Your Body Believes Every Word You Say: The Language of the Body/Mind Connection
320
Your Body Believes Every Word You Say: The Language of the Body/Mind Connection
320Paperback(2nd Revised & Expanded ed.)
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780883312193 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Aslan Publishing |
| Publication date: | 02/10/2000 |
| Edition description: | 2nd Revised & Expanded ed. |
| Pages: | 320 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.09(w) x 9.05(h) x 0.93(d) |
Read an Excerpt
Excerpted from Your Body Believes Every Word You Say : The Language of the
Bodymind Connection by Barbara Hoberman Levine. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved
Chapter One HOW I CAME TO WRITE THIS BOOK
[If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again] [I can complain because a
rose bush has thorns or rejoice because a thorn bush has roses.]
Who would have guessed that having a brain tumor would be the most beneficial, life saving adventure of my life? If anyone had told me the day would come when I would give thanks for having a brain tumor, I would have said, “You’re crazy.” If anyone had told me back in 1970 that 25 years later I would be thanking God for the gift of a brain tumor, I would have thought “You have rocks in your head.”
Nevertheless, it’s true! I would not even have this wonderful, exciting, fulfilling life now except for the fact that for many years I lived with, learned from, and wrote about this awesome brain tumor experience. And I do thank God for the ability to use this seemingly adverse event as a positive one rather than as a tragedy. Make no mistake, going through it wasn’t pleasant. There were days when I wallowed in despair, anger and self-pity. I am a master of self-pity. Yet I do give thanks for the many blessings I received from learning, healing and growing along with the tumor.
THE BRAIN TUMOR--MY GROWTHThe ideas in this book arose from the life-changing experience that seemed to begin in 1970 with the birth of my third child, Jennifer. But looking back, I see the experience actually began in 1966 when I became an adult orphan. Both my parents died, in their early fifties of heart disease, 10 months apart. This mind-boggling event came as an enormous shock. I became fearful and depressed, but I wasn't adept at handling or understanding my feelings at that time. Then, after Jennifer's birth, I thought I was finally perfectly happy. But the stress of the previous four years had affected me physically as well as emotionally.
I developed a weakness in my voice and could barely talk above a whisper. Doctors told me my left vocal cord was paralyzed, but they didn't know why. I was 32 years old. The pain I suffered searching for a diagnosis was almost unbearable, making me feel even sicker. Every test came back negative. A virus was blamed, when no one could find another cause. After that I lived in terror — afraid of getting sicker, afraid of taking more medical tests, not even sure I would live. A year later I became deaf in my left ear. Doctors again blamed a virus.
At that time, I was fat, a heavy smoker, and in poor physical condition. Having a paralyzed left vocal cord and a deaf left ear actually helped push me in the right direction. I realized I needed to find a way to live longer and healthier, so I could be with my two sons and my new daughter as they grew into adulthood. Living to see my children grow up was very important to me, motivating me to survive--no matter what.
I began to live one day at a time, relieving my fear whenever possible by enjoying some of the good things in my life—a nice family, good friends, and a comfortable home. After a year, my voice began to improve somewhat, even though the paralysis and deafness remained. My fear became more bearable when I focused on my newly-found-life-purpose, which was to perfect my ability to think for myself and help others to do the same. Working for women's rights, helping women become more self-aware and learning how to heal myself were key elements in this quest.
My real growth began when I learned to live each day more fully--- because I didn't know how much time I had left. As I successfully lived through each day, I started to believe that I might live long enough to see my children grow up. "One day at a time" became a guiding principle in my life.
BEGINNING TO HEALFor the next four years, my doctors and I blamed my debilitating physical symptoms on viruses, because the need to have a reason was so strong. I didn’t have any further tests until 1974 when---after getting myself in shape mentally and physically--- I felt I was ready to handle anything that came up. I remember prophetically thinking, "Even if I need brain surgery I can handle it now." After more tests, I finally received an accurate diagnosis, I had a rare, slow-growing, non-malignant tumor. A biopsy, done through my left ear proved that I had a growth in my head.....(TO READ MORE PLEASE PURCHASE THIS BOOK)
Table of Contents
| Chapter 1 | How I Came to Write This Book | 1 |
| The Brain Tumor: My Growth | ||
| Beginning to Heal | ||
| Gaining Perspective | ||
| Setbacks and Progress | ||
| New Perspective | ||
| Chapter 2 | The Fundamentals of Healing | 14 |
| Holistic Medicine | ||
| Ridding the Body of Disease-Causing Pollutants | ||
| Psychosomatics | ||
| Contemporary Mind-Body Perspectives | ||
| Emotion's Effect on the Body | ||
| Body and Mind: Functionally Inseparable | ||
| Thought Affects Physiology | ||
| Harnessing the Positive Power of Attitude | ||
| Chapter 3 | How We Think and Talk About Disease | 36 |
| Names as Symbols Evoke Images | ||
| The Advent of the Sinus Headache | ||
| Anorexia and Bulimia | ||
| Copy Cat Disease Syndrome | ||
| Hypertension | ||
| The Grammar of Disease | ||
| Ancient Wisdom of the Power of Words | ||
| Your Power to Influence Your Health | ||
| Chapter 4 | Responsibility and Creative Intelligence | 52 |
| Meaning and Reality | ||
| From Resistance to Acceptance of Reality | ||
| Unconscious and Conscious Awareness | ||
| Getting the Message Through Disease | ||
| We Are Not Victims | ||
| Chapter 5 | Core Beliefs and Seedthoughts | 68 |
| Core Beliefs and Seedthoughts | ||
| Flakes As Feedback | ||
| Our Internal Chatter | ||
| Decoding Sensations | ||
| Cliches As Emotional Expressions | ||
| Discovering Your Seedthoughts | ||
| Which Comes First, Chicken or Egg? | ||
| Chapter 6 | Emotion and Your Body's Language | 80 |
| Emotional Connections to the Past | ||
| You Are the Meaning Maker | ||
| A Rash Experience: Actions & Antidotes | ||
| Mind Over Matter | ||
| Chapter 7 | The Body As Emotional Barometer | 92 |
| Eating Right to Stay Fit | ||
| The Body Speaks Its Mind | ||
| Pow! That Emotion Just Zapped You | ||
| Chapter 8 | Cliches and Body Talk | 105 |
| Dangerous Seedthoughts | ||
| The Body's Messages | ||
| Mixed Messages | ||
| Rx: Positive Talk, Positive Thoughts, Positive Attitudes | ||
| Chapter 9 | Perceptions About Health and Disease | 124 |
| Beliefs and the Immune System | ||
| Flexible Thinking Creates Flexible Bodies | ||
| Hypnosis and Beliefs | ||
| Pre Menstrual Syndrome | ||
| I'm gonna Live Till I Die! | ||
| Chapter 10 | Mental Projection and Expectations | 140 |
| Self-Fulfilling Prophecies | ||
| Healing Conversations | ||
| Expectations Have Power | ||
| The Placebo Effect | ||
| Minding the Body | ||
| Media Messages Create Expectations | ||
| You Get What You Believe | ||
| Hope as Healer | ||
| Chapter 11 | The Operating Manual | 157 |
| Consciousness as Software | ||
| Feedback Prevents Breakdown | ||
| Flying Blind | ||
| Intrapersonal Communication | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Body Messages | ||
| Technological Feedback | ||
| The Truth Process | ||
| Chapter 12 | Keys to the Good Health Kingdom | 175 |
| Intuition | ||
| Varieties of Meditation | ||
| Mindfulness | ||
| Moving Meditations | ||
| Prayer Heals | ||
| How You Can Use These Tools | ||
| Chapter 13 | Healing Techniques | 196 |
| Picturing What You Want | ||
| Polar Bears Can Chill Cancer | ||
| Software for the Mind | ||
| Affirmations | ||
| Preparation for Surgery | ||
| Hypnosis | ||
| Faith | ||
| Chapter 14 | Healing Through Dreamwork and Artwork | 213 |
| The Metaphorical Language of Sleep | ||
| Dreams Reveal, Not Conceal | ||
| Interpret Dreams with Caution | ||
| Dr. Bernie Siegel--Teacher/Healer/Dreamworker | ||
| Dreams and Spontaneous Drawings by Bernie & Barbara Siegel | ||
| Dreams | ||
| I Turn to Drawings | ||
| Predicting the Results of Treatment | ||
| Improving the Effects of Treatment | ||
| Dreams Guide Treatment | ||
| Chapter 15 | Creating a New Context: Healing from Within | 228 |
| Why Am I Sick? Because... | ||
| Tumors and Diabetes | ||
| Backbone | ||
| The Authentic You | ||
| Creating a Health-Full Context | ||
| Forgiveness: How Do I Forgive? | ||
| Chapter 16 | Keys to My Survival | 242 |
| 36 Core Beliefs | ||
| Epilog | 258 | |
| End Notes | 274 | |
| Recommended Reading | 280 | |
| Resources | 286 | |
| Index | 294 | |
| About the Author | 301 |
What People are Saying About This
My twenty years of medical practice has confirmed the truth found in Your Body Believes Every Word You Say. Barbara's message is an eye-opener. (Christiane Northrup M. D., Author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom)
Barbara Levine's journey is one of courage and growth. We can all learn from her experience. She shows us what we are capable of and how to achieve our full healing potential. (Bernie Siegel, M. D., Author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles)
In simple, non-medical terminology, Levine's inspiring story demonstrates how, instead of remaining a passive victim, you can use illness as a tool for increased self-understanding and, ultimately, healing. (Rabbi Steven Rosman author of Jewish Healing Wisdom)
Foreword
Barbara H. Levine's book stayed with me long after I read it. As a writer with a chronic immune disorder, I have read many books about healing, and spiritual tomes galore. My condition affected my walking, among other things, for nine years. I had inklings that perhaps my condition was symbolic in a sense--trouble walking through life; difficulty "standing up" for myself, and "Your Body...." expanded my understanding of the role played by thought and language in this phenomenon.
In clear yet absorbing prose, Barbara H. Levine explores how her own words, ideas and beliefs had an impact on her health. However, she clearly avoids the blame game played by some alternative healing mavens, a guilt by commission or omission kind of suggestion--in other words, you could heal yourself, so if you're not healed, you're not doing it right. Levine gently deals with this issue and moves on to make me a believer in just what her title so aptly proclaims.
Two years passed after I read the book, and when the time was right, I plucked it off my shelf and reread it--something I often plan with good books, but rarely do. The book was packed with new insights for me, and was just as fresh and interesting the second time around.
Since reading it, I have "caught" myself many times, as I did just last week, when I tripped, acquiring a hairline fracture in my left arm. I heard myself telling a friend that my arm was "killing" me, and made an immediate correction. "It's not killing me," I said. "It just hurts." Why add unnecessary drama, and give my arm's pain power? That's what this book is about, for me, the power of awareness, something anyone can benefit from, whether they are just dealing with everyday challenges or special health issues.
by Judith Wershil-- writer, counselor and Interfaith Minister. She has written for The New York Times and Gannett newspapers among many others.