, and so on. But it also makes sense to cultivate a sense of friendliness toward our biomedical reality as it is right now. This may mean being friendly toward a body or mind that is suffering pain or limitation.

This may feel “wrong”, as if it we’re resigning ourselves to unwanted fate. Yet an important step toward healing any affliction is reducing stress. Because friendly acceptance of the body reduces our sense of alienation and struggle, it reduces stress. We thus increase the likelihood of improving health, reducing symptoms, and increasing capacity.

And when complete healing proves beyond reach, Honoring our biology helps us feel at peace with that outcome, maximizing our ability to make the most of Life despite the challenges.