Balance is defined as a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. Nature adores balance. Ying and yang, living and dying, good and evil, light and darkness. There is not one without the other. The concept is simple but elusive in our daily lives.
Our world today is out of balance in many ways. How much we work, how much we sleep. Our social media consumption is a constant barrage of mixed messages causing unease and anxiety. We are constantly out of balance as our computers, phones, and tablets throw jolts of existential threats that jar our nervous system, causing societal PTSD.
So how do we as a society hope to handle the continual stress our modern world throws at us? How can we stay in balance?
Nature has provided a path. As higher lifeforms, we developed an internal system to keep our bodies and minds in a consistent state of balance, which is known as homeostasis.
This balancing system has receptors in all our organs, nervous systems, and brains. It is a messenger system that responds when something in our inner environment is out of balance.
It is called the Endocannabinoid System, or ECS for short. When something is out of balance the ECS jumps into action and endocannabinoids are produced. These endocannabinoids are amazing. They go and begin the process of returning the body to a balanced state. The closer we are to balance the closer are to wellness, because we are not feeling anxious or in pain.
The issue is that endocannabinoids are fragile and are made on demand, meaning they are not stored anywhere in the body.
So how do we upgrade our ECS to create more balance?
Nature has provided simple ways to optimize your ECS and in turn optimize your internal wellness.
One of the first ways is exercise and movement. The more you exercise the more you naturally produce endocannabinoids. The "runners high", often misattributed to endorphins, is actually the result of high concentrations of endocannabinoids.
Mediation is another great way to balance your ECS. Mindfulness and calm can bring your system into balance and change your mood or mindset all through being present without forethought.
Kundalini Yoga. This is a form of yoga that utilizes the dormant energy at the base of the spine until it is activated and channeled upward through the chakras in the process of spiritual perfection. The breathing is so perfected and intense that you can create endocannabinoids, a state of inner peace, and balance.
Foods high in omega 3s. Endocannabinoids are lipids, which means they are made from fats. Foods with high omega 3s provide the right kind of fuel to optimize your ECS. These foods include salmon, mackrel, chia seeds, and soybeans.
Full spectrum CBD. Inside hemp plants are hundreds of messenger molecules called phytocannabinoids. One of these is cannabidiol, which we know as CBD.
The amazing part is that CBD is almost identical in configuration to our own endocannabinoids.
That means CBD interacts with our ECS and optimizes it to work at its most efficient level.
When your ECS is optimized, anxiety, inflammation, and pain naturally come into balance, and that is why CBD is so amazing for our wellness and balance.
When you combine a regimen of mediation, movement, and CBD you are taking balance back from an unbalanced world. Nature has provided tools for balance, and it is our responsibility to apply them, use them, and share them. Choose your mindset.
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This blog by Jonathan Shapiro has been published on JETSWEAT.