August 2020 Newsletter

August 2020 Newsletter

Inflammation – a silent killer and how you can reduce it in your body

I’d heard about the negative impact of inflammation, but it was only when I watched a video a friend sent to me of a conversation between Deepak Chopra and Sadhguru that it became quite scary for me.

Inflammation is caused by diet, but mostly by
stress.  During this time of Covid-19, where we are stressed about our jobs, our health, our families, our bodies are in a constant state of fight or flight. A vaccine will help for a while until a new strain of Covid arises, we therefore need a more permanent solution and build our immune systems. 

Deepak has published many papers with scientific findings that directly link 90% of the death and morbidity rate of Covid-19 virus to stress, panic, and sympathetic overdrive and agitated minds.

Inflammation has become a significant buzzword. The relationships between our physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual health have been well documented, each affects the other. When our bodies are inflamed, our immune system steps up to protect us. However, chronic inflammation wears it down and renders it less capable of repairing itself. The immune response is necessary, as it stimulates the body to repair itself after injury. However, chronic and severe stress has the opposite effect.

Steps towards healing inflammation in the body include inducing the relaxation response in the parasympathetic nervous system, here are 5 ways to reduce inflammation. These include cleaning up our lifestyle habits, getting some exercise, and adding beneficial bacteria into our gut. The same is true for emotional inflammation.

Looking after yourself by adding any relaxing activity such as a hot bath, yoga class or a walk in nature is a natural immune booster to reduce inflammation.

It can be easy to attach to your mental pain and anxiety, it is more healthy to rather take the stance of an objective observer.

Practice empathy on yourself, approach yourself with a sympathetic desire, and love yourself more. Now even more than before.

These positive coping techniques are all anti-inflammatory properties of the emotional relaxation response. Change your thoughts, feelings, and behaviour to positive, optimistic, hopeful, and acceptance will boost your immunity at the physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual levels.

Get out in nature, pop in for a massage, and let go of some of your lockdown stress. Your body will thank you for it.

There are many hiking trails open in and around the Cradle. Take a hike and then pop in for a massage – Sunday sorted!

Also please take this last opportunity to rate us in the Haute Grandeur Spa Awards  .

We will always experience stress – but do we have to develop chronic emotional inflammation that causes us anxiety and distress? Absolutely not.

I pray a stress-reduced August over each of you.

Love, Tania

Get in touch

Our team at Woodlands Spa invites you to enjoy a sensory and meaningful experience which will leave you with a sense of vitality, new found energy and joy. To make a booking, call us on 010 010 5026 or send an email to bookings@woodlandsspa.co.za.