By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

November 12, 2014

• Are you radiating negative energy?
• What toxic thoughts are doing to your health
• Turn negative emotions into positive ones

There are times in our lives when anger, bitterness and resentment grab ahold of us.

These hostile feelings can be hard to shake. That’s because they tend to fester for awhile, playing out over and over again in your mind. Why did it have to happen to you? Who’s to blame for this turn of events? How are other people looking at you now?

It’s easy to view your life in hindsight. But dwelling on negative events for long periods of time can become toxic.

Maybe you’re convinced you could’ve done something to change the outcome, and you keep beating yourself up because you didn’t. This can lead to self-loathing, shame and a feeling of failure.

You might feel guilty or experience doubt about your self-worth. Did you really do something that caused this undeserved blame or injustice? You’re not a bad person. But then you think, maybe you’re not as good as you think you are. What if karma is coming back to haunt you for something you don’t even remember doing?

Before you know it, negative energy is radiating off of you. You’re sabotaging your own self and missing out on the opportunities right in front you. It’s affecting your chances of success and dragging down the people who love you the most.

These high levels of negative energy aren’t just affecting your happiness and that of your loved ones. They might also be killing you…

These toxic emotions are… well… TOXIC. They poison your life, destroy relationships and undermine your health.

When feelings of dissatisfaction and aggression start driving you, your entire body is put to the test. Blood pressure rises, stress takes its toll, your immune response is compromised, and inflammation sets in.

Anger, depression and hostility are all associated with high levels of inflammatory C-reactive protein (CRP). In fact, CRP levels can be two to three times higher than those found in calmer people. These negative emotions are also linked to higher levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Now, you’ve probably heard about CRP. This protein is a strong predictor of a first-time heart attack, even when cholesterol levels are normal. It increases the risk of almost all types of cancer – and reduces the chance of a positive outcome. People with dementia have higher CRP levels than those without dementia. And Alzheimer’s patients have the highest levels of all.

And, what about IL-6? It’s pretty much the same story here: Heart disease. Cancer. Alzheimer’s and other inflammatory diseases.

As if that weren’t enough, when you’re angry, your risk of a heart attack rises by about five times in the two hours after an outburst. And your chance of a stroke is more than three-fold during that same time period. The more often these outbursts, the higher the risk.

Now, here’s a real big consideration. If emotional negativity leads to chronic illness… then what are you going to find to be happy about? Chances are good a serious health condition will only lead to further hostility and negative thoughts.

What can you do to gain control of your emotions and turn your life around right now?

Negative thinking is self-perpetuating. The more you give into it, the harder it is to stop. And ruminating about these types of events for weeks and months on end isn’t going to do anything to help, either. All that’ll do is increase your dissatisfaction with life.

Activities that involve meditation are one of the best ways to recognize and reframe negative thoughts and perceptions. They help teach your brain to recognize which thoughts have no benefit, and redirect them toward positive outcomes.

Now, you can practice meditating on your own. The best way to start is with breathing exercises. Just close your eyes and breathe normally. Then count your breaths. Breathe in on one, out on two, in on three, out on four (and so on) until you reach a count of 10. Then do two more counts of 10.

During this time, your mind will forget to count. It will start trying to worry about something. Your job is to pull it back to the here and now. Just start counting again where you left off. Over time, this practice will help you clarify situations with conscious thought rather than emotion.

But for the best results, I suggest taking part in a structured Hatha yoga program. This is the type of yoga most practiced here in the U.S. It’s also recommended by the American Heart Association.

Hatha yoga uses body postures to promote physical health. But you don’t have to stand on your head to do them. They’re simple poses to help improve balance, flexibility and strength. This physical activity helps produce “feel good” neurotransmitters that help improve your mood and thoughts.

It also includes breathing techniques and meditation to help you de-stress and gain mental clarity. And, I believe it’s this mind-body connection that makes it so effective when it comes to developing a natural peace of mind to help you overcome stressful events in your life.

Just as important, practicing yoga can offset many of the damaging health effects that come with stress, anxiety and negativity. Taking part in regular yoga sessions can lower both inflammatory markers I mentioned earlier – CRP and IL-6. It also improves cardiovascular health, lowers body weight and helps improve insulin sensitivity.

Don’t let toxic emotions kill you. Take measures today to start releasing that negative energy and gaining a clear mental focus on what’s good in your life.

Sources:
Suarez EC. “C-reactive protein is associated with psychological risk factors of cardiovascular disease in apparently healthy adults.” Psychosom Med. 2004 Sep-Oct;66(5):684-91.

Suarez EC. “Joint effect of hostility and severity of depressive symptoms on plasma interleukin-6 concentration.” Psychosom Med. 2003 Jul-Aug;65(4):523-7.

Mostofsky E, et al. “Relation of outbursts of anger and risk of acute myocardial infarction.” Am J Cardiol. 2013 Aug 1;112(3):343-8.

Kiecolt-Glaser JK, et al. “Stress, inflammation, and yoga practice.” Psychosom Med. 2010 Feb;72(2):113-21.