You may be wondering about the connection with our adrenals and our ancestors. On different levels, these two aspects of our human experience – the adrenals on a physical level, and our ancestors on an energetic and spiritual level – both influence how we cope with stress.
Physiologically, our adrenals are responsible for producing cortisol and catecholamine hormones. Cortisol influences our waking response (are you someone who has the coffee maker programmed to have pot brewed with your alarm clock? If so, you probably have a poor waking response). Cortisol also maintains even blood sugar and blood pressure. Our catecholamines – norepinephrine and epinephrine – get recruited in times of higher stress – they are our fight or flight survival hormones.
Supporting healthy and balanced adrenal function is crucial for restorative sleep, better resilience and yes, even better immunity. Think of balancing your blood sugar throughout the day by avoiding ‘peaks’ with caffeine and ‘lows’ from withdrawal of processed carbs, sugar and alcohol. We all need our comfort during these challenging times, so consider adding in fiber or protein with foods/drinks that can have an adrenal stimulating effect that can lead to a crash later on.
Vitamin C and licorice root tincture are 2 of my favorite go-to’s for adrenal support right now. Vitamin C is adrenal nutrition and it stored in the highest quantities in these little glands that sit like hats on top of the kidneys. Licorice doubles the half life of cortisol so it unburdens the adrenals. And both of these remedies are helpful for COVID19 – licorice is anti-viral and boosts mucosal immunity and Vitamin C supports white blood cel response and is anti-inflammatory.
Now shifting gears to our ancestors. Their experiences influence our stress coping both biologically as well as energetically. First, we are all descendants of ancestors who experienced collective trauma – war, pandemics, famine, mass migrations and genocide. The science of epigenetics explains that ancestral experiences are transmitted biologically from generation to generation through gene expression.
Additionally, from the field of family constellations we are understood to be a part of a collective energy field or family soul. The ancestral energy field holds information of past experiences as an informational imprint – especially when an issue has gone unresolved. This collective energy field, of which we are a part, wants to move toward healing. To this end, unprocessed energy and unacknowledged energy can show up in future generations.
I can get sense of this influence with myself and in clients when unhelpful patterns – whether they be in relationships, physical matters or even thought patterns tend to repeat themselves – in spite of best intentions with therapy, naturopathic medicine, meditation, affirmations, tapping, etc.
Perhaps as we survive in this time of so much intense collective energy – grief and loss, fear, and viral infection we may re-visit those patterns of our ancestors that live within us at a very deep level and choose to do it in a constructive way that offers healing and empowerment backwards and forwards in time.
Join me for a guided healing meditation for grounding and healing ancestral ties tomorrow 7-8 pm.