Spirituality in HealthSpirituality in Health(-deconstructed)(-deconstructed)

Enrique Saguil, MDEnrique Saguil, MD

Disclosure:Disclosure:

• I am one with the universeI am one with the universe

What is spirituality?What is spirituality?

The spiritual is contrasted with the The spiritual is contrasted with the physicalphysical, , mattermatter and the and the temporarytemporary. A sense of . A sense of connectionconnection is central of spirituality — is central of spirituality — connection to a reality beyond than the connection to a reality beyond than the physical worldphysical world and and oneselfoneself, which may , which may include an include an emotional experienceemotional experience of awe and of awe and reverence. Spirituality may also include the reverence. Spirituality may also include the development of the individual's inner life development of the individual's inner life through practices such as meditation and through practices such as meditation and prayer, including the search for God, the prayer, including the search for God, the supernatural, a divine influence, or supernatural, a divine influence, or information about the afterlife. information about the afterlife.

Advanced theoriesAdvanced theories

• PhilosophyPhilosophy

• EthicsEthics

• Quantum spiritualityQuantum spirituality

• Bla bla blaBla bla bla

•Stop! Kiss! Still the mind..Stop! Kiss! Still the mind..

… ….personalize it!.personalize it!

How to get thereHow to get there

In english, the word spirit comes from the In english, the word spirit comes from the Latin Latin SpiritusSpiritus (breath) (breath)

My “non-offensive”, religion-neutral intro to My “non-offensive”, religion-neutral intro to spirituality is the art of breathing……spirituality is the art of breathing……

-pranayama-pranayama -tai chi -tai chi -abdominal breathing-abdominal breathing -4-7-8 (Andrew Weil)-4-7-8 (Andrew Weil)

Concentrate on un-Concentrate on un-concentrating!concentrating!

Focus!Focus!

Repetition!Repetition!

““Deflect” distraction!Deflect” distraction!

Clear your mind of everything happening Clear your mind of everything happening now around you to keep on breathing!now around you to keep on breathing!

Enjoy the calm!Enjoy the calm!

Got Ya!Got Ya!

Spirituality exposureSpirituality exposure

• School (diluted)School (diluted)

• TextsTexts

• Seminary, synagogue, mosque, monastery, Seminary, synagogue, mosque, monastery, churchchurch

• Lectures (theosophical society)Lectures (theosophical society)

……..making spirituality a science…..+/-?..making spirituality a science…..+/-?

look what happened with healing!look what happened with healing!

What is healthy?What is healthy?

• Disease freeDisease free

• Drug freeDrug free

• Physically independentPhysically independent

• Intellectually up to dateIntellectually up to date

• Family/socially centeredFamily/socially centered

• Spiritually centeredSpiritually centered

• Financially independent (with health ins)Financially independent (with health ins)

Reality:Reality:

• 1-3 medical problems1-3 medical problems

• 1-6 scripts1-6 scripts

• Physically Independent (-obese slides)Physically Independent (-obese slides)

• Intellectually acceptableIntellectually acceptable

• Family and social status variesFamily and social status varies• Spirituality ignorant (Spirituality ignorant (two tiers developing)two tiers developing)

• Current economy requires dependenceCurrent economy requires dependence

The long versionThe long version

• Spirituality plays an “Spirituality plays an “anchoringanchoring” role in” role in

dis-ease modification – healingdis-ease modification – healing

• Spirituality improves Spirituality improves medicationmedication response response

• Spirituality controls Spirituality controls inflammationinflammation

• Spirituality improves the Spirituality improves the stress responsestress response

• Spirituality effects Spirituality effects gene expressiongene expression

-the anchor-the anchor

• Cancer chemo (series taxing)Cancer chemo (series taxing)• Arthritic disability (disability is defeating)Arthritic disability (disability is defeating)• Chronic pain (fms,ibs,failed back,migraine-Chronic pain (fms,ibs,failed back,migraine-Meds are Meds are

addictive and meant to be temporaryaddictive and meant to be temporary))• Depression/anxiety (too many meds no time!)Depression/anxiety (too many meds no time!)• Diabetes weight control (hormonal urges)Diabetes weight control (hormonal urges)• Hypertension anger/stress control (unlearning Hypertension anger/stress control (unlearning

old habits)old habits) -poor grounding leads to failure-poor grounding leads to failure

-the prescription response-the prescription response

• Lower bpLower bp

• Lower cravingLower craving

• Better sleepBetter sleep

• Better sexBetter sex

• Less hot flashesLess hot flashes

• Less stomach acidLess stomach acid

-the inflammatory response-the inflammatory response

• Allergic reaction (HIS) and relaxation Allergic reaction (HIS) and relaxation responseresponse

• IBD response improved with spiritualityIBD response improved with spirituality• Atopic dermatitis controlled with Atopic dermatitis controlled with stress-stress-

managing psychotherapy, relaxation tech, habit reversal.managing psychotherapy, relaxation tech, habit reversal.

The effects of psychological intervention on atopic dermatitis.The effects of psychological intervention on atopic dermatitis.

• Abuse in childhood (ace)=crp, wbc, Abuse in childhood (ace)=crp, wbc, fibrinogenfibrinogen

Cumulative Childhood Stress and Autoimmune Diseases in Adults 2009Cumulative Childhood Stress and Autoimmune Diseases in Adults 2009

Brain inflammation inc. ALZ/Brain inflammation inc. ALZ/ meditation inc. brain meditation inc. brain function function • Long-term meditation seems not only to alter brain-Long-term meditation seems not only to alter brain-

wave patterns: early research suggests that it may wave patterns: early research suggests that it may also result in changes in the actual structure of the also result in changes in the actual structure of the cortex, the outer parts of our brains. “We have cortex, the outer parts of our brains. “We have found that brain regions associated with attention found that brain regions associated with attention and sensory processing were thicker in meditators and sensory processing were thicker in meditators than in the controls,” says Dr Sara Lazar, an than in the controls,” says Dr Sara Lazar, an assistant in psychology at Massachusetts General assistant in psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital.-Hospital.-2006 report by ScienCentral 2006 report by ScienCentral

• A PET scan measuring blood flow was taken in these three conditions and the results show that there were a number of changes specific to the experience of religious feelings.- Azari et al. (2001)

-stress response-stress response

• ““Fight or flight”Fight or flight”• Adrenalin, cortisol, tachicardia, Adrenalin, cortisol, tachicardia,

hyperventilation, hyperacusis, hyperventilation, hyperacusis, tremor, hypertension, poor digestion, tremor, hypertension, poor digestion, no sex no sex (can be sustained but not without sequela)(can be sustained but not without sequela)

-gene expression-gene expression

• Herb Benson “Relaxation response” Herb Benson “Relaxation response” 35+yrs ago35+yrs ago

• 2008 PLoS One report:2008 PLoS One report:

MM

• The researchers recruited three groups The researchers recruited three groups of people. In the first group (called the of people. In the first group (called the M group) there were 19 long term M group) there were 19 long term practitioners who had been practicing practitioners who had been practicing various ways of producing the various ways of producing the relaxation response every day for a relaxation response every day for a long time (for instance with daily yoga, long time (for instance with daily yoga, repeated prayer or meditation repeated prayer or meditation practice). practice).

N1 + N2N1 + N2

• In the second group were another 19 In the second group were another 19 people who they called the "healthy people who they called the "healthy controls" (group N1), who were not controls" (group N1), who were not daily practitioners, and the third daily practitioners, and the third group was like the healthy controls group was like the healthy controls group, except these 20 people group, except these 20 people completed 8 weeks of relaxation completed 8 weeks of relaxation response training (this group was response training (this group was N2).N2).

resultsresults

• They found the expressions of a total They found the expressions of a total of 2,209 genes were significantly of 2,209 genes were significantly different between groups M and N1, different between groups M and N1, and a total of 1,561 genes were and a total of 1,561 genes were similarly significantly different similarly significantly different between groups N2 and N1 between groups N2 and N1

Spirituality changes gene Spirituality changes gene expression.expression.

• More importantly, however, was the More importantly, however, was the fact 433 of the genes were common to fact 433 of the genes were common to both sets of comparisons: the same both sets of comparisons: the same ones were different between M and N1 ones were different between M and N1 and between M and N2, so even short and between M and N2, so even short term practice of the relaxation term practice of the relaxation response appeared to produce changes response appeared to produce changes in these 433 gene expressions.in these 433 gene expressions.

Spirituality no longer “soft Spirituality no longer “soft science”science”

• "This is the first comprehensive study "This is the first comprehensive study of how the mind can affect gene of how the mind can affect gene expression, linking what has been expression, linking what has been looked on as a 'soft' science with the looked on as a 'soft' science with the 'hard' science of genomics."'hard' science of genomics."

The Saguil Approach to Spirituality is -The Saguil Approach to Spirituality is -

-it reverses cell damage-it reverses cell damage

• The authors said their study showed The authors said their study showed that the relaxation response changed that the relaxation response changed the expression of genes involved with the expression of genes involved with inflammation, programmed cell death inflammation, programmed cell death and the handling of free radicals. Free and the handling of free radicals. Free radicals are normal byproducts of radicals are normal byproducts of metabolism that the body neutralizes in metabolism that the body neutralizes in order to stop damage to cells and order to stop damage to cells and tissues.tissues.

He’s Controversial!!

The goal

1st leg

2nd leg

“Bandaid”

3rd leg

The Saguil Approach:The Saguil Approach:

• ““Bandaid therapy”Bandaid therapy”

• Spiritual groundingSpiritual grounding

• Nutrition review/Herbal supplementsNutrition review/Herbal supplements

• Movement therapyMovement therapy

• Help others with their “bandaids”Help others with their “bandaids”

…………self cultivation will bring about self cultivation will bring about peace in society.peace in society.

-Tao Te Ching-Tao Te Ching

……be the change you want to see in the be the change you want to see in the world.world.

--Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi

• In everyone’s life, at some time, our In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by encounter with another into flame by encounter with another human being. We should all be human being. We should all be thankful for those people who thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.rekindle the inner spirit.

-Albert Schweitzer-Albert Schweitzer

Labyrinths in ILLINOIS:Labyrinths in ILLINOIS:

• http://www.relax4life.com/labfinder.htmlhttp://www.relax4life.com/labfinder.html

Available evidence does not suggest that Available evidence does not suggest that labyrinth walking can be used to prevent or labyrinth walking can be used to prevent or treat cancer or other serious diseases.treat cancer or other serious diseases.

People walk through labyrinths to reach any People walk through labyrinths to reach any number of goals, such as inner peace, number of goals, such as inner peace, heightened spirituality, personal insight, heightened spirituality, personal insight, prayer, relaxation, stress relief, or just prayer, relaxation, stress relief, or just "letting go." "letting go."

Mind body classesMind body classes

• Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body MedicineMedicine

(617) 643-6090(617) 643-6090

• Dr Keshavarzian Rush (312) 942-3466 Dr Keshavarzian Rush (312) 942-3466

-say GI trials-say GI trials

• Infinity Foundation (847) 831-8828 Infinity Foundation (847) 831-8828

• Theosophical society (630) 668-1571 Theosophical society (630) 668-1571

Thanks!Thanks!

Enrique Saguil, MDEnrique Saguil, MD

www.herbal411.comwww.herbal411.com