MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
RECOVERY
Heal your MYASTHENIA GRAVIS naturally and holistically
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MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
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MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
NO MORE
ACID-ALKALINE BALANCE
A healthy immune system means there is balance in acid and alkaline in the body. The balance is essential for myasthenia gravis recovery.
Alkalizing Medicinal Plants
Alkalizing medicinal plants to balance acid-alkaline levels include the following:
Black currant fruits are a good source of vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals, including an omega-6 fatty acid to increase blood flow, to decrease blood clotting, and to reduce inflammation (often a source of many types of body pain).
Black currant seed oil is especially good for rheumatoid arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory properties in decreasing the morning stiffness in the joints. According to the British Journal of Rheumatology, black currant oil is effective because of a reduction in the secretion of the inflammatory cytokines (a source of inflammation). Black currant seed oil is also beneficial to cardiovascular disease due to the presence of its omega-6 fatty acids. Black currant seed oil helps reduce the severity of menstrual cramps due to the anti-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids.
According to the Skin Study Center in Philadelphia, black currant seed oil helps with dry skin disorders. The gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) in black currant protects against water loss that contributes to itching and other symptoms associated with dry skin.
Burdock is a plant native to Asia and Europe, which has become available to all parts of the world. Ancient Chinese and Indian herbalists used burdock to treat respiratory infections, abscesses, and joint pain. The root of burdock is the primary source of most herbal preparations. The Japanese eat burdock root as a vegetable.
Cranberry has been in use since the Iron Age, but the Romans were the first to recognize its medicinal values. Cranberry contains anti-asthmatic compounds and is high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Scientific studies have shown cranberry to be effective in helping to prevent or eliminate urinary tract infections. This berry is useful in fighting yeast infections, as well as kidney stones and chronic kidney inflammation. According to a study reported at the 2006 International Association for Dental Research's 84th General Session & Exhibition in Brisbane, Australia, the antioxidant properties of cranberry help fight dental plaque.
Alkalizing Energy Boosters
Alkalizing energy boosters to balance acid-alkaline levels include the following:
Spirulina is a green alga, rich in chlorophyll, containing the highest protein and beta-carotene levels of all green super foods. It is one of the highest known vegetable sources of B-12, minerals, trace elements, cell salts, amino acids, DNA and RNA, and enzymes.
Spirulina helps with digestion, elimination, detoxification, internal cleansing, tissue repair, skin problems, healing, and prevention of degenerative disease. It also promotes longevity. Spirulina is useful in weight-control diets because its high nutritional value helps to satisfy the hidden hunger of deficiencies.
Blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of iron and calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. It can even reverse your gray hair due to its copper content.
Make a healthy drink with a tablespoon of organic blackstrap molasses (mixed in some hot water first) and ¾ cup of almond milk with some ice.
Cod liver oil comes from fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines; it is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D, and essential omega 3 oils. It enhances the absorption of calcium and maintains a constant level of blood calcium. Cod liver oil improves brain functions and the nervous system. In 2005, researchers at the University of California reported that Vitamin D might lower the risk of developing different types of cancers, cutting in half the chances of getting breast, ovarian, or colon cancer.
Alkaline Supplements
Alkaline supplements may also be taken to balance the acid-alkaline levels. Alkaline supplements should contain calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), silica and copper, and other minerals to aid de-acidification of your body. More importantly, they should contain every mineral in similar proportion to that found in the human body.
If you wish to be younger and healthier for longer, you must maintain your acid-alkaline balance in your body.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
A healthy immune system means there is balance in acid and alkaline in the body. The balance is essential for myasthenia gravis recovery.
Alkalizing Medicinal Plants
Alkalizing medicinal plants to balance acid-alkaline levels include the following:
Black currant fruits are a good source of vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals, including an omega-6 fatty acid to increase blood flow, to decrease blood clotting, and to reduce inflammation (often a source of many types of body pain).
Black currant seed oil is especially good for rheumatoid arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory properties in decreasing the morning stiffness in the joints. According to the British Journal of Rheumatology, black currant oil is effective because of a reduction in the secretion of the inflammatory cytokines (a source of inflammation). Black currant seed oil is also beneficial to cardiovascular disease due to the presence of its omega-6 fatty acids. Black currant seed oil helps reduce the severity of menstrual cramps due to the anti-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids.
According to the Skin Study Center in Philadelphia, black currant seed oil helps with dry skin disorders. The gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) in black currant protects against water loss that contributes to itching and other symptoms associated with dry skin.
Burdock is a plant native to Asia and Europe, which has become available to all parts of the world. Ancient Chinese and Indian herbalists used burdock to treat respiratory infections, abscesses, and joint pain. The root of burdock is the primary source of most herbal preparations. The Japanese eat burdock root as a vegetable.
Cranberry has been in use since the Iron Age, but the Romans were the first to recognize its medicinal values. Cranberry contains anti-asthmatic compounds and is high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Scientific studies have shown cranberry to be effective in helping to prevent or eliminate urinary tract infections. This berry is useful in fighting yeast infections, as well as kidney stones and chronic kidney inflammation. According to a study reported at the 2006 International Association for Dental Research's 84th General Session & Exhibition in Brisbane, Australia, the antioxidant properties of cranberry help fight dental plaque.
Alkalizing Energy Boosters
Alkalizing energy boosters to balance acid-alkaline levels include the following:
Spirulina is a green alga, rich in chlorophyll, containing the highest protein and beta-carotene levels of all green super foods. It is one of the highest known vegetable sources of B-12, minerals, trace elements, cell salts, amino acids, DNA and RNA, and enzymes.
Spirulina helps with digestion, elimination, detoxification, internal cleansing, tissue repair, skin problems, healing, and prevention of degenerative disease. It also promotes longevity. Spirulina is useful in weight-control diets because its high nutritional value helps to satisfy the hidden hunger of deficiencies.
Blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of iron and calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. It can even reverse your gray hair due to its copper content.
Make a healthy drink with a tablespoon of organic blackstrap molasses (mixed in some hot water first) and ¾ cup of almond milk with some ice.
Cod liver oil comes from fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines; it is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D, and essential omega 3 oils. It enhances the absorption of calcium and maintains a constant level of blood calcium. Cod liver oil improves brain functions and the nervous system. In 2005, researchers at the University of California reported that Vitamin D might lower the risk of developing different types of cancers, cutting in half the chances of getting breast, ovarian, or colon cancer.
Alkaline Supplements
Alkaline supplements may also be taken to balance the acid-alkaline levels. Alkaline supplements should contain calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), silica and copper, and other minerals to aid de-acidification of your body. More importantly, they should contain every mineral in similar proportion to that found in the human body.
If you wish to be younger and healthier for longer, you must maintain your acid-alkaline balance in your body.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
NO INFLAMMATION NO MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
Inflammation is a natural immune response to injury, toxins, allergy, or infection. Because 70 percent of your immune system cells are located on the lining of your digestive tract, your immune response is greatly affected by the foods you ingest, especially foods that may cause inflammation. Unfortunately, inflammation may worsen symptoms of an autoimmune disease, such as myasthenia gravis.
Eat a moderately low-calorie diet with emphasis on weight loss or weight control. Foods that are high in calories are linked to higher amounts of inflammation, and the greater amount of fat tissue you may have, especially around your midsection, the more inflammation you are going to have.
Most fresh fruits and vegetables are anti-inflammatory. Eat red, yellow, or orange fruits and vegetables that are particularly loaded with antioxidants, such as carotenoids, vitamin C, and quercetin. However, if you are sensitive to food allergies, avoid all “nightshade vegetables” that include eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes because they contain a chemical called solanine that may trigger an inflammatory response in some individuals who have food allergies. Eggs, dairy products, and wheat are also associated with food allergies in some individuals.
Eat high-fiber whole grains, seeds, and nuts to reduce levels of C-reactive protein.
Avoid all highly processed cereals, sweets, fruit juice, white breads and pasta that increase blood-sugar levels that may trigger the release of insulin and pro-inflammatory chemicals in your body.
Cook with anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, such as ginger, cayenne, clove, feverfew, nutmeg, oregano, and rosemary. Avoid charred or over-grilled foods.
Drink anti-inflammatory beverages, including white, green, and black tea (they contain antioxidant polyphenols), and red wine (but no more than 2 drinks per day).
An anti-inflammation diet enhances your immune system to enable you to live longer and healthier.
The body lives in the physical world. Its fitness affects both positively and negatively the mind and the spirit. Get the resources to take care of your body to take care of your mind and your spirit.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET
Stephen Lau
Copyright© Stephen Lau
Inflammation is a natural immune response to injury, toxins, allergy, or infection. Because 70 percent of your immune system cells are located on the lining of your digestive tract, your immune response is greatly affected by the foods you ingest, especially foods that may cause inflammation. Unfortunately, inflammation may worsen symptoms of an autoimmune disease, such as myasthenia gravis.
Eat a moderately low-calorie diet with emphasis on weight loss or weight control. Foods that are high in calories are linked to higher amounts of inflammation, and the greater amount of fat tissue you may have, especially around your midsection, the more inflammation you are going to have.
Most fresh fruits and vegetables are anti-inflammatory. Eat red, yellow, or orange fruits and vegetables that are particularly loaded with antioxidants, such as carotenoids, vitamin C, and quercetin. However, if you are sensitive to food allergies, avoid all “nightshade vegetables” that include eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes because they contain a chemical called solanine that may trigger an inflammatory response in some individuals who have food allergies. Eggs, dairy products, and wheat are also associated with food allergies in some individuals.
Eat high-fiber whole grains, seeds, and nuts to reduce levels of C-reactive protein.
Avoid all highly processed cereals, sweets, fruit juice, white breads and pasta that increase blood-sugar levels that may trigger the release of insulin and pro-inflammatory chemicals in your body.
Cook with anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, such as ginger, cayenne, clove, feverfew, nutmeg, oregano, and rosemary. Avoid charred or over-grilled foods.
Drink anti-inflammatory beverages, including white, green, and black tea (they contain antioxidant polyphenols), and red wine (but no more than 2 drinks per day).
An anti-inflammation diet enhances your immune system to enable you to live longer and healthier.
The body lives in the physical world. Its fitness affects both positively and negatively the mind and the spirit. Get the resources to take care of your body to take care of your mind and your spirit.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET
Stephen Lau
Copyright© Stephen Lau
RECOVERY FROM MYASTHENIA GRAVIS THE CHINESE WAY
Learn to recover from your myasthenia gravis disease the Chinese way.
How do the Chinese boost their immune system?
Boost immune system the Chinese way. For thousands of years, the Chinese have followed the concept of balance in health and wellness to help their recovery from any disease.
The balance in Chinese diet
The Chinese "yin" and "yang" diet is the healthy diet of balance and harmony to boost immune system.
This unique concept of food originates from the Five Elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water), which are not only fundamental to the cycles of Nature but also corresponding to the human body. According to the Five Elements, the body organs are a network of functions and interrelationships, manifested in the balance and harmony of "yin" and "yang." (For more information, visit my web page: Chinese Health.)
Essentially, the Chinese "yin" and "yang" diet is based on the principles of control and restrain to attain a healthy immune system.
The three basic food types
According to the Chinese, all foods are in three types: cold ("yin"), hot ("yang"), neutral.
The main functions of "yin" foods include:
·cooling the body
·loosening muscles
·reducing body tension
·slowing down body movement
·inducing sleep
·loosening bowels
Examples of "yin" foods include: apples, apricots, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, watermelons (moderate "yin" fruits); burdock, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, onion, parsley, pea, scallion (moderate "yin" vegetables); most tropical fruits, nuts, dairy products, stimulants (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, spices), chemicals and drugs (extreme "yin" foods)
The main functions of "yang" foods include:
·warming the body
·tightening muscles
·causing body tension
·increasing body movement
·promoting wakefulness
·hardening bowels
Examples of "yang" foods include: most whole grains, including pasta and rice (moderate "yang" foods); shellfish and fish (moderate "yang" foods); eggs, meat, poultry, salt (extreme "yang" foods)
For a healthy immune system, if the symptoms describe a warm or hot condition, a healthy diet should emphasize cooling, cold, and neutral foods with fewer warm and hot foods in order to achieve balance and harmony to boost immune system.
The balance in Chinese exercise
Exercise is beneficial to the immune system:
·Physical exercise can flush out bacteria and viruses from the lungs, and even carcinogens (causing cancer) by increasing the output of wastes in the form of sweat and urine.
·Physical exercise not only enhances the circulation of antibodies and white blood cells (the body's defense cells) through the body, but also accelerates the release of hormones that “warn” immune cells of intruding bacteria or viruses.
·Physical exercise temporarily raises the body temperature to prevent bacterial growth, and thus enabling the body to fight the infection more effectively.
·Physical exercise slows down the release of stress-related hormones. Stress is the underlying cause of many diseases.
However, according to research studies of laboratory mice by Nicolette Bishop, an associate professor of sport and exercise sciences at Loughborough University, intense exercise may also temporarily depress the immune system, such that it not only increases susceptibility to catching an illness, but also aggravates symptoms and severity of an illness.
The Chinese have a different approach to physical exercise: qi gong and tai chi focus on gentle movements to open up arteries and smooth out blockage of internal life energy.
The balance in Chinese herbs
Natural Chinese herbs, not their pharmaceutical counterparts in Western medicine, create balance in the body system to enhance and protect the immune system.
Some of the common herbs to boost immune system include:
(1) Echinacea
Echinacea is the king of all immune system herbs because its roots, seeds, and leaves increase the production of interferon, T-cells, and killer cells in the immune system, which are responsible for killing foreign invaders as well as protecting non-infected cells from viruses.
(2) Ginseng
Ginseng, with its branched roots in the shape resembling that of the human form, is called “man root” in Chinese. The word “ginseng” literally means crystallization of the essence of the earth (“shen”) in the form of a man (“jen”). Ginseng is the king of herbs due to its holistic-healing potency; that is, it treats the whole body, not just a part of it. Ginseng is noted for its adjusting, preventive, and restorative potency, as a potent immune stimulant. Ginseng is a versatile herb to boost immune system.
(3) Licorice
Licorice has interferon, which protects non-infected cells from viruses. This herb is potent against candida, and herpes, and other types of bacteria.
HERBAL MEDICINE
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Learn to recover from your myasthenia gravis disease the Chinese way.
How do the Chinese boost their immune system?
Boost immune system the Chinese way. For thousands of years, the Chinese have followed the concept of balance in health and wellness to help their recovery from any disease.
The balance in Chinese diet
The Chinese "yin" and "yang" diet is the healthy diet of balance and harmony to boost immune system.
This unique concept of food originates from the Five Elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water), which are not only fundamental to the cycles of Nature but also corresponding to the human body. According to the Five Elements, the body organs are a network of functions and interrelationships, manifested in the balance and harmony of "yin" and "yang." (For more information, visit my web page: Chinese Health.)
Essentially, the Chinese "yin" and "yang" diet is based on the principles of control and restrain to attain a healthy immune system.
The three basic food types
According to the Chinese, all foods are in three types: cold ("yin"), hot ("yang"), neutral.
The main functions of "yin" foods include:
·cooling the body
·loosening muscles
·reducing body tension
·slowing down body movement
·inducing sleep
·loosening bowels
Examples of "yin" foods include: apples, apricots, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, watermelons (moderate "yin" fruits); burdock, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, onion, parsley, pea, scallion (moderate "yin" vegetables); most tropical fruits, nuts, dairy products, stimulants (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, spices), chemicals and drugs (extreme "yin" foods)
The main functions of "yang" foods include:
·warming the body
·tightening muscles
·causing body tension
·increasing body movement
·promoting wakefulness
·hardening bowels
Examples of "yang" foods include: most whole grains, including pasta and rice (moderate "yang" foods); shellfish and fish (moderate "yang" foods); eggs, meat, poultry, salt (extreme "yang" foods)
For a healthy immune system, if the symptoms describe a warm or hot condition, a healthy diet should emphasize cooling, cold, and neutral foods with fewer warm and hot foods in order to achieve balance and harmony to boost immune system.
The balance in Chinese exercise
Exercise is beneficial to the immune system:
·Physical exercise can flush out bacteria and viruses from the lungs, and even carcinogens (causing cancer) by increasing the output of wastes in the form of sweat and urine.
·Physical exercise not only enhances the circulation of antibodies and white blood cells (the body's defense cells) through the body, but also accelerates the release of hormones that “warn” immune cells of intruding bacteria or viruses.
·Physical exercise temporarily raises the body temperature to prevent bacterial growth, and thus enabling the body to fight the infection more effectively.
·Physical exercise slows down the release of stress-related hormones. Stress is the underlying cause of many diseases.
However, according to research studies of laboratory mice by Nicolette Bishop, an associate professor of sport and exercise sciences at Loughborough University, intense exercise may also temporarily depress the immune system, such that it not only increases susceptibility to catching an illness, but also aggravates symptoms and severity of an illness.
The Chinese have a different approach to physical exercise: qi gong and tai chi focus on gentle movements to open up arteries and smooth out blockage of internal life energy.
The balance in Chinese herbs
Natural Chinese herbs, not their pharmaceutical counterparts in Western medicine, create balance in the body system to enhance and protect the immune system.
Some of the common herbs to boost immune system include:
(1) Echinacea
Echinacea is the king of all immune system herbs because its roots, seeds, and leaves increase the production of interferon, T-cells, and killer cells in the immune system, which are responsible for killing foreign invaders as well as protecting non-infected cells from viruses.
(2) Ginseng
Ginseng, with its branched roots in the shape resembling that of the human form, is called “man root” in Chinese. The word “ginseng” literally means crystallization of the essence of the earth (“shen”) in the form of a man (“jen”). Ginseng is the king of herbs due to its holistic-healing potency; that is, it treats the whole body, not just a part of it. Ginseng is noted for its adjusting, preventive, and restorative potency, as a potent immune stimulant. Ginseng is a versatile herb to boost immune system.
(3) Licorice
Licorice has interferon, which protects non-infected cells from viruses. This herb is potent against candida, and herpes, and other types of bacteria.
HERBAL MEDICINE
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
LOOKING AT LIFE AND ITS PROBLEMS
Life has many problems, including health problems, such as being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.
Let me share with you how I deal with my own problems in life.
How I deal with my complaints
In my daily life, I try to catch myself complaining about anything, such as the weather-whether I am making a comment or just thinking a thought about the weather. By not complaining, I try to avoid putting my mind in a state of unconsciousness that creates negative energy and denial of the present moment. When I am complaining, I am in fact saying: “I cannot accept what is, and I am a victim of the present situation.” Understandably, in the present moment, we all have only three options in any given situation that we are complaining about: get away from the situation; change the situation; and accept the situation as it is.
If I want to take any action-whether it is getting away or changing the situation-I try my best to remove any negativity first and foremost.
If it is my decision to take no action, I honestly ask myself if it is fear that stands in my way of taking any action: I tell myself that any action is often better than no action. Staying in the present moment does the mental trick of controlling my thoughts: focusing my mind on the present moment and looking objectively at the fear that may be holding me back from taking any action, without letting fear get into my subconscious mind to create any negativity.
If, after much deliberation, I still decide to take no action, then I accept it fully and consciously, with no regret and no “should have” or “might have” because the whole episode now belongs to the past and is no longer real for me. It is important for me not to experience any inner conflict, resistance, or negativity in the mental process of deciding to take no action.
How I deal with stress
Stress is inevitable in contemporary living. My wife used to complain that I stressed her, and my spontaneous reply was: “If I don’t stress you, something or somebody would stress you. Just learn to cope with it!” Yes, everybody must cope with stress, and not to deal with the stressor.
When I was working on a book, it was easy for me to focus too much on the future and forget about the present. My mind seemed to be preoccupied with getting to the future, that is, finishing a certain chapter or the completion of a book, such that I easily forgot about the present. Then I began to realize that my stress was due to my “being here” but “wanting to be there.” With that realization, I have learned to re-focus more on the present, and less on the future. As a matter of fact, I have stopped creating timelines for my writing. In the writing process, sometimes I don’t like what I have written (what is known as a writer’s bad days) but I try to enjoy the writing process, rather than looking at what I’ve written and what I don’t like about. By focusing on the present, instead of on the finished product in the future, I have learned to enjoy my writing and the writing process, and I am able to revise what I previously did not like. So, the key is doing something totally focused on the present moment.
Awareness and concentration are important ingredients in mental clarity and relaxation to de-stress my mind.
How I deal with the past
In my life, I have made many mistakes, which have changed my life-maybe for the worse, or maybe not. Who knows? And who cares?
I never let the past take up my attention. I do not let my thinking process create any anger, guilt, pride, regret, resentment, or self-pity. Like everybody else, I do have these negative feelings and emotions, but they do not last long. I believe that if I allow these thoughts of mine to control me, I will look much older than my calendar age, and, worse, create a false sense of self.
To reminisce what was good in the past would intensify a desire to repeat such an experience in the future, and thus creating an insatiable longing that may never be fulfilled. To recall what was unpleasant in the past would generate feelings of remorse and unhappiness. What is the use? I just let bygones be bygones. In my mind, there is no ”what-if.”
How I deal with failures
The path of living is strewn with failures, big and small. But they should not become stumbling blocks in one’s life journey. Like everybody else, I have met many failures.
I look upon my failures with positive attributes: a lesson of humility to show my own limitation and inadequacy; a lesson that I may never get what I want in life; a lesson to strengthen my character as a human being; a lesson to learn about perseverance and survival from failures.
If I had succeeded in those endeavors in the past, I would have embarked on a totally different life journey heading toward a totally different direction. Would I really have been better off or worse off? Who knows, and who cares? I never ponder on the “might have” or the “would have” scenarios.
How I look at death
I am now closer to the end rather than the beginning. That is to say, the thought of death has become more and more real with each day passing. I have come to believe that most elderly people have similar experience.
If I could ask but one question about the future, it would be: “How am I going to die?” and not “When am I going to die?”
I wouldn’t want to know about the when. To me, time is not a big factor. My desire to know the “how” is just out of plain curiosity. Anyway, they are just hypothetical questions without any answer.
In life, we all ask many different questions, some of which are practical, some hypothetical, and some without an answer. To many, living is a search for an answer to many of the unanswerable questions in life.
So, stop looking for an answer to every question asked, but continue to ask, and just live as if there were no tomorrow.
The Book of Life and Living
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
Life has many problems, including health problems, such as being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.
Let me share with you how I deal with my own problems in life.
How I deal with my complaints
In my daily life, I try to catch myself complaining about anything, such as the weather-whether I am making a comment or just thinking a thought about the weather. By not complaining, I try to avoid putting my mind in a state of unconsciousness that creates negative energy and denial of the present moment. When I am complaining, I am in fact saying: “I cannot accept what is, and I am a victim of the present situation.” Understandably, in the present moment, we all have only three options in any given situation that we are complaining about: get away from the situation; change the situation; and accept the situation as it is.
If I want to take any action-whether it is getting away or changing the situation-I try my best to remove any negativity first and foremost.
If it is my decision to take no action, I honestly ask myself if it is fear that stands in my way of taking any action: I tell myself that any action is often better than no action. Staying in the present moment does the mental trick of controlling my thoughts: focusing my mind on the present moment and looking objectively at the fear that may be holding me back from taking any action, without letting fear get into my subconscious mind to create any negativity.
If, after much deliberation, I still decide to take no action, then I accept it fully and consciously, with no regret and no “should have” or “might have” because the whole episode now belongs to the past and is no longer real for me. It is important for me not to experience any inner conflict, resistance, or negativity in the mental process of deciding to take no action.
How I deal with stress
Stress is inevitable in contemporary living. My wife used to complain that I stressed her, and my spontaneous reply was: “If I don’t stress you, something or somebody would stress you. Just learn to cope with it!” Yes, everybody must cope with stress, and not to deal with the stressor.
When I was working on a book, it was easy for me to focus too much on the future and forget about the present. My mind seemed to be preoccupied with getting to the future, that is, finishing a certain chapter or the completion of a book, such that I easily forgot about the present. Then I began to realize that my stress was due to my “being here” but “wanting to be there.” With that realization, I have learned to re-focus more on the present, and less on the future. As a matter of fact, I have stopped creating timelines for my writing. In the writing process, sometimes I don’t like what I have written (what is known as a writer’s bad days) but I try to enjoy the writing process, rather than looking at what I’ve written and what I don’t like about. By focusing on the present, instead of on the finished product in the future, I have learned to enjoy my writing and the writing process, and I am able to revise what I previously did not like. So, the key is doing something totally focused on the present moment.
Awareness and concentration are important ingredients in mental clarity and relaxation to de-stress my mind.
How I deal with the past
In my life, I have made many mistakes, which have changed my life-maybe for the worse, or maybe not. Who knows? And who cares?
I never let the past take up my attention. I do not let my thinking process create any anger, guilt, pride, regret, resentment, or self-pity. Like everybody else, I do have these negative feelings and emotions, but they do not last long. I believe that if I allow these thoughts of mine to control me, I will look much older than my calendar age, and, worse, create a false sense of self.
To reminisce what was good in the past would intensify a desire to repeat such an experience in the future, and thus creating an insatiable longing that may never be fulfilled. To recall what was unpleasant in the past would generate feelings of remorse and unhappiness. What is the use? I just let bygones be bygones. In my mind, there is no ”what-if.”
How I deal with failures
The path of living is strewn with failures, big and small. But they should not become stumbling blocks in one’s life journey. Like everybody else, I have met many failures.
I look upon my failures with positive attributes: a lesson of humility to show my own limitation and inadequacy; a lesson that I may never get what I want in life; a lesson to strengthen my character as a human being; a lesson to learn about perseverance and survival from failures.
If I had succeeded in those endeavors in the past, I would have embarked on a totally different life journey heading toward a totally different direction. Would I really have been better off or worse off? Who knows, and who cares? I never ponder on the “might have” or the “would have” scenarios.
How I look at death
I am now closer to the end rather than the beginning. That is to say, the thought of death has become more and more real with each day passing. I have come to believe that most elderly people have similar experience.
If I could ask but one question about the future, it would be: “How am I going to die?” and not “When am I going to die?”
I wouldn’t want to know about the when. To me, time is not a big factor. My desire to know the “how” is just out of plain curiosity. Anyway, they are just hypothetical questions without any answer.
In life, we all ask many different questions, some of which are practical, some hypothetical, and some without an answer. To many, living is a search for an answer to many of the unanswerable questions in life.
So, stop looking for an answer to every question asked, but continue to ask, and just live as if there were no tomorrow.
The Book of Life and Living
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
EXPECTATIONS AND NO EXPECTATIONS
“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” Alexander Pope
If you have recovered from myasthenia gravis, one of the many autoimmune diseases, you may still worry about a relapse in the future.
Given that nearly all of us go through life expecting certain things to happen or not to happen, we become greatly disappointed when things do not turn out the way we think they should. The fact of the matter is that in life things seldom go your way, and life is never what it should be. Your disappointments can easily turn into anger, anxiety, despair, regret, and many other negative emotions that may adversely affect who you are and how you process your thoughts, especially regarding the recovery or the prognosis of your myasthenia gravis.
To offset or diminish the devastating emotional consequences of not meeting your expectations, resort to mentally expecting the worst, instead of the best, while hoping against hope that they may still be pleasantly surprised. Yes, deliberately lowering your life expectations to proportionately reduce the extent of your disappointments is the way to go. So, consciously expect no expectation whatsoever with your complete detachment.
Tomorrow Is Another Day
Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind said at the end of the movie: “Tomorrow is another day.”
Yes, tomorrow is still “another day” for you. So, live in the now, do what you can with what you have, and let God do the rest.
Yes, tomorrow is another day, but that day may or may not come. Fortunately or unfortunately, you often choose to believe that it will come. Fortunately in that it may give you hope and expectation; unfortunately in that it may distance if not separate yourself from the realities of life, making you less grateful of the present or less thankful of what you already have.
But living in the now is exemplary of the consciousness of being. Today is now, and mindfulness of the present is realization not only that tomorrow is another day but also that it might never come. This mental consciousness may make you aware that you are precious and unique, despite having your myasthenia gravis, because now you have become fully awake to your health disorder. Living in the now means asking yourself mind-searching questions: What do I need to know now regarding my recovery from my myasthenia gravis? What do I need to do now? What do I need to be grateful for now? In short, today provides the compass and roadmap for your healing journey to continue, which might abruptly end tomorrow.
Living in the now is easier said than done because the human mind has a tendency to focus on the past or to project itself into the future, but seldom stays in the present.
Your actions or inactions are derived from and driven by your thoughts and memories of your past experiences. If those experiences were negative, your conscious and subconscious mind will tell you to avoid them in the future; on the other hand, if they are positive, they tend to instruct you to repeat them in the future. Accordingly, the human mind will constantly shuffle between the past and the future. As a result, it seldom stays in the present moment.
Mindfulness is your purposeful attention to the present moment. This purposeful attention enables you to recognize your thoughts as they occur, but without paying judgmental attention to them; in other words, they neither distract nor disturb you, and you just observe them objectively, like watching a movie about yourself unfolding before your very eyes.
To train your mind to focus more on the present, concentrate on your breathing. Concentration on how you breathe in and breathe out, as well as your body’s sensations during the inhalation and exhalation trains you to develop mindfulness. Understand that your body is yours only, and it is always with you. Finding the moment-by-moment relationship with your body through your breathing is your pathway to wellness of the body, the mind, and the soul.
WHEREVER YOU GO THERE YOU ARE
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” Alexander Pope
If you have recovered from myasthenia gravis, one of the many autoimmune diseases, you may still worry about a relapse in the future.
Given that nearly all of us go through life expecting certain things to happen or not to happen, we become greatly disappointed when things do not turn out the way we think they should. The fact of the matter is that in life things seldom go your way, and life is never what it should be. Your disappointments can easily turn into anger, anxiety, despair, regret, and many other negative emotions that may adversely affect who you are and how you process your thoughts, especially regarding the recovery or the prognosis of your myasthenia gravis.
To offset or diminish the devastating emotional consequences of not meeting your expectations, resort to mentally expecting the worst, instead of the best, while hoping against hope that they may still be pleasantly surprised. Yes, deliberately lowering your life expectations to proportionately reduce the extent of your disappointments is the way to go. So, consciously expect no expectation whatsoever with your complete detachment.
Tomorrow Is Another Day
Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind said at the end of the movie: “Tomorrow is another day.”
Yes, tomorrow is still “another day” for you. So, live in the now, do what you can with what you have, and let God do the rest.
Yes, tomorrow is another day, but that day may or may not come. Fortunately or unfortunately, you often choose to believe that it will come. Fortunately in that it may give you hope and expectation; unfortunately in that it may distance if not separate yourself from the realities of life, making you less grateful of the present or less thankful of what you already have.
But living in the now is exemplary of the consciousness of being. Today is now, and mindfulness of the present is realization not only that tomorrow is another day but also that it might never come. This mental consciousness may make you aware that you are precious and unique, despite having your myasthenia gravis, because now you have become fully awake to your health disorder. Living in the now means asking yourself mind-searching questions: What do I need to know now regarding my recovery from my myasthenia gravis? What do I need to do now? What do I need to be grateful for now? In short, today provides the compass and roadmap for your healing journey to continue, which might abruptly end tomorrow.
Living in the now is easier said than done because the human mind has a tendency to focus on the past or to project itself into the future, but seldom stays in the present.
Your actions or inactions are derived from and driven by your thoughts and memories of your past experiences. If those experiences were negative, your conscious and subconscious mind will tell you to avoid them in the future; on the other hand, if they are positive, they tend to instruct you to repeat them in the future. Accordingly, the human mind will constantly shuffle between the past and the future. As a result, it seldom stays in the present moment.
Mindfulness is your purposeful attention to the present moment. This purposeful attention enables you to recognize your thoughts as they occur, but without paying judgmental attention to them; in other words, they neither distract nor disturb you, and you just observe them objectively, like watching a movie about yourself unfolding before your very eyes.
To train your mind to focus more on the present, concentrate on your breathing. Concentration on how you breathe in and breathe out, as well as your body’s sensations during the inhalation and exhalation trains you to develop mindfulness. Understand that your body is yours only, and it is always with you. Finding the moment-by-moment relationship with your body through your breathing is your pathway to wellness of the body, the mind, and the soul.
WHEREVER YOU GO THERE YOU ARE
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
WHY LETTING GO?
To continue your journey of recovery of your myasthenia gravis, you must let go of your attachment to anything in your life that may cause you stress.
“Letting go” literally means releasing your close or tight fist to abandon or give up something that you are holding in your hand. If you are close- or tight- fisted, you also cannot receive anything. “Letting go” is detachment in order to receive.
The opposite of “letting go” is “attaching to” something that you are stubbornly holding on to.
What Are Attachments?
An attachment is basically your own emotional dependence on things and people that define your identity, around which you wrap your so-called “happiness”, and even your survival. Attachment is holding on to anything that you are unwilling to let go of, whether it is something positive or negative.
An attachment is no more than a safety blanket to overcome your fear-fear of change and of the unknown from that change. To cope with that fear, all your attachments become your distractions.
We are living in a world with many problems that confront us in our everyday life, and many of them are not only unavoidable but also insoluble. To overcome these daily challenges, many of us just turn to attachments as a means of distracting ourselves from facing our problems head on, instead of adapting and changing ourselves in an ever-changing environment.
But human attachments are the sources of human miseries. Worse, human attachments may come in many different forms that we are unaware of, such as careers, relationships, adversity and prosperity, success and failure, as well as health and wellness.
The Wisdom of Letting Go
The human flaws of attachments can be discerned and even overcome with human wisdom, which is no more than knowing and understanding the ultimate truth of human existence.
In the Christian tradition, truth begins with God, and not with the self, just as Jesus said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
However, in Eastern cultures, the understanding of the self is the first step in the pursuit of the ultimate truth, which is human wisdom.
Simply put, no matter what, humans are given a physical body, a mind, and a soul or spirit. The body lives in the material world and is equipped with the five senses to live and survive in the physical environment. The mind, as the mediator between the body and the soul, is given the gift of free will, which is the freedom to process any input in the form of thoughts and sensations from both the body and the soul.
The ultimate truth: whenever we wish to do something, the soul intuitively provides the instinctive judgment, the mind then gives the analysis and the interpretation, and the body eventually executes the appropriate action or decision of the mind. In other words, what we want to do and how we are going to do it are all in the mind. Therefore, the human mind plays a pivotal role in understanding the ultimate truth about the origin of human attachments, and how they may create the false ego-self that often leads to human flaws of an identity crisis.
The TAO wisdom, which is the ancient wisdom of Lao Tzu, the ancient sage from China more than 2,600 years ago, may show you the wisdom of letting go to live as if everything is a miracle even in this day and age. With the TAO, you will ultimately self-intuit the wisdom of letting go, which plays a pivotal role in how you are going to live the rest of your life with your myasthenia gravis.
No Ego No Stress
The Wisdom of Letting Go
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
To continue your journey of recovery of your myasthenia gravis, you must let go of your attachment to anything in your life that may cause you stress.
“Letting go” literally means releasing your close or tight fist to abandon or give up something that you are holding in your hand. If you are close- or tight- fisted, you also cannot receive anything. “Letting go” is detachment in order to receive.
The opposite of “letting go” is “attaching to” something that you are stubbornly holding on to.
What Are Attachments?
An attachment is basically your own emotional dependence on things and people that define your identity, around which you wrap your so-called “happiness”, and even your survival. Attachment is holding on to anything that you are unwilling to let go of, whether it is something positive or negative.
An attachment is no more than a safety blanket to overcome your fear-fear of change and of the unknown from that change. To cope with that fear, all your attachments become your distractions.
We are living in a world with many problems that confront us in our everyday life, and many of them are not only unavoidable but also insoluble. To overcome these daily challenges, many of us just turn to attachments as a means of distracting ourselves from facing our problems head on, instead of adapting and changing ourselves in an ever-changing environment.
But human attachments are the sources of human miseries. Worse, human attachments may come in many different forms that we are unaware of, such as careers, relationships, adversity and prosperity, success and failure, as well as health and wellness.
The Wisdom of Letting Go
The human flaws of attachments can be discerned and even overcome with human wisdom, which is no more than knowing and understanding the ultimate truth of human existence.
In the Christian tradition, truth begins with God, and not with the self, just as Jesus said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
However, in Eastern cultures, the understanding of the self is the first step in the pursuit of the ultimate truth, which is human wisdom.
Simply put, no matter what, humans are given a physical body, a mind, and a soul or spirit. The body lives in the material world and is equipped with the five senses to live and survive in the physical environment. The mind, as the mediator between the body and the soul, is given the gift of free will, which is the freedom to process any input in the form of thoughts and sensations from both the body and the soul.
The ultimate truth: whenever we wish to do something, the soul intuitively provides the instinctive judgment, the mind then gives the analysis and the interpretation, and the body eventually executes the appropriate action or decision of the mind. In other words, what we want to do and how we are going to do it are all in the mind. Therefore, the human mind plays a pivotal role in understanding the ultimate truth about the origin of human attachments, and how they may create the false ego-self that often leads to human flaws of an identity crisis.
The TAO wisdom, which is the ancient wisdom of Lao Tzu, the ancient sage from China more than 2,600 years ago, may show you the wisdom of letting go to live as if everything is a miracle even in this day and age. With the TAO, you will ultimately self-intuit the wisdom of letting go, which plays a pivotal role in how you are going to live the rest of your life with your myasthenia gravis.
No Ego No Stress
The Wisdom of Letting Go
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
MONEY WISDOM TO DE-STRESS
You are living in a world full of stress that causes many autoimmune diseases, including myasthenia gravis.
This stressful world is also wanting wisdom. Many people experience the lack and not the abundance, while only a small number of people feel both the affluence and the wealth. Surviving and navigating in this world of money disparity require profound wisdom-the perspectives of human wisdom, Biblical wisdom, and the TAO wisdom <http://www.tao-in-everyday-life.com> from ancient China.
So, always ask yourself many questions regarding your money wisdom, given that money always plays a pivotal role in this world of both abundance and lack.
Charles Proteus Steinmetz, a German-born American mathematician and electrical engineer, once said: “There are no foolish questions, and no one becomes a fool until he has stopped asking questions.”
So, continue your life journey asking yourself many self-intuitive questions with respect to your money wisdom. The spirit of wisdom demands you to ask as many questions as possible on how you view the world today based on your past and present life experiences. Your money wisdom is totally based on your individual need to think more about your money. Do not bury your head in the sand! Just be wise on all your money matters!
Asking-questions-and-seeking-answers may give you your money wisdom. Your own life experiences are often responsible for your judgmental attitudes, your bias prejudices, and your assumptive presumptions-they may prevent you from knowing your real self, as well as from separating the truths from the half-truths or the myths about your money wisdom.
The truth of the matter is that your money wisdom is all based on your own perceptions and interpretations of your life experiences. That is why your money wisdom is uniquely yours.
Your money journey in this world is forever filled with missteps and detours, irrespective of your abundance or lack. Even if it may seem to be a bed of roses to you because of your abundance, it is always filled with some thorns. So, you need your spiritual wisdom to give you hope and guidance on your money journey.
To attain that spiritual wisdom, you need your faith-which is your trust and obedience to your Creator. According to Saint Augustine, faith is to believe in what you do not see, and you will then see what you believe. So, if you believe in your money wisdom, you will then see your security in every aspect of your life, whether you have abundance or lack.
To apply your money wisdom in the material world you are living in, you need the wisdom of the TAO-which is the humility to detach yourself from all attachments that you think define who you are. With no ego, you may then become self-enlightened: perceiving the “nothingness” of all things, as well as self-intuiting your “connectedness” to anything and everyone in the world. So, you are in balance and harmony with anyone and everyone, and you are no longer at war within yourself with your fear of insecurity-that is ultimately your money wisdom.
Remember, if you are recovering from myasthenia gravis, don’t let money stress you.
YOUR MONEY WISDOM
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
You are living in a world full of stress that causes many autoimmune diseases, including myasthenia gravis.
This stressful world is also wanting wisdom. Many people experience the lack and not the abundance, while only a small number of people feel both the affluence and the wealth. Surviving and navigating in this world of money disparity require profound wisdom-the perspectives of human wisdom, Biblical wisdom, and the TAO wisdom <http://www.tao-in-everyday-life.com> from ancient China.
So, always ask yourself many questions regarding your money wisdom, given that money always plays a pivotal role in this world of both abundance and lack.
Charles Proteus Steinmetz, a German-born American mathematician and electrical engineer, once said: “There are no foolish questions, and no one becomes a fool until he has stopped asking questions.”
So, continue your life journey asking yourself many self-intuitive questions with respect to your money wisdom. The spirit of wisdom demands you to ask as many questions as possible on how you view the world today based on your past and present life experiences. Your money wisdom is totally based on your individual need to think more about your money. Do not bury your head in the sand! Just be wise on all your money matters!
Asking-questions-and-seeking-answers may give you your money wisdom. Your own life experiences are often responsible for your judgmental attitudes, your bias prejudices, and your assumptive presumptions-they may prevent you from knowing your real self, as well as from separating the truths from the half-truths or the myths about your money wisdom.
The truth of the matter is that your money wisdom is all based on your own perceptions and interpretations of your life experiences. That is why your money wisdom is uniquely yours.
Your money journey in this world is forever filled with missteps and detours, irrespective of your abundance or lack. Even if it may seem to be a bed of roses to you because of your abundance, it is always filled with some thorns. So, you need your spiritual wisdom to give you hope and guidance on your money journey.
To attain that spiritual wisdom, you need your faith-which is your trust and obedience to your Creator. According to Saint Augustine, faith is to believe in what you do not see, and you will then see what you believe. So, if you believe in your money wisdom, you will then see your security in every aspect of your life, whether you have abundance or lack.
To apply your money wisdom in the material world you are living in, you need the wisdom of the TAO-which is the humility to detach yourself from all attachments that you think define who you are. With no ego, you may then become self-enlightened: perceiving the “nothingness” of all things, as well as self-intuiting your “connectedness” to anything and everyone in the world. So, you are in balance and harmony with anyone and everyone, and you are no longer at war within yourself with your fear of insecurity-that is ultimately your money wisdom.
Remember, if you are recovering from myasthenia gravis, don’t let money stress you.
YOUR MONEY WISDOM
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
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MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
HEALING
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
HEALING