Can the Body Heal Itself?

If you’re like most Americans, you probably reach for a pill any time you’re dealing with a physical ailment. Many say we’re now living in a “pill popping society,” where people look for quick fixes for an array of physical and psychological issues, ranging from minor aches and pains to trouble paying attention and focusing. In fact, according to a PBS report, Americans use more medicines than people in other developed countries and, on average spend $1,000 per person on medication a year. In addition to taking a toll on your wallet, these medicines paradoxically take a toll on your health due to their many side effects. If you’re looking for ways to get healthier without the use of these drugs, there is good news: our bodies have an innate capacity to heal. All of us possess the ability to attain and maintain optimal health.

According to Lissa Rankin M.D., author of the New York Times bestseller Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself, we all possess the power to heal our bodies just by altering how our minds think and feel. She says that there is no such thing as an “incurable disease” and when dealing with a terminal illness we must rid our minds of any negative thoughts which could possibly hinder our self-healing efforts. She adds that every time we have negative thoughts, we release stress hormones that sabotage the body’s self-repair mechanisms. On the other hand, thinking positively triggers our self-healing powers and gives us the ability to heal ourselves.

Sadhguru recently spoke about the body’s innate capacity to heal at Duke University. We’ve shared an excerpt from his talk below:

How will Sadhguru’s insight on the body’s capacity to heal itself change your outlook on disease and medication? Tell us in the comments below!