Today's meditation focused on the influence of the environment on our physiology:
Meditation: Day 6 - The Key to Positive Input
(Chopra Center 21-Day Meditation Challenge: Shedding the Weight
Meditation: Day 6 - The Key to Positive Input
(Chopra Center 21-Day Meditation Challenge: Shedding the Weight
Centering Thought: Positive input nourishes me at every level.
Mantra: Om Sva Bhaksha (I am nourished by my true self.)
Quote: "Making each moment count positively is all that life demands from you." - Edmond Mbiaka
We all know that food, drink, chemicals, etc. can impact our body in a host of ways as well as actually change the nature of our cells and DNA. Recent research has focused on the health of intestinal flora and the gut biome and its impact on obesity and the development of various mental illnesses. What we eat can drastically influence our health outcomes to the point of rewiring biology (see "Invictus" below). Indeed, the field of epigenetics has all but exploded in the past decade. In Wikipedia's words, epigenetics is the study of "of cellular and physiological phenotypic trait variations that are caused by external or environmental factors that switch genes on and off and affect how cells read genes instead of being caused by changes in the DNA sequence. Hence, epigenetic research seeks to describe dynamic alterations in the transcriptional potential of a cell."
The nature versus debate has always intrigued me. In essence, the question addresses the relative contributions of biological processes and experiential factors to development. The influences on human development undoubtedly cannot be reduced to a single cause. We are influenced by biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors, all of which go towards making us who we are. Furthermore, the effects of the environment on nature are distinct for different people based on a variety of factors. For example, the same event can elicit completely different responses from two people with different personalities and/or temperaments.
Pedagogy aside, the way I see it, nature and nurture are not alternatives and the scientific community today rejects both the nineteenth-century doctrine that biology is destiny and the twentieth-century doctrine that the mind is a blank slate. Instead, there seems to exist a reasonable interactionist compromise at present that cognitive scientist Steven Pinker refers to as “holistic interactionism." Pinker characterizes this “compromise” as somewhat of a passive avoidance strategy by the scientific community and urges readers to “disentangle the multiple causes [that impact human development]” rather than “fuzz up the issues” due to their complexity.
I must confess that I more often than not fall slightly towards the "nurture" side, though the issue being questioned undoubtedly guides the discussion. My tendency towards nurture speaks to my belief that none of us are victims. It has to do with my belief that we are the alchemists of our fate and the heroes of our lives. Working towards goals (or even having goals) can be challenging. Fear of failure, uncertainty, overwhelm, fatigue, and even the discouragement and disillusionment of multiple "failures" can all get in the way of a life manifested. My view of why we do what we do contains neither excuses nor blame. I believe that we each do the best that we can at our present level of self-awareness and personal evolution that is also tempered by circumstances and situations. I believe that everyone is capable of learning and growth and I believe that change is inevitable.
I've studied various psychological therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. As unappealing and clinical as they may sound, I believe that each contains nuggets of applicable wisdom that can be relevant for everybody. For example, one of DBT's main assumptions is that we frequently have to deal with problems that we did not cause. Accepting what is in the face of discouraging, sad, angering, or painful circumstances helps us move forward and avoid the stuck place we often find ourselves in (even if moving forward is challenging).
Acceptance is something I have struggled a great deal with in my past. This topic deserves a post unto itself, but briefly, to me, meant not just passive surrender, but outright cowardice and failure. To me acceptance meant that I was OK with the situation.... DBT talks about 6 levels of acceptance:
Level 1: Observe mindfully the sensation, emotion or thought
Level 2: Describe the sensation, emotion or thought fully
Level 3: Imagine what is unthought and unfelt behind the emotion
Level 4: Think about how your sensation, emotion or thought makes sense in the context of your personal history
Level 5: Think about how your sensation, emotion or thought makes sense in the present context
Level 6: Be real with yourself
The oft quoted Serenity Prayer calls for the, "serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference." I would posit that we need acceptance of the things we can change as well. And the reality is that even the "things I cannot change" can and will change. Change truly is inevitable. Being stuck - stasis or stagnation of any kind - is merely an illusion or a dam that will give way in only a matter of time.
Invictus
by William Ernest Henley
PS
We all know that food, drink, chemicals, etc. can impact our body in a host of ways as well as actually change the nature of our cells and DNA. Recent research has focused on the health of intestinal flora and the gut biome and its impact on obesity and the development of various mental illnesses. What we eat can drastically influence our health outcomes to the point of rewiring biology (see "Invictus" below). Indeed, the field of epigenetics has all but exploded in the past decade. In Wikipedia's words, epigenetics is the study of "of cellular and physiological phenotypic trait variations that are caused by external or environmental factors that switch genes on and off and affect how cells read genes instead of being caused by changes in the DNA sequence. Hence, epigenetic research seeks to describe dynamic alterations in the transcriptional potential of a cell."
Pedagogy aside, the way I see it, nature and nurture are not alternatives and the scientific community today rejects both the nineteenth-century doctrine that biology is destiny and the twentieth-century doctrine that the mind is a blank slate. Instead, there seems to exist a reasonable interactionist compromise at present that cognitive scientist Steven Pinker refers to as “holistic interactionism." Pinker characterizes this “compromise” as somewhat of a passive avoidance strategy by the scientific community and urges readers to “disentangle the multiple causes [that impact human development]” rather than “fuzz up the issues” due to their complexity.
I must confess that I more often than not fall slightly towards the "nurture" side, though the issue being questioned undoubtedly guides the discussion. My tendency towards nurture speaks to my belief that none of us are victims. It has to do with my belief that we are the alchemists of our fate and the heroes of our lives. Working towards goals (or even having goals) can be challenging. Fear of failure, uncertainty, overwhelm, fatigue, and even the discouragement and disillusionment of multiple "failures" can all get in the way of a life manifested. My view of why we do what we do contains neither excuses nor blame. I believe that we each do the best that we can at our present level of self-awareness and personal evolution that is also tempered by circumstances and situations. I believe that everyone is capable of learning and growth and I believe that change is inevitable.
I've studied various psychological therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy. As unappealing and clinical as they may sound, I believe that each contains nuggets of applicable wisdom that can be relevant for everybody. For example, one of DBT's main assumptions is that we frequently have to deal with problems that we did not cause. Accepting what is in the face of discouraging, sad, angering, or painful circumstances helps us move forward and avoid the stuck place we often find ourselves in (even if moving forward is challenging).
Acceptance is something I have struggled a great deal with in my past. This topic deserves a post unto itself, but briefly, to me, meant not just passive surrender, but outright cowardice and failure. To me acceptance meant that I was OK with the situation.... DBT talks about 6 levels of acceptance:
Level 1: Observe mindfully the sensation, emotion or thought
Level 2: Describe the sensation, emotion or thought fully
Level 3: Imagine what is unthought and unfelt behind the emotion
Level 4: Think about how your sensation, emotion or thought makes sense in the context of your personal history
Level 5: Think about how your sensation, emotion or thought makes sense in the present context
Level 6: Be real with yourself
The oft quoted Serenity Prayer calls for the, "serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference." I would posit that we need acceptance of the things we can change as well. And the reality is that even the "things I cannot change" can and will change. Change truly is inevitable. Being stuck - stasis or stagnation of any kind - is merely an illusion or a dam that will give way in only a matter of time.
It is important to be mindfully aware of our life paths and journeys. Asking ourselves these questions can help us orient:
Where have I been?
Where am I now?
Where am I going?
What are my values?
What goals do I need to set?
Learning about ourselves and life is an ongoing and lifelong process.There is no need to seek these things out as each day will bring its own opportunities, including:
Ineffectiveness in your relationships with others
A desire to cling to certain identities
Perfectionism and competiveness at school, work or just with yourself
Your relationship with exercise/ food/ work/ money/ etc.
Disturbing automatic thoughts
Unsettling emotional reactions
Using yesterday's cards metaphor, we determine whether we underutilize or maximize the cards we have. We can choose to view ourselves as condemned by birth or as a fountain bubbling up with opportunities to grow and develop.
In the words of psychologist Jessica Beltran (quotes in italics),
Our mindset is the turning point that ultimately determines who we become.
Indeed, psychologist Carol Dweck’s research has revealed that success primarily hinges upon having a growth mindset. In other words, we need to trade thinking that our qualities are carved in stone for the belief that we can cultivate desirable qualities through our efforts.
If we believe that life is about learning, we’ll realize that living is about challenging ourselves to new experiences that will help us reach our full potential...without exception, can evolve.
Our beliefs are the foundation of our lives. We shape our reality through our beliefs.
We can passively allow genetics define us or we can take our personal growth and development into our own hands.
In the end, the decision is up to each and every one of us and there is no fate in that.
Invictus
by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black
as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my
unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have
not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head
is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms
but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds,
and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How
charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am
the captain of my soul.
PS
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