Endorphins; their part in healing and well being (William Bloom reviewed).

By Reiki Master David Ingram (http://www.atthesource.co.uk/)

“Downstairs @ the Source there are books that can be borrowed and I have been reading “The Endorphin Effect” by William Bloom, published by Piatkus 2001. I have been very impressed and want to share his ideas with you.

 I have been a fan of William’s for a long time, since I read his book describing his six month meditation in Morocco based on a medieval Hebrew manuscript. He now operates from St James Piccadilly and Glastonbury. He has a website full of interesting comments messages and views.

 Like all of us involved in complementary medicine he acknowledges that there is an intimate connection between the body and the mind, that the body has electromagnetic fields and can connect with other magnetic wavelengths in nature and the universe and that the body produces biochemicals which affect health and well being. 

 Scientific investigation of endorphins shows that they are responsible for physical pleasure and can kill pain, they play a part in the repair of tissues and boost the immune system, they can create the feelings of bliss in which we feel a deep connection with nature and the universe and support emotional and mental wellbeing.

 William calls the good feelings produced by natural endorphins “the bliss fields” and he shows how the flow of endorphins is blocked by stress and tension so that ill health and unhappiness can result and we can find ourselves on a downward spiral.

I believe that Reiki operates in complex ways in our bodies, but that one of them is to cause the release of endorphins.

When we relax and feel good these biochemicals are released. You may have experimented for yourselves with smiling. When you feel down, the act of smiling, however forced it may be, triggers this release. William suggests that we think of those experiences which make us feel happy and use the contemplation of them to trigger the release of endorphins. William calls these pleasurable thoughts “strawberries”.

It is a self reinforcing process. If you feel happy about yourself, relaxed, safe and confident then you will maintain good health and be strong. Maintain an inner smile.

If you encounter a situation which could produce stress and anxiety, then how you behave and respond is critical. Do not allow someone else to produce a stress reaction. Do not allow them to press your buttons. This does not mean that you should be a limp walk-over, your inner strength, knowledge and attitude can continue to support you. If you become stressed then the endorphin flow ceases. This provides an insight into how stress causes physical illness and also how Reiki can maintain health.

 As you go about your life in the world:

·        Keep your energy contained and in integrity

·        Learn the skill of not reacting

·        Assert clear boundaries and be able to push people and energies out of your face.

William calls this the soft approach to health; that long life and sustained health comes from your emotional/ spiritual condition rather than the route of putting pressure on your body through physical training and the stress of displeasure, judgement and disapproval.  If you think of your body as if it were a pet or a child then you will see instantly that your body will respond readily to approval and affection. This is not to advocate “the slobs guide to health” but that caring for your body and your mental health should be founded on acceptance and affection.

 He offers an insight into this. The bottom man, he says, lives in his head, he has a mass of knowledge but no power. The middle man lives in his chest and is full of action and courage. The top man lives in the sacral chakra or Hara of the belly and lives in close contact with the divine. “

An interesting review given by David and you can equally put Shiatsu next to his comments about Reiki in relation to the effect it has. I’ve found another book to add to my reading list  ( once I’ve got through the revision for later this year).