Where do we go from here? Healing the Terrain
Pasteur, the father of “germ theory,” the inventor of pasteurization for dairy products to kill off the bacteria, in his last days stated: “The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything.” Pasteur had, for his entire professional career, championed the idea that germs are the cause of illness and he approached microbes and germs as the enemy. His findings have been incredibly useful in health and human well being as we learned that washing hands, limiting exposure to specific pathogens, sterile techniques in surgery, clean water and clean air were all important ways to minimize infections. His germ theory was not wrong. It was simply incomplete, not taking into account the interplay inherent in a complex system. This was something he recognized later in life.
Louis Pasteur’s professional rival, Antoine Bechamp, was an ardent proponent of terrain theory. While he recognized that a bacteria or virus may be the disease causing agent, or the tipping point to symptoms, he also recognized that we live in symbiotic relationship with microorganisms, and when the body becomes compromised in some way, the symbiotic relationship becomes imbalanced, and disease forms.
While there is still so much we are learning about this current virus, there are patterns emerging that guide us as we move out of our homes and engage in social life again; patterns which speak strongly to the health of the terrain. The virus isn’t going anywhere, and there will be others. The key invitation now is to look deeply at what health is: for ourselves, for our communities, and our world. What supports health? It is not always the absence of disease. But, it is maintaining right relationship between ourselves and our world.
If the soil does not have the nutrients and microbes necessary for the plants that have been placed in it, they will not thrive to their inherent capacity, and they will be much more vulnerable to illness and pests. This is the same with our bodies, communities and planet. Each needs our attention and care, grounded in the recognition of an interwoven and interdependent existence. The plant and the soil are truly one.
The human body is a system, a symphony, where all the cells communicate with one another maintaining a dynamic response to internal and external demands. Each of us has a unique pattern (terrain); created both by our genetic blueprint and by our experiences, our environment, and which patterns are reinforced and which are culled as we learn and develop. Our terrain is maintained with food (nutrients), water, breath, movement, thought patterns, beliefs, and further experiences. Just as with the plants in healthy or unhealthy soil, our cells require the resources to work, remove waste, and communicate clearly.
Each year as cold and flu season arrive, some people get sick, and have varying symptoms: some a dry cough, others produce a lot of mucus. Some have digestive symptoms while others have respiratory symptoms. This is due to the individual terrain and patterns of adaptation unique to each person. Getting sick with acute illnesses is normal; even healthy at times. It is part of being in an interactive, dynamic relationship with our world. And, it is seasonal due to the bodies adaptation to the shifting light, temperature, and metabolic needs. When the terrain is weakened, these illnesses may not be a healthy reset, but an overwhelming stress. There are also some microbes that are strong and overwhelm even a healthy system. This is why we pay attention to the terrain and to the germ, why we work to prevent illness and maintain health. Supporting the terrain comes first. When illness does occur, treating the individual, based on their unique needs, allows for skillful precision and efficient healing.
As the entire world now responds to one virus, this conversation becomes vitally important. The virus has a particular nature, the symptoms of which may vary in patterns and severity. And it is most harmful in a compromised terrain. Unfortunately, as a society, our terrain is unhealthy. We have become disconnected with ourselves and with our world and have forgotten to respect the necessity of building a healthy soil (literally and figuratively). This is not an individual failing; it is a collective failing and a collective responsibility. In every system, the whole is only as strong as its weakest or most vulnerable part. This time invites awareness of our own and our societies vulnerabilities; places that need our attention, nourishment and healing. This time invites action.
My hope and personal mission as we move forward is (1) to cultivate an understanding of our own bodies as wise systems informing and empowering healthy personal choices to meet our individual needs physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. (2) To cultivate a right relationship with one another and our world that respects the individual and honors the whole, supports the vulnerable and nourishes the terrain of not only ourselves but our communities and our planet.
Though grand sounding, I know that this is possible one person, one action at a time. Through self awareness, knowledge and meeting our individual needs, we have the increased resilience to offer one other person support, to make one informed decision about our food system, our soil health, our air quality, the water we drink, our support of community driven economies…this list could go on. In supporting our own health through loving attention and graciously meeting our needs, we have the bandwidth to see where life wants to serve through us. This will look different for each of us as our individual terrains vary. Our strengths, our personalities, our skills, the things we are passionate about, our core values are individual and without hierarchy, one no more important than another. Being in rhythm with ourselves allows for skillful actions of service as much as knowing our physical body allows for the understanding of which foods support its daily operations.
As we move forward, this is my invitation to you:
1. Know your own terrain. I invite you to work with a health provider that thinks in systems and whole body health; a practitioner who educates and empowers you through sharing their insights. This is much more than simply screening our body for diseases or deficiencies. Knowing where we have already developed disease and imbalance is necessary. And, even more so is understanding how our body adapts and moves through life, understanding our strengths and our vulnerabilities so that we are informed about the daily habits that support optimal thriving and help prevent chronic illness. Lean in to the gifts of a skilled practitioner that can also help sift through the noise, trained in diagnostics, taking in the whole picture and ruling in and out diseases, and advising appropriate and precise interventions.
2. Know your needs. Listen to your body. Trust the messages and stay curious. When we drop in, listen to our bodies, and breathe, our fear blinders become a little less intense and we have more bandwidth to stay curious, to ask for help when needed and to meet the needs our body communicates to us each moment. Our needs are often quite simple and easily met.
3. Choose actions out of love that support your thriving. Protect and nourish the particular way life shows up as you. Give your body, mind, emotional body and spirit the support they need to thrive. This is an act of love. There may be things we need to eliminate, and add, and from a place of love, these changes take on a power that is palpable. We do not need to fight with ourselves or against ourselves to make the choices that serve our highest good. We do need will power to choose what is in our highest good.
4. Get to know what matters to you most. What are your core values? What are your strengths? Take time to really get clear, to know yourself. And celebrate this! This is how life dances in you! Your unique gifts are perfect, beautiful and enough!
5. Take one action. Support one other person. Let this action be in alignment with your core values and your gifts. Our world was vulnerable to this virus, to chronic disease, to anger, to division, to self harm and harm to others because we have forgotten how to cultivate the soil of our very being. Whole communities do not have food that supplies the healthy nutrients needed to fight off disease, communities who are chronically ill because the only food they have available is nutrient poor and toxin contaminated. We can not sit back and accuse the individuals of having poor health. We need to support each other. Many do not have access to a supportive health care provider or even know that there are options beyond symptom management. Many do not have access to clean water, or natural spaces. In the big picture, our food system needs an overhaul. Our racial disparities must be addressed. Our economic disparities are just plain absurd. Our paradigms must be turned on their heads, because it is glaringly obvious they are sick and broken. As individuals, we do all we can to heal when we do not feel well. And, now is the time to do this for ourselves and for our families, our communities and our world. This starts with you, and then one other person. 1+1 does not equal 2 in this equation. The rippling effects are much greater. This does not need to be complicated. Choose one action that is aligned with your values and strengths and make it a priority. Perhaps this is pausing to listen to your loved ones with an open heart and mind, maybe it is cooking healthy meals for your family, maybe an intentional gathering and inviting meaningful conversation, maybe participating actively to change something in your community, maybe committing to speaking truthfully even when you are conditioned to shrink back, maybe growing a garden and sharing organic food… The options are endless and will be immensely effective when grounded in your values, your unique skills and rooted in love. You don’t even have to go looking for ways to act. I promise, there is something right in front of you, that will show itself as you root in to your values and ask what you can do to cultivate and share your gifts.
6. Trust. Systems heal when given the right tools. When we remove the obstacles to healing and supply the nutrients (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually), waters run clear that were once polluted, trees grow back, microbiomes repair, tissues repair themselves. A broken bone heals once set in the proper alignment and is given support and time. We trust this. We have the patience for it, because we understand the process. We can cultivate this trust in the healing of our bodies, our communities and our world through witnessing and practicing skillful action.
This is not the time for bandaids or palliative (pain-management) therapies. It is not the time to bury our heads or go numb or go back “normal.” It is time to understand the root of the imbalances in our own bodies, to reset the misalignments, and to address the issues with the tools we are individually gifted. Where can we remove one obstacle from the healing process? Where can we support and nourish and protect so that healing is possible?
I offer this encouragement because I have the great honor to witness the power of the above steps every day in my practice. With each patient who trusts me with their story and commits to a journey of self-exploration, we stay curious, explore patterns, and get to know the terrain. So much is illuminated in this process. The way each person’s body functions begins to make more sense to them, gives them a reason for the choices they make and a sense of empowerment. Their relationships take on new context. Their work and their ways of thinking are given the container to be honored, respected and utilized with skill. Fear is often replaced with love and wonder and opportunities arise for self-expression, and creativity.
My friends, it is time. I invite you to join me in supporting our own health and growing the health of our communities and world one person, one action at a time. I invite you to love and grace inspired living!
For more general immune support, I am offering the ABC’s of immunity on Instagram. I am also taking new patients both locally and virtually and would love to support you on your journey of self-exploration, nourishment, healing and loving service.
~Dr. Amy