Bartok, the Concerto and his Leukemia

I am reading a fascinating book by Hungarian-born Canadian author, speaker, and retired physician with a special interest in childhood development and trauma and how it impacts on physical and mental health, addictions and a wide range of illnesses such as cancer, autoimmune diseases and ADHD and many other conditions.  The title of this book I am reading by DR Gabor is When the Body Says No - Exploring the stress-disease connection.

Dr Mate is a fascinating character, like most Hungarians are. He also has an immeasurable empathy and love for those he is talking about and working with. Rare in the medical profession. Dr Mate is light years ahead of the standard medical profession in his views and his recognition of the importance and the role trauma and emotions play in developing diseases.

Although his book is not exactly a popular novel, I still hardly could put it down. Dr Mate is a very eloquent speaker-writer and his style is highly enjoyable, even when he is writing about medical terms and serious issues.

However, on page 96 he made me stop and think. Think seriously about being Hungarian. Hungarians have culture, arts and music in their blood. In their genes. This is what made me stop and think. While for almost one hundred pages he discussed cases and brought examples of people, his patients, on page 96 Dr Mate grabbed me by the heart. Suddenly he was writing about Bela Bartok, Hungary’s most outstanding composer. Even if I did not know that he was born in Hungary, here he has revealed himself. Himself, his origin and his heart. 

Bartok’s case of leukemia and his remission is fascinating.

Page 96

“ At the University of Rochester, a fifteen-year study of people who developed lymphoma or leukemia reportedly found that these maligmancies were “apt to occur in a setting of emotional loss or separation which in turn brought about feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger or hopelessness.” 

Synthetic analogues of the stress hormone cortisol are important components of the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma.  Interestingly, the amount of cortisol-like hormone needed to block the replication of leukemia cells is only a little higher than what should normally be functionally available in the body  In the case of leukemia, episodes of acute stress in which the cortisol levels temporarily rise are sometimes enough to induce a remission.  Such is thought to have happened during the illness of the composer Bela Bartok. 

We need to recall here that the temporary elevation of cortisol that occurs in episodes of. Acute stress is healthy and necessary.  Not healthy are the chronically elevated cortisol levels in chronically stressed persons. 

Bartok, in exile from his native Hungary and stricken with leukemia, was commissioned by the conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Serge Koussevitsky, to write a new piece.  The composer went into spontaneous remission, which lasted until the work was completed.  Quite likely, HPA-triggered cortisol and several other elements of the PNI system contributed to the famous remission, which made possible the creation of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, a classic of twentieth-century music.”

The Concerto was composed by Bela Bartok in 1943, premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitsky on 1st December 1944. Bela Bartok has died in New York City on 26th September 1945. 

Enjoy this performance of the Concerto by Bartok performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa https://youtu.be/KP-DAOuBsGA?si=6uwQIWUNArBkI44V

Chakras First Aid

Originating from Sanskrit, chakra means “wheel” by association with its function as a vortex of spinning energy interacting with various physiological and neurological systems in the body. Chakras are energy centres within the human energy body that help to regulate all its processes, from organ function to to the immune system and emotions. Chakras also store our karma. We can commonly count at least 7 chakras positioned throughout your body, from the base of your spine to the crown of your head. Each chakra has its own vibrational frequency, that is depicted through a specific chakra colour, and governs specific functions that help make you, well, human. 

When your chakras are in balance, life is flowing, it's easy. When your chakras are under or over functioning, there are obvious external and internal signs that even someone just observing you can tell if they are familiar with chakra functions. 

For example, frequent constipation can indicate a blockage in the first chakra. A recurring sore throat leaves clues to a blocked Throat chakra. Frequent headaches around the area of the forehead may mean your Third Eye chakra is blocked.

Another example. When someone's Throat Chakra is under functioning, the chin is down and the collar bones collapsed. Her self-acceptance and self-knowledge is damaged. She is an introvert and find difficult to express herself. She is secretive, is hiding from the world and frequently feels shame. Instead of following her calling, she sacrifices herself for others (partner, children, family). 

The person speaks in a husky and shy voice, mostly uncomfortable speaking up in front of people and expressing herself. 

On the other hand, when a person has an overactive Throat Chakra, his chin is high and has a big ego. He likes to speak a lot, mostly without substance and about things unrelated to the discussion. He enjoys his own voice and likes to be listened to. Loves giving advice and knows it all about life and the world. He has a big ego and is an exhibitionist when it comes to communication. When he speaks he is loud and talks a lot. 

As the Throat Chakra is not only about communication but Truth too, you can expect the truth to be withheld by a person who has an under-active Throat Chakra and the truth to be bended by someone, who has an over-active Throat Chakra. 

A person with a healthy functioning Throat Chakra will have a healthy voice and uses a volume that is suitable to the audience and the circumstances, will tell the truth and when he speaks, he will only speak when asked or has something substance to contribute to the discussion. He follows his chosen path in life and fulfils his mission.

There is an invisible energy, called Prana, that circulates in our body and keeps us alive, vibrant and healthy. Each of the seven main chakras contains bundles of nerves and major organs as well as our psychological, emotional, and spiritual states of being. Since everything is moving, it’s essential that our seven main chakras stay open, aligned, and fluid. If there is a blockage, energy cannot flow.

Keeping a chakra open is a bit more of a challenge, but not so difficult when you have awareness. Since mind, body, soul, and spirit are intimately connected, awareness of an imbalance in one area will help bring the others back into balance. Take for example, a wife, who has recently lost her husband. She develops acute bronchitis, which remains in the chest, and then gets chest pains each time she coughs. The whole heart chakra is affected in this case. If she realises the connection between the loss and the bronchitis, healing will occur much faster if she honours the grieving process and treats that as well as the physical ailment.

The clearer and more energised your chakras are, the more clear and energised your energetic system is, the freer you can live your life in the world, the more connected you are to the Universe, the more you can live your life physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally on a wider scale. 

There are a few, very simple things you can do to keep your chakras in balance daily. 

1. Breathing deeply. There are some yoga breathing exercises called pranayamas that help to cleanse the chakras and keep them energised. 

2. Essential oils can lift your mood and balance your chakras. Different oils will influence different chakras, different organs and take your mood in a different direction. Sometime you will feel like you need a mood lift but other times you might need a calming oil or something to help you focus. They can do a lot for you!

Just in case you want to get some of these blends or other doTerra products, please visit www.doterra.com ID: 3424449, where you will have a chance to order oils or even to become a member to get products on wholesale price and build your own business if you like. 

3. Listen to chakra balancing music that is written in a special musical language and in tuning with a healing effect. This is a very powerful music, don't be fooled! It speaks to your body and to your chakras. Please don't be surprised if you feel your body tingling, notice nerve twitching, release of access electric charges or just feel nice and relax, sleep better and start breathing deeply. You can listen to this music while in bed before falling asleep, first thing in the morning or during the day while working or need a little rest. Use it as a background music for children or while they are studying. You will notice some difference if you use it regularly! You or the children might even notice some symptoms of detoxing. 

Do not underestimate how simple, little things can influence your day, your mood and your health. The body can take a lot. However, it is far too late when the body starts to show signs of physical illness and shows up on your medical tests. 

There are signs that you notice much earlier and if you pay attention, you easily can reverse these signs before they turn into bigger problems. Your chakras are not on the horizon of Western Medical Profession. That does not mean that they don't exist and you should neglect them! The more attuned you become with your chakras, the more you will notice what they do, how they respond and how to keep them happy!

Managing performance anxiety with essential oils

The whole world is stressed. Stress is the new black. If you are not complaining about being stressed, you live a sedentary or boring life. Unfortunately, stress is becoming the biggest killer and the reason and the origin of most diseases. Managing stress is crucial. It is in our best interest. 

There is positive and negative stress. It might be a positive stress, the kind performers and athletes put themselves under the perform at their best or negative stress that comes from working in an open-plan office with a dozen telephones ringing all the time. 

The kind of stress and degrees of it are manifold, therefore the way we deal with it and the oils we use for it must reflect the diversity. 

POSITIVE STRESS

Let's distinguish between the type of stress we have like positive, normal and state of distress. 

Positive stress could be described as a "high", the excited state you get when performing in a job you like and passionate about. It is, indeed, this kind of high that makes people love and enjoy working and achieve well. This kind of high helps you perform well. Positive stress makes us aim a little higher, jump over hurdles and gives us the force to take on challenges. 

This is the type of energy that increases stimulation, helps our energy level, makes our creativity flow, contributes to us feeling good and gives us wings. This is the type of stress that does not need to be treated. People who live in this kind of positive stress choose to do it and learn to handle it most often. They are the real performer type, the ones who were born to be on stage or in the limelight. They get a kick out of it!

NORMAL STRESS

Normal stress is a state in which the body performs its functions for survival in response to circumstances. For example, when you have a car accident the body is flooded with adrenalin which causes all kinds of phenomenon. Everything goes into slow motion, people hardly notice their own injuries while saving and helping someone else or reduced pain sensation due to shock. This is all for a good reason, to increase people's efficiency and capacity to act and survive. Your heart maybe pounding, your body shaking, your wound bleeding but you manage to carry your child to the next house to call an ambulance. You can collapse later, when the emergency is over. These normal stress mechanisms are good and absolutely necessary in the best interest of our survival. We don't need to treat them either. 

DISTRESS

This is when the healthy stress becomes chronic. This is the type of stress when we have no energy, no drive to achieve well and to perform our best, no will, just frustration, sheer fear facing the increasing pressure of the upcoming event. Of course different types can exacerbate each other, so that the environmental stress you suffer at work can cause normal stress which when taken home, can lead to emotional stress. 

ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS

caused by, for example, by fluorescent light, electromagnetic radiation, constant noise pollution or simply, too cramped office space.

Essential Oils for environmental stress:

Cedarwood, Coriander, Geranium, Cypress, Roman Chamomile, Basil, Bergamot

CHEMICAL STRESS

We live in constant chemical stress exposed to chemicals in our cleaning products, cosmetic products, pesticides in our food, chem trails, cigarette smoke caused by smokers, reaching for drugs and antibiotics too easily, air pollution, inhaling substances at the factory or office, sleeping in latex, memory foam and inhaling their chemical smell, too many cups of coffee, too many lunch time or dinner drinks and too much junk food.

Essential Oils for chemical stress:

Lavender,  Clary-sage, Patchouli, Pettigrain, Geranium, Grapefruit, Lemon, Rosemary

PHYSICAL STRESS

Pushing your body to the limits all the time, working too many hours and not getting enough rest, being obsessed about working out in the gym or driving long distances continually. 

Essential oils for physical stress: 

Rosemary, Roman Chamomile, Marjoram, Lavender, Bergamot, Thyme, Geranium, Fennel

MENTAL STRESS

Mental stress is constant for most people trying to achieve, to perform, to prove, to please. It is caused by just getting on with our daily life like bringing up children worrying about them all the time; taking exams, especially when we are not prepared to the standard we would like to demonstrate and the mark to get; anguish over uncompleted jobs; unemployment and financial worries.

Essential oils for mental stress:

Geranium, Lavender, Sandalwood, Basil, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Cardamom, Patchouli

EMOTIONAL STRESS

Emotional stress is caused by relationship problems, parental guilt, the inability to give and receive love and grief. 

Essential oils for emotional stress:

Geranium, Sandalwood, Palma rosa, Bergamot, Vetiver, Rose, Cardamom

The different types of stress can be individual or present in combination. Take these levels of stress into consideration when selecting the oils from the formulas. Treat the first level before it moves to the second and so on. Mental health is as precious as physical health. Emotional problems if not identified, treated and dealt with will move into manifesting physically. There is no sharp distinction between physical and mental or emotional and mental stress. The human body works as a complex and integrated unit and taking care of one is taking care of all. 

Level 1: starts as a tiredness and develops into irritability, headaches and insomnia

There are a few beautiful blends by doTerra that will help you to destress, get calm and rest well but in a natural way, without drugs and feeling strange next day. Depending on what causing the emotional stress, grief, relationship or parental guilt or something else, select the suitable blend to help you find peace and rest. 

Essential oil blends to relax, for rest and better sleep:

Console, Lavender Peace, Past Tense, Peace, Forgive,  Peace, Serenity

Level 2: depression, anxiety, muscular pain, chronic aches, persistent infections, guilt, apathy and helplessness.  

Essential oils for depression and to lift your spirit:

 Lemon, Frankincense,  Motivate blend, Cheer uplifting blend, In Tune focus blend, Console comforting blend, Elevation joyful blend, Balance grounding blend, Peace reassuring blend, Citrus blend invigorating blend, Serenity calming blend, Ylang Ylang (for heartaches, abandoned, rejected, sadness and shame)

A few tips:

When you get to this stage, take a good look in the mirror. Examine your life and what coping mechanism you have to deal with stress. It's obviously not working. Look into seeking professional help, restructuring your life, changing job or reducing your workload, study load, sharing load with your partner, family and friends. You need more "me" time because if you keep doing what you are doing now, level 2 will lead to 3 then 4 and your life is over as you know it. 

Most people don't take seriously the warning signs. I know that essential oils are not a cure for all. However, essential oils can lift your spirit and is a quick fix to elevate your mood and make you feel good. That can turn things around very quickly! 

A little extra sleep, good food, less coffee, a relaxing bath or foot bath with essential oils, fortnightly massage, yoga or swimming, a few days away can make you feel better and return your equilibrium. Don't wait until you are so stressed that you can't recognise yourself and all your loved ones deserted you!

Level 3: persecution complex, phobias, despair, increasing guilt and depression, susceptibility to viral infections and bacterial invasion

Essential oils for despair: 

Eucalyptus, In Tune focus blend,  Motivate blend, Lemon, Lime and Lemongrass oils

Essential oils for guilt:

Zendocrine detoxification blend, Melaleuca, Peppermint, HD skin clearing blend and Purify blend

Essential oils for infections:

Cinnamon, Clary Sage, On Guard protective blend, Myrrh with Oregano, Douglas Fir (skin)

Please, always seek medical advice! This blog is not to diagnose, cure or give or replace medical advice in any way!

Level 4: now the body is really crying for HELP! Unexplained pain, heart problems, strokes, and high blood pressure may be experienced along with all the other diseases that are thought to have their roots in stress, like ulcers, and even, according to some opinions, arthritis. The immune system is further depressed, leading to all kinds of physical problems. 

A few recipes of oil blends:

Make up these recipes and use them after work in a bath or foot bath by adding a few drops to the water or apply topically as a massage oil by adding carrier oil. 

Stress level 1 and 3 General use:

Marjoram  15 drops

Roman Chamomile 5 drops

Lemon 10 drops

Tiredness blend: 

Lemon 10 drops

Clary Sage 5 drops

Lavender 15 drops

Anxiety blend:

Lavender 10 drops

Geranium 10 drops

Palma Rosa 10 drops

I find that carrying my favourite doTerra blends in my handbag helps me deal with the demands of the day. I apply my oils, depending on how I feel and what my body crave, on my wrists after breakfast and repeat it as many times as I need and feel like during the day. I diffuse oils at home, again, depending on how I feel and what I like that day. I apply oils on my spine before bed and inhale my favourite oils before going to sleep. 

What I use changes constantly according to my mood, my feelings, the demands of the day or specific needs to improve my health. I find the proprietary blends more and moire useful. Presently, my most favourite is Past Tense.

If you are interested to start using these life changing oils, please visit www.doterra.com and quote ID: 3424449

 I highly recommend to sign up and become a doTerra Wellness Advocate to get maximum discount, free products and many other perks this fabulous company has to offer. Never know what grows out of using the oils. doTerra has a generous Marketing Plan with great commission system that with time can grow into an extra source of income to cover bills, holidays, mortgages and maybe your retirement plans! Who knows?