Written by Dr. Christine Surrago, a Naturopathic Doctor in Santa Monica, CA. Her mission is to educate people and create conditions for deep internal healing. She reviews the nature of the human body, human consciousness, and the innate healing system to illuminate how the body heals.
Observing Nature to Understand Healing
Everything in nature is designed to heal or decay. This is obvious when we look at the lifecycle of a forest. Some plants thrive, build and soar to the stars while others decay and are broken down as part of the natural lifecycle of the earth. The cycle of building and decay is completely natural and healthy when it is in balance.
This very process is constantly occurring inside of the body. Cells are either cultivating more aliveness and energy or going through a state of death and decay. We run into trouble when the decay is not cleaned out of the body. This happens when we are not drinking clean water, eating clean food, resting, exercising, fasting, etc. The rivers and soil of the earth can be likened to the blood stream, lymphatics and digestive system of the body.
On a deeper level, decay occurs when we skip over ourselves and do not listen and act in accordance with our body’s signals. For example, most people do not know when they are truly hungry and when they are full. They eat outside of the body’s natural digestive rhythm. This leads to a disruption in the entire system because the body’s signals are not being listened to — the digestive system is overloaded, the liver becomes overloaded, the lymph becomes stagnant. Our internal signaling systems, the endocrine, the immune and nervous systems become imbalanced. This is one example of what happens when someone does not listen to their body. Knowing how often people do not listen to their body and how they are still alive and functioning tells us how incredibly strong the human body is and how potent the internal healing response is.
Back to nature as our guide. The human consciousness is a part of nature’s design.
It is designed to channel information and make choices that lead either in a building healthy direction or a destructive direction. Where we place our consciousness, the quality of our consciousness, and depending on how fixated or fluid the mind is has a tremendous impact on health outcomes. Every time I meet a new patient, I take note of how they are using their mind and consciousness. I can often predict whether or not they will heal and how long it will take. This is how powerful the human consciousness and the mental field is.
Going deeper now, let’s look at the communication that occurs between any living being. Many animals and plants will communicate through chemical messages through the air, water or soil. However, there are frequent communications that occur without any physical molecule and seem to occur through a sensing system that is larger than the 5 senses, which I will call the bioenergetic system. This system is responsible for thinking of someone right before they call. This system is responsible for the experience of flowing energy, life and love. It is responsible for the gut instinct. The system is what creates the chakras, the magnetic field around the heart, the energy field around every cell, the vibrational frequencies of your thoughts. This system is so so powerful. It is part of our human network, our earth’s ecosystem, our DNA and is the largest part of the innate healing response. This system is located inside and around your body, in every cell, every nerve impulse, every heart beat and every single atom that creates you. To access this system, you must listen inside of yourself. This system is always speaking to you and needs to be heard.
The Essentials for Your Body
I want to break down the absolute essentials for optimal functioning of your body.
- Oxygen — Oxygen is the primary food of the body. It creating large amounts of vital energy, heat and light energy inside of the mitochondria of every cell. It cleans the blood and the immune system uses oxygen to kill infections.
- Movement — Movement is the opposite of stagnation. Stagnation is known to be the cause of all diseases. The movement of the body creates movement in the fluid system, the muscles and the mind. It aids in creativity and neuroplasticity.
- Listening inside (imperative) — Listening inside and deeply knowing yourself and what you need creates optimal health.
- Love, Self-Love, Relationship, Family and Community (people in communities live longer)
- Nature — Exposure to the elements is important to be in the biorhythm. Just like plants we need sun, fresh air and earth.
- Clean spring water — the blood needs clean water with a specific salt and mineral content to nourish the cells. When water is not clean and vibrant, we see many diseases occur including infectious diseases, chronic diseases, endocrinopathies and cardiovascular disease.
Choosing a Guide on Your Path
Many holistic doctors and healers have their area of focus in the human body and their tool box to elicit a powerful healing response. Naturopathic Doctors respect the “vis” which is the innate healing forces of the body and artfully use botanicals, diet, homeopathy, craniosacral therapy and biofeedback to illicit internal healing responses. Chiropractors work on the structural alignment and meridian alignment to create more energy flow through the innate healing system for a healing response. Acupuncturists move Qi, which is the flowing life force in the body. Some counselors, meditation teachers and coaches often work to lessen mental fixations and create more fluidity in the mind to harness the power of the human consciousness. Movement, Yoga Teachers and Personal Trainers help to create more bodily awareness, so that deeper listening can occur. Medical Doctors are highly skilled at preventing death in acute situations and many MDs are incredible surgeons and healers.
Each individual doctor has a gift to give you and also limitations — finding the right guidance is critical in healing. What you want to look for is someone who really sees you, listens deeply to you and effectively guides you. What you don’t want is a doctor who sticks to the same routine and doesn’t think outside the box. You are an incredibly unique individual and what works for someone else may not work for you.
Photo credit: Melissa Rousseau
Dr. Christine Surrago, Naturopathic Doctor, is committed to the healing of the entire planet, each person at a time. She holds a strong intention for everyone to live a life of alignment with themselves and the rhythms of our earth. She sees that each person has a unique gift, that when nourished and strengthened, will contribute to the healing of the entire planet as we know it. From the depths of her connection to human experience and her love of life, she will be sharing with you vital knowledge for your own personal healing, alignment and vibrant aliveness.
As a doctor, she focuses her treatments to heal the subconscious of the body, at the very source of illness. This leads to radical healing from the inside out. She is in a constant state of awe as she observes the miracles of the human body. Through honoring the intelligence of life, she treats her patients with steady guidance and discernment.
Dr. Christine practices in Santa Monica, CA and is currently taking patients of all ages and conditions. She specializes in bioenergetic healing, women’s health, fertility, autoimmune conditions and alternative cancer therapies. She thoughtfully blends ancient earth medicines with the most cutting-edge treatments out there.
She completed her medical training at Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. She served as an adjunct clinical professor at Bastyr University Clinic in San Diego, CA teaching the holistic treatment of patients with constitutional homeopathy.