Category: science

Mindful eating in a blog by Haripriya Suraj in When Spirit Meets Science
energy medicine, modern medicine, personal, reiki, science, when spirit meets science

Life Lessons in Mindful-Scientific Eating

Haripriya Suraj

Thanks to Reiki, I took to the practice of ‘mindful eating’ quite effortlessly and practiced it for years. Reiki helped me tune in to my body completely, knowing exactly how much I ought to feed it and when to stop.

Of late though, the responsibilities of parenting a young child have thrown me off track. I have not been practicing mindful eating and my body has been acting up. I have been trying to schedule my meals around my little one’s nap times so I can enjoy eating in silence. This need to enjoy solitude at any cost has taken a toll on my body. I have had episodes of acid reflux and have needed to pop antacids to soothe my tummy.

My husband Suraj, who has been observing my lifestyle for a while now, brought my attention to the fact that my eating habits have become less than ideal – both from the scientific as well as energetic perspective.

Some points that came forth from the discussion include –

Eating Small and Frequent Meals – I had gotten into the habit of allowing myself to go hungry until my baby slept. The hidden unconscious agenda behind this was that I could relish huge meals at one go (without needing to attend to anything else). I was helped to understand that this strategy isn’t working in my favour and that smaller, more frequent meals are best for the tummy. Eating up to 80% of the stomach’s capacity at a given meal time and leaving some room was recommended to me.

Relaxed and Mindful Eating – As I reflected on Suraj’s observations and suggestions, I also realized I had been eating in a state of hurry and worry. I was constantly anxious to finish eating before my little one could wake up. Add to this the fact that I was gulping down large meals, anyone looking would think I was deprived of food! From an energetic perspective, anxiety isn’t the best energy to put into your body while you nourish it with food.

I am so grateful these insights were brought into my awareness.

I recently resumed the practice of ‘mindful-scientific’ eating. Since I was very mindful, I noticed initially that every time I got ready to eat, my hands tensed up in preparation to grab and my tongue salivated at the mere sight of food on the plate. I realized I must have been approaching meal times in this unconscious manner for the last year or so.

When I became aware of the way my system was responding to food, I took a deep breath and told myself that I have all the food I need. I told myself I will be alright even if my little one wakes up in the middle of my meal. I stopped eating when my stomach was 80% full and ended the meal with a word of gratitude. My tummy feels light now and so does my mind.

Very often, we are unable to see our own blind spots. It is OK for others around us – family and friends- to show us the light!

This image shows medicine/surgery in a blog post on Modern Medicine authored by Haripriya Suraj and Suraj Manjunath
modern medicine, science, when spirit meets science

Modern Medicine : A Science And An Art

Haripriya Suraj

Everyone knows modern medicine is rooted in science but did you know that it is also an art?

I didn’t until I met Suraj and we co-authored the book ‘When Spirit Meets Science.’

This post is an extract from the chapter ‘Medicine Calling’ in the book ‘When Spirit Meets Science.’

It highlights the principles upon which modern medical practice is based.

So what makes medicine a science and an art?

  1. Medical training enables one to gain firsthand experience of the scientific method. From dissection of the human body in the first year to the delivery of babies in the final year, plenty is available for a medical student to see, experience and learn hands on.
  2. The treatments offered are largely evidence based and scientifically proven.
  3. The benefits as well as potential side effects of every medicine/treatment are well documented. There is no sugar coating.
  4. The skill of a clinician lies in making a reasonable accurate diagnosis and offering a suitable treatment plan for an individual patient.
  5. A treatment is offered only when its benefits to the patient far outweigh the risks that it poses – and this often requires clinical judgment.
  6. Medicine is a combination of science and art. Diseases are as complex as the human body and their diganoses and treatment can be quite challenging. Every treatment is offered in context, after evaluating the benefits and risks.
  7. Finally, medicine is so much more than just treating a disease. It also involves interaction with human beings, which means interpersonal skills, empathy, ability to build a rapport with patients are part of the job too.

I always look for the Yin and Yang in every scenario. I believe both components are essential to complete the circle of life. To me, the science in medicine is the Yang while the art is the Yin!

energy medicine, modern medicine, reiki, science, Spirit, when spirit meets science

What Happens When Spirit Meets Science?

Haripriya Suraj

Science is working wonders in our lives today. Travel back in time to your childhood and compare the role that science played back then to what it does today. Now go back further to when your parents and grandparents were children. What was the role of science during those times?

It is a known fact that scientific advancement has been happening in leaps and bounds. Human intelligence has been working hard to create marvel after marvel. Isn’t that amazing?

The world of Spirit has existed since time immemorial too. Different people resonate with different spiritual paths. Many paths include a quest into realms that lie outside the concrete physical world. This apart, spirituality also includes elements of love, compassion, peace, oneness, service and the like. New age spirituality, often has concepts of energy medicine blended in and places much emphasis on wellness, mindfulness, self-love, emotional well being and a whole range of such concepts.

Is there a need for the world of spirit to meet the world of science?

Not necessarily. They both can exist independently and progress perfectly well.

But….they can also choose to meet.

Let’s explore what could happen if they do choose to meet.

  1. Life could be more well rounded. While science is primarily based on logic and rational thought, spirituality is rooted in philosophy and intuition. When we embrace both these aspects within ourselves, we find a whole new level of strength and wisdom. We know which strength of ours to apply in different scenarios and make the most of both sides of our brain.
  2. Healing sciences may become more holistic and focus on healing body, mind, and soul. For instance, modern medicine is rooted in the science of evidence based practice. This brings structure, strength, and precision to modern medical treatments. Intuitive therapies like Reiki focus more on going with the flow and staying flexible. This brings in subtler elements of softness and self-care to help maintain overall well being. I often recall times when popping paracetamol brought down a viral fever and helped me feel comfortable, while Reiki helped me relax deeply and give myself space and time to heal.
  3. Human intelligence can take on a whole new definition. EQ receives as much importance as IQ. Apart from applying our classical intelligence to create breakthroughs in the outer world, we also nurture our emotional intelligence and create many inner breakthroughs. We may go deeper into our human experience and live life more fully.

Making spirit meet science is not a lofty unattainable goal destined for a future time. Its principles are simple and can be easily practiced in our day-to-day lives. It is all about embracing logic as well as magic and knowing what to choose when!

Wellness vs Illness, Haripriya Suraj, When Spirit Meets Science
energy medicine, modern medicine, reiki, science, when spirit meets science

Wellness vs Illness

Haripriya Suraj

Being a wellness practitioner, I am often asked by clients and also by family and friends to cure their physical ailments through Reiki. They hope beyond hope that I can do something to bring their thyroid levels back to normal, to help blood sugar stabilise or even to make cancer dissolve.

When I tell them I can teach them about wellness or support them through Reiki sessions, but not perform medical miracles, some of them look at me like something is wrong with me. I can almost read their mind saying – “What kind of a Reiki practitioner are you if you cannot do any of this?”

I may be a Reiki practitioner but Reiki is not some form of magic! It is not a quick fix for illness or for any problem. And it is certainly not something I can do to make a problem vanish from another person’s life. We are each responsible for our own lives.

Reiki is a way of life that empowers people to create physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Reiki takes work. Being well in body, mind and spirit may play a role in helping to prevent certain illnesses and also to cope well if at all illness strikes. But if an illness has already set in, wellness therapy like Reiki alone cannot manage it.

For a long time, I had a hard time telling people that there is a difference between wellness and illness. I often felt judged for recommending that someone must seek medical assistance for illness.

While there are plenty of anecdotal accounts of miraculous medical healings and they are certainly inspiring, they are not the same as ‘evidence.’ Evidence is when a particular therapy is proven to have a specific effect on a specific condition, and is accepted as a fact worldwide.

Being married to a cancer surgeon and co-authoring the book ‘When Spirit Meets Science’ with him has helped me clearly understand the difference between anecdote and evidence. This work has helped me appreciate the amount of effort that goes into conventional medical research before treatments are certified and offered to the world. As explained in the book, the principles of evidence based medicine can be easily applied to ‘alternative’ therapies too. Therefore, until we have a more solid scientific backing, I prefer to call wellness therapies complementary or supportive treatment.

Over the years, I have learned to drop the fear of judgment and to not hesitate to tell someone that they need medical evaluation. They are welcome to ask for Reiki but they must also take medical support if required.

Finally, I believe wellness therapies like Reiki offer enough value in themselves and don’t need a medical tag to certify their worth ( unless someone wants to test its efficacy in treating physical illnesses).

A Reiki session can help to relax the body, still the mind and calm the emotions. It can also help one experience the richness of their inner spiritual world. I believe these aspects are also essential components of any healing process. Reiki is always open to anyone who is interested in adopting a holistic approach to healing.