Communication

 Natural Health Family, how is everyone doing? I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weekend and got some sunshine. Today let’s talk about communication and why it is important in our lives and for our own health. 

Last weekend I explored Colorado. I went snowboarding and hiked a good amount also. I learned a lot just by getting out in nature and noticing different aspects of the forest and parks. One characteristic of the forest that I found interesting was the aspen trees. It appeared that they would appear sporadically in the forest and in groups. I was curious and wanted to learn more about them. I found out that the different aspen trees or tree trunks are not separate but they actually function as one tree. The roots of the tree are well connected so that they are able to communicate and act as one organism. I found this interesting because we tend to think that the whole tree is only about what is on the surface of the ground rather than all the roots and connections we can’t see underground. This is important because our bodies and nature act very similarly. What is happening inside our bodies is just or more important to what is happening outside of our bodies. 

Now think about communication amongst people. Many conflicts today are due to a misunderstanding of communication. When we think about problems involving war, politics, or general affairs, many of it is due to improper communication. Of course there are many aspects to this topic but just understanding a simple aspect may help in our own day to day lives. Just like thinking that the whole tree is just what is on the surface we tend to forget the many different perspectives of other people. This can lead us to think that our perspective is the only or best one. When we understand that there may be more than meets the eye, then we can take a more neutral or unbiased look at what other people have to say. We can see more clearly and find common ground with others.  

This week's healthshop is about the gut brain connection. Just like the tree's roots and what is happening, our bodies and the systems are well connected. The information that our brain takes in influences the aspects of our gut which we can’t see. The food (or information) we ingest or take in also affects how we think. When we respect ourselves enough to do what is good for our bodies than we are able to think more clearly which leads to better decisions and outcomes for ourselves and others. This eventually leads to better communication between people, groups, communities, cities, states, and countries.

Have a great week and find time to connect however that may be. 

Dr. Chip