Deepak Chopraone of the greatest exponents in combining the holistic medicine and spirituality in the United States, has been considered one of the most influential personalities of the 20th century by Time magazinewho defined him as the “poet-prophet” of this type of medicine.
acting as an endocrinologist in the seventies felt constrained by the conventional medicine approachwho in his opinion gave more importance to illness than to health.
Since then, convinced that health, more than the simple absence of disease, is an active balance between the body, mind and spirit, has dedicated his life to integrating the western scientific tradition with natural medicinecombining the theories of quantum physics with oriental wisdom.
Media author, this doctor of Indian origin has published more than forty books translated into more than thirty languagesand gives well-known talks and seminars around the world.
In 1995 he founded the Chopra Center for Wellness in California., in which training is given in holistic medicine and medical treatments and personal growth are offered. In the interview she expresses herself with poise and answers questions with astonishing speed.
The healing power of meditation
–Meditation can prevent and also improve various health problems. How do you think you get it?
–Meditation allows us to return to our most spiritual state. The body stills. The mind becomes still. In this state of maximum relaxation we get rid of stress and fatigue, we are in harmony. And that absolute stillness allows us to connect with ourselves and activate the healing capacity of the body itself. There are many studies that show that meditation has multiple health benefits: regulates heart rate, improves hypertension, reduces cortisol and adrenaline levels, increases resistance to stress…
–It is also a way to cultivate spirituality, but is it the only one?
-It is a very important way, but there are others: being in contact with nature, through relationships, yoga, silence…
-Why silence?
–Reserving moments to be silent every day is a way of connecting with ourselves. If we give up talking, reading, watching television, listening to the radio… once or twice a day and dedicate ourselves simply to “being”, at first we may become distressed and obsessive thoughts may arise, but over time the internal dialogue is silenced. Then we become aware of who we are and what we want. I do it every day. I reserve a time in the morning as soon as I get up and another in the afternoon.
The spiritual laws of success
–In other times, a spiritual life implied giving up wealth. Now there is more and more talk of combining spirituality and success in business. Are spiritual and economic wealth obtained by parallel paths?
–When you don’t have enough economic well-being, you don’t have your basic needs covered or you get a very fair salary, you spend too much time worrying about it. First there are the basic needs and then love, self-esteem, compassion, creativity… And if you don’t have to worry about your survival, you can cultivate that part more and become aware of the wide possibilities of being. But that does not mean that economic well-being is a guarantee that one will have a full spiritual life…
Sometimes when there are no projects, the passion for money can put everything else on hold, because in that stubborn search for material things one can end up moving away from oneself.
–In one of his most popular books he explains the seven spiritual-laws of success. How would you define “success”?
–For me, success is gradually replacing the demands of the ego with the ability to feel love and compassion. It is a journey and not a destination, a journey in which one achieves objectives, feeling enthusiasm for life, with personal relationships that fulfill oneself, with a sense of well-being and peace of mind… We could say that success is connecting with our spiritual and creative part.
–Recent scientific studies have confirmed that loneliness, repression, sadness and other negative emotions can have a negative effect on health. Is happiness a requirement to enjoy good health?
I don’t think of happiness in those terms. One can feel happy at certain moments but it is impossible to always be happy and in fact the moments when one does not feel happy or when problems arise, the very search for happiness becomes an opportunity to grow, to heal, to learn and be more creative…
–To enjoy a fulfilling life it is often more important to overcome our own inner obstacles than those posed by the outside world. In your experience, what are the most common internal barriers?
–There are several internal barriers, but the most common are doubt, dependence on others, low self-esteem and conditioning from culture and institutions.
Some tips to have a full and healthy life
–If you had to offer a decalogue of advice to a person to make the most of their time in this world, what would you say?
–I would tell him to question the perception he has about things, to question everything he hears. Also that he breathe well and get enough sleep, that he watch his diet and take supplements and vitamins, that he practice meditation, some mind-body technique, such as yoga, and exercise regularly. Another important thing is to learn to observe yourself, try to understand why you feel fear, anxiety, insecurity… Also try to be a good person and cultivate relationships based on respect, love and compassion. And she would still tell him two last things: that she have a sensible attitude towards life and that she face it with an open mind.
Do you follow them all?
–Well, I think that since I spend all day dealing with it, I have it quite present and I have ended up turning it into a habit.
– You talked about diet. Today we all accept that it is important to have a healthy diet and exercise, and in fact we do not stop hearing general recommendations on food, whether of one trend or another. Don’t you think, however, that the diet should be personalized?
-Of course. It is a very common problem. We have very different people following the same general dietary recommendations. Now, the general recommendations may serve some people, but not all. Each one has its nature, it responds differently to food, depending on its metabolism, its ability to eliminate toxins… It is one of the pillars of Ayurvedic nutrition. Each one must become aware of their relationship with food, let themselves be guided by their sense of taste, observe what feels good and what feels bad. There are no universal diets. The diet should always be personalized.
– What diet do you follow? Are there foods that you always include or always avoid?
–I try to minimize dairy products and meat, and above all eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. I also avoid any type of processed food.
Biological creativity and healing power of the organism
– Do you think that illness gives people an opportunity to learn?
–Yes, of course, it is an opportunity to grow, to look for other ways to promote creativity. We could say that it is an opportunity to exercise creativity biologically.
–You have compared the human body to a pharmacy, saying that we all have the power to create substances that will heal us. How can this “inner pharmacy” be stimulated?
–Through meditation, exercise, mind-body techniques, nutrition, taking vitamins and supplements and finally enhancing emotional well-being. Stimulation or healing techniques through the senses can also be used, such as massages, aromatherapy…
–Some medicines and healing techniques are attributed a placebo effect. How do you think the placebo effect works?
“We still don’t know exactly how it works, but it’s clear that hope and intention influence healing. It is a very good example of how the mind can have a biological effect, of how it can activate that “inner pharmacy” that we talked about before. What is also interesting is to see how we can consciously evoke that healing response.
–In Spanish they say that faith moves mountains…
-It is very true.
The holistic medicine paradigm shift
–You have been defined as a pioneer of holistic medicine, which is increasingly popular. You yourself, as a doctor, have moved from conventional to holistic medicine. Why do you think it happens? Why do people turn more and more to this type of medicine?
–I think that conventional medicine makes the patient think that they only recognize what happens to their body, while with holistic medicine they know, as the name itself indicates, that they are being taken into account in all their complexity, with their body, your mind and your spirit.
–The individualized treatment given to the patient in holistic medicine, the fact that the doctor talks with him and dedicates his time to him, is it therapeutic in itself?
It’s very therapeutic. In fact, studies have been carried out that show that, upon entering the consultation, by the mere fact of engaging in a conversation with the doctor in the patient, a series of biochemical changes can already be produced.
–How can conventional medicine and natural medicine be combined to address cancer?
–In the specific case of cancer, conventional medicine makes it possible to identify the type of cancer with precision and obtains very good results in some cases. However, natural medicine also plays an important role and should not be discounted. It can help make conventional treatments much more effective, for example by creating some habits, and reduce or make their side effects more bearable.
–We take it for granted that complementary medicine cannot harm us. Do you agree?
No, you have to be very careful. Some products that are used, even if they are natural, may have side effects and it is convenient to know what they are.
–In conventional medicine there are more and more doctors who accept holistic medicine theses. Are we advancing towards a fusion of both?
-I hope so.
–Today there is a lot of information on how to lead a healthy life, sometimes contradictory. Do people now know more about how to take care of themselves or do they just think so?
–I think that the fact that there is more and more information, both on conventional medicine and on complementary medicine, is very positive. Now people can find many things online and having information allows them to question their doctor. And I think it’s important to question your doctor. Patients who complain and seek get much further than those who simply comply.