Deepak Chopra: Our Bodies

I recently stumbled across this inspiring article from Deepak Chopra, MD. A practitioner of integrated medicine, Dr. Chopra discusses the benefits of seeing the body as a system vs. a machine, which is the current model we and the medical community at large tend to embrace. 

Whatever your opinion of integrated medicine, I think you'll find the following exert an interesting perspective. As described below, the system model Chopra advocates for comprises both the mind and the body, which, in my opinion, brings us the most comprehensive satisfaction in life. 

He writes:

"Instead of seeing the body as a machine that, like a new car, must deteriorate over time, we should see it as a system that learns, adapts, and improves over time. In short, we need to let the body take care of us, for that is what it's actually doing. The one thing this amazingly self-sufficient system needs from you is better input. A host of things constitute better input:

- Whatever makes you happier.

- Being more relaxed and accepting.

- Strong self-esteem, a sense of worth.

- Being of service to others, giving.

- Showing generosity of spirit.

- Loving, nurturing relationships.

- Any activity that makes you feel light in mind and body.

- Taking time to play, and having a playful attitude.

- Not stressing out other people.

- Devoting yourself to projects that have real meaning and purpose.

- Being self-aware.

- Expanding our awareness. Growing and maturing from the inside.

- Being comfortable with your inner world.

- Working through negative emotions like anger, envy, and fear.

- Self-acceptance.

- Reverence for Nature.

- Faith and a belief in a higher power, whatever that may be.

As you can see, almost none of this is advice you will hear in a doctor's office, and much of it goes far beyond standard prevention, which is based on risks. Of course it's good to avoid risks, but thinking in terms of what can go wrong induces fear, and fear is a very poor motivator over the long run. Becoming happier and more fulfilled day by day is a much better motivator, and as you can see, a systems approach expands our conception of the body to include everything that is mentally, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually fulfilling. That’s the ultimate reason to embrace the new systems model as far as I'm concerned."

So, how can you better your "input" today?