I had a very interesting and introspective experience recently when myself and my son were sick at the same time, presumably with the same illness. Caleb (my little guy) got sick first as he's teething, which compromises little people's immune systems. He got a cold accompanied by a persistent cough that got worse at night. Soon after, I found myself similarly sick with a very sore throat, swollen glands, fatigue, muscle aches and periodic headaches. I'm not entirely sure whether or not Caleb shared my symptoms as he's currently unable to tell me, but I suspect he had an easier time with our sickness than I did. How do I know? Well, despite the fact that Caleb's nose was constantly leaking and he spent more than one night coughing frequently (this was before I invested in some awesome homeopathic cough medicine), he always woke up fresh, energized and on-the-go the moment his feet touched the ground. I, on the contraty, found myself slow-moving, groggy, somewhat debilitated and in need of much herbal, infrared sauna, manual lymphatic drainage, massage and hot baths support. I was moaning to myself and forever mentally confirming that I didn't feel good. The fact that this was the case really made me reflect on the difference between a child and an adult being under the weather. Two things seemed glaringly obvious to me:
1. As adults, we typically have more accumulated toxins in our bodies from years of lifestyle choices and years of having been exposed to chemicals. I grew up amidst a very conventional mind-set where taking pain medications and pursuing prescriptions, including lots of antibiotics, for ails was common. Not to mention the fact that as the years progressed, I participated in surely too much alcohol consumption. More stored toxins equals a more adverse experience of health, especially when one falls ill. This is a perfect supportive truth for the value of periodic cleansing. And trust me, I am CHOMPING AT THE BIT to do a cleanse, as soon as Caleb's done with breastfeeding.
2. Our perception of illness surely exacerbates our experience of illness. Notice that above, I mentioned the fact that during our sickness, I was "forever mentally confirming that I didn't feel good". Well, as we know, what we believe to be true more often than not manifests itself into our reality. I'm positive that Caleb didn't spend his days thinking to himself: "Waaa, waaa...I don't feel good!" I'm sure he wasn't thinking much at all, but rather just going with the flow of life, moving from one toy to the next, one experience to the next, always fully present in each passing moment, never painfully aware of the fact that he had a runny nose and whatever other symptoms he may have been experiencing.
This is reflective of Kristi's recent blog "Happy Like a Dog", where she makes the point that animals and children are perfect teachers to us about being present in each passing moment. This recent experience of mine is another beautiful reminder not only of present-moment living, but of the importance of cleansing our bodily temples. Here's a simple analogy: think of a fish tank. If you never clean your fish tank, how can you expect the ecosystem within to thrive? Chances are the water will become mucky and the fish may even die. Likewise, we need to clean our bodies out every now and then so that we can have a more optimal experience of life and not be so run down when common colds hit.
Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic
