I intend to take each part of the Recipe, physical, mental, and spiritual, and explain why it is in the Recipe and what it is doing for you in your recovery, deeply drilling down to the how and why it is helping you recover from Parkinson’s. Today is the fifteenth part: reconnecting with the soul and opening the heart for dopamine flow, third part.
For those of you new to the blog, when I say “the Recipe,” I am talking about the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery®. Click here to review the full version of the Recipe.
The Recipe is a soul, mind, and body recovery methodology. Two days ago, in the first part of reconnecting with the soul and opening the heart for dopamine flow, I stressed the importance of:
Faith and Acceptance. Close the door to the past.
Faith and Fear. Close the door to the future.
Faith and Joy. Living your life in the present moment from your heart.
Yesterday, in the second part of reconnecting with the soul and opening the heart for dopamine flow, I discussed how I closed the door to the past, helping me transform from my judgmental mind into my compassionate heart.
Today, in the third part of reconnecting with the soul and opening the heart for dopamine flow, I will discuss how gratitude helped me bring my life back into balance and helped me reach my cure from Parkinson’s.
GRATITUDE!
Parkinson’s is a symptom of life out of balance, physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is a progressively degenerative disease for which there is no cure ONLY if you accept it that way and do nothing about it.
Since you are here with me, I know that you want to do something about it. Since you are here with each other, I know that you want to do something about it. Since you are here with me, I know you want to bring your life back into balance and rid yourself of the symptom called Parkinson’s. I am grateful to all of you for being here with me and with each other. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Click here for more on bringing your life back into balance.
GRATITUDE!
A story of a life out of balance. In the years leading up to the fall of 2009 when the tremors appeared with all the other things that had been going wrong with me and the neurologist pronounced “you have Parkinson’s,” I had been running from the lion. My Adrenaline-mode-fear-based-mind was always running. This brought me completely out of balance in life.
While working on my recovery, I realized just how out of balance I truly was. When things occurred that I did not like, my habitual stress, anger and frustration surfaced. I did not express it on the outside. I held it in. I did not know that that I was harming my liver by doing this, but I was harming my liver just the same. I realized in my recovery that I was refusing to accept reality, and with stress, fear, anger and frustration when something occurred that I did not like, I was constantly “trying to undo what had just occurred.”
I was not dealing with life as it was rolling out in front of my eyes because everything was not occurring the way I thought it should be occurring. So, I was trying to undo what had occurred instead of dealing with life, accepting the situation and creating a solution. Ultimately, this would cause me to turn the anger at me: “you should known this was occurring, you could have put things in place to have prevented this from occurring, I can’t believe how stupid you were for not being prepared….” Simply put, I lacked acceptance of the things I did not like in life. Mentally and emotionally, this brought me out of balance.
On the issue of gratitude, there was no gratitude. This is not because I was not happy about good things when they occurred. It was because I did not expect them to last. I realized in my recovery that I felt so unworthy and so undeserving of the good things lasting that I could not bring myself to a point of gratitude…it would only hurt that much more when the good things went away. Why give gratitude for something when it won’t last and thus cause yourself more pain later when it is gone? Simply put, I lacked gratitude for the things I liked in life. Spiritually, this brought me out of balance.
To bring balance back to my life, which would lead me to my Parkinson’s cure, I had to adjust the imbalances described above. To mentally and emotionally bring my life back into balance, I needed to learn acceptance. This is the discussion from Parts 11 and 12, three days ago. Click here to review it again.
To spiritually bring my life back into balance, I needed to practice gratitude. This seems like an easy task. Think about things for which I was grateful and give thanks. My problem was bigger than that. How was I to give gratitude when I did not feel that I was worthy and deserving of the good things that had occurred in my life? I had the most wonderful wife and we had been blessed with three magnificent children. And I had Parkinson’s. How could I have done this to them? This was so unfair to them. And, having done this to them, how could I be worthy and deserving of anything!
How much more out of balance could I have been than that? I was doing the Recipe every day for them because my Parkinson’s was so unfair to them. Sadly, I was not even on the list of people for whom I was trying to get better. I did not like myself enough, certainly did not love myself, and absolutely felt it would be selfish to be trying to get better for me. I was so out of balance and I was flat out wrong about this point.
I needed to see myself as worthy and deserving of good things in life, including my recovery.
I needed to like myself.
I needed to love myself.
I needed to want to get better for me.
I needed to want to get better for me FIRST! Yes, for Sally and the children, too, but for me first.
AND, I NEEDED TO KNOW THAT PUTTING MYSELF FIRST IN MY PARKINSON’S RECOVERY WAS NOT SELFISH. IT WAS NECESSARY! AND, NOT ONLY WAS IT NOT SELFISH, IT WAS GIVING!!! How can that be? Easy, you serve yourself and others graciously from the joy in your heart rather than from some obligation in your mind.
Once I realized this, I started giving gratitude for my life. “Thank you God for another day of being alive, even in a Parkinson’s body. There is so much I can do with my soul inside a human body. I am grateful.”
And with that beginning to each day, I began working on spiritually bringing my life back into balance.
You see, for me, each time I gave gratitude it was an internal announcement that I was worthy and deserving of good things in life and that the good things in life could and would last. Why? Because I was worthy and deserving and abundantly grateful for them. I know this sounds like circular reasoning…and it is circular reasoning…and it works! Do it!!!
Click here for yesterday’s post, which includes links on learning to love yourself and forgiveness.
The more grateful I became for my life and everything in it, the more accepting I became of everything in my life. “Okay” was my new way of living. For the first time in my life, I was completely accepting of my life as it was rolling out in front of me.
In my recovery, to help me keep a positive attitude, and because I knew it was true, I looked at everything that was happening with me physically as “necessary for my recovery.” I started taking that attitude into my daily life. I realized that by accepting whatever was happening in my life was necessary in my life journey, I was able to reduce stress and anxiety, reduce anger and frustration, reduce worry and fear…instead of being afraid of life, I explored it, one small shuffle at a time, just like the tortoise.
Click here for more about moving through life and recovery like the tortoise, who incidentally, wins the race.
The more I accepted what was happening in my life was necessary in my life’s journey, the more I came back into balance mentally and emotionally. The more I learned to give gratitude for being alive, including everything that was happening in my life as a result of being alive, the more I came back into balance spiritually.
In the link above regarding bringing life back into balance, I conclude with this:
“Am I grateful for having had Parkinson’s? Yes. Through that bump in the road in a life already out of balance, Parkinson’s stood as a bump at a fork in the road leaving me two choices: 1. Fix the imbalances in my life and it would go away; and 2. Do not fix the imbalances in my life and it would stay with me forever. I chose the road less traveled, I had no plan B, and every day I did the Recipe for Recovery to find balance in my life. And every day that I awoke with Parkinson’s still there, it was a reminder I still had more work to do.
However, in the end, when I awoke on June 12, 2010 with no Parkinson’s, I knew it was not coming back — I had re-balanced my soul, mind, and body, and I no longer needed the message or symptoms known as Parkinson’s as a reminder that I had more work to do.
I was finished with that part of my life, and I am grateful for that as well.”
What I do not mention in that post is that when I awoke on the morning of June 12, 2010 and popped out of bed fully awake, fully aware that I was cured of Parkinson’s, I dropped to my hands and knees and cried praise and gratitude. And through my tears of gratitude, I promised God that I would help people with Parkinson’s for the rest of my life.
So, my friends, as we close out 2015, I am honored to express my gratitude to all of you. By you being here with me, open to the message, and working to cure yourselves from Parkinson’s, you are helping me fulfill my promise to God. For that, I am abundantly grateful to all of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
That’s it.
“OKAY!!!” That is not it. I know that many of you struggle with visualization. Please get over this blockage and visualize this blog post, “Fighting Parkinson’s, and ___________ is symptom free!” Please insert your name in the blank. “Okay,” let’s make this even easier on yourself…don’t just visualize it…type it up and print it, write it up by hand, type it in a note on your phone, send it to yourself in an email. It is time to get your mind accepting that your recovery is happening. Every day, stare at the words and read them, “Fighting Parkinson’s, and ________ is symptom free” with your name in the blank. Read it out loud or silently, and inhale a deep inhale of life’s breath. Then, close your eyes and exhale a long breath and feel the words sink deeply inside you…and smile….
Okay! Now that’s it!
You are worth it!!!
I will be back next year. Have a happy, healthy, and safe New Year!
All my best,
Howard
For those of you who may have missed my previous post about the fifth person to have recovered doing the Recipe, click here to read the details of “Fighting Parkinson’s, and Helen Gill in Australia is symptom free!!!”
Please note: I will be posting a post per day for the remainder of the year. If you subscribe to receive email notifications when I post new blog posts and you would prefer to not receive those daily email notifications, simply send me an email at howard@fightingparkinsonsdrugfree.com, and let me know that you do not wish to receive a daily email with a link to each post. I will remove you from the list for the rest of the year, and add your email back to the list at the beginning of 2016. However, I still would recommend you checking the blog on a regular basis as it will contain very useful information for understanding and doing the Recipe more effectively.
Dear Howard, dear friends all over the world on the train to recovery!!
Hi together!!
I want in the name of my husband Werni (who doesn’t speak English) to thank to our wonderful, helpful and kind Howard for his very interesting and supporting advices. Not only the helpful blogs, but also the time he needs over Christmas time to support us to handle best with this desease. Although Werni isn’t cured (drugfree since 2 months yeahhh!!) he already shows progresses we appreciate very, very much and we believe in full recovery. Thank you, thank you, thank you dear Howard as well as to Sally!! We wish all a HAPPY, HEALTHY AND WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!!
Love Tery and Werni from Switzerland
Thank you, thank you, thank you Howard. You have been a gift from God to all of us!
May we all recover in the year to come!
Dearest Howard, I am so grateful for you and for each of the people who follow you and share their thoughts so selflessly. For me, your last three posts have incredibly touched so many points that are integral to our healing. Your voice of positivity and possibility is beyond inspirational! You remember the negativity and the naysayers all around you. And with an astounding seemingly electrical zap, you zoned yourself back to the reality that the person who was certain they were going to cure themselves was still inside you. Creating his own cure! Thank you thank you thank you for this comment. Those negative people are suffering themselves as you say and I must offer them my compassion. Kindly determined, I eschew the absorption of their commentary. Submerging myself in gratitude and compassion, I know that I am sailing on my road to recovery. I wish you and Sally and each of you Beautiful Travelers fortitude and blessings on your journey to health. May this New Year bring healing and joy and love to each of our hearts!!! Love and hugs to all, Susana
Howard, I always say loads 🙂 so today, I will simply say ” Amen” to all the kind and truthful praise you have and will receive by everyone here. You ROCK to me. Happy New Year to you, Sally and your family.xx
Happy New Year to all my lovable fellow warriors. I love you all for your strength, bravery and courage in your belief in yourselves through all the daily adversity. I include myself in this love. We ROCK warriors! May many many more get to see our names in the headlines in 2016. Let our souls rock on!
Big Love,
Karen xx
Dear friends in the parkinson journey.
It is amazing and frustrating to read so many enthusiastic messages while I’m in a moment of deep discourage.
It is two months now that I live a miserable life and have 8 (when not less) hours per day ON and the rest almost completely OFF (on the bed hardly able to go to the toilette). I’m exhausted and the temptation to increase medication an take more pills is strong. But I know this is not the way (or is the way that has brought me to this miserable status). Drugs don’t heal but make disease worst.
After 8 years of PD I want to heal myself, I really want to change my life and go back to the dopamine way of living. I started the short version of the recipe right today with huge difficulty spending the few hours of life doing the Recipe and I’m looking for your encouragement, from whom has already done it and can tell me. IT WORKS. THIS IS THE WAY WE HAVE DONE IT. KEEP ON.
thank for everything you will want to will tell me.
Carlo
Dear Carlo, all I can truly say is ” well done” you have started the First step on your road to recovery in starting The Recipe. 🙂 I have no experience of the Medication. I know Howard has helped many people off the medication. He knows the subject matter and will be able to guide you SAFELY off the medication. Parkinson’s is a tough journey but be proud of yourself for starting the protocol despite how difficult you are finding your physical state. You can only go forward now. Hang in there. You are not alone. Most days I spend in my chair as I can’t shuffle, so mainly stagger from one obstacle to another. I’m in a lot of pain etc but I believe in what I am doing. The last 3 posts really help in knowing on a deep level how we can heal, so re-read them, but I would advise you to get some one to one coaching from Howard to assist you with medication reduction. With you in spirit.
Karen xx
querido Carlo sea usted bienvenido, tocan mi corazon sus palabras,aqui hay gente hermosa que lo va recibir con amor , seguramente usted ha sido enviado aqui por alguna razon especial, hace 2 dias escribi esto para una de nuestras compañeras guerreras y ahora lo repito para usted, espero sirva y levante su animo.
hace casi un año , escribi aqui mismo la experiencia que en ese momento de incertidumbre y desesperacion, yo estaba atravesando, cuando mi cuerpo se sentia tan debil que yo no podia alzar los brazos para ponerme una camisa , yo sentia tanta debilidad que dificilmente podia dar algunos pasos sin sentir que iba a caer al piso, en esos momentos el miedo me invadio.
comente en el blog que mis hermanos al verme asi tan debil, me pidieron, casi me exigieron que yo tomara medicamento, yo estaba casi convencido de tomarlo, fue algo que comente aqui con ustedes y me quede asombrado de las muestras de apoyo que recibi, muchos comentarios hermosos alentadores, para que yo no ceder a la presion de la familia por tomar medicina ,,estas muestras de apoyo me fortalecieron, y tambien dentro de mi habia algo (MI ESPIRITU ) que me decia no te rindas sigue adelante , tu puedes hacerlo , continua haciendo la receta .
entonces surgio un razonamiento muy logico,que me levanto el animo…… si hacemos la receta con un verdadero compromiso con nosotros mismos y por amor a nosotros mismos, el resultado final tarde o temprano sera la recuperacion total de nuestra salud.
permiteme decirte e invitarte a que veas el aumento en los sintomas con la siguiente optica, . Si tu estas haciendo la receta para la recuperacion, lo que nosotros vemos como aumento en los sintomas, no es mas que la inercia de los mismos moviendose en el tiempo,, pero al hacer la receta ,, la curacion se esta llevando acabo por dentro , hay cambios positivos en nuestro interior dia a dia y por consiguiente esa inercia que llevan los sintomas se esta reduciendo cada dia que hacemos la receta y asi se ira reducira hasta su minima expresion.
y por lo tanto los sintomas desapareceran. la entrega de mis miedos a Dios
todo esto me ha dado el valor para seguir adelante con mi lucha , hoy mi cuerpo no esta tan debil, aunque aun tengo muchos sintomas como lentitud, falta de cordinacion , falta de destreza, rigidez, fatiga, se que todo con compromiso y seriedad saldre adelante y los sintomas desapareceran, en este viaje llamado vida nos toca vivir experiencias retos y desafios , que nos transmiten un mensaje , que nos invitan siempre para ser mejores , parkinson es un desafio, pero el espiritu humano es capaz de superarlo.
Translation:
You are welcome dear Carlo, your words touched my heart, here are beautiful people who will receive with love, surely you have been sent here for some special reason, 2 days ago I wrote this for one of our fellow warriors and now say again to you, I hope they serve and lift your mood.
Almost a year ago, I wrote here the same experience in that moment of uncertainty and despair, I was going through, when my body felt so weak that I could not raise his arms to put on a shirt, I felt so weak that I could hardly give some steps without feeling it would fall to the floor, at the time the fear invaded me.
comment on the blog so my brothers to see me so weak, almost demanded that I take medication, I was almost convinced to take it, was something to discuss here with you and was in awe of the outpouring of support I received, many beautiful comments encouraging, so I would not give in to family pressure by taking medicine ,, these expressions of support strengthened me, and also there was something inside me (my Spirit) told me not to give up continues, you can so, continues to make the recipe.
then came a very logical reasoning, which cheered me …… if we make the recipe with a real commitment to ourselves, love ourselves, the end result will eventually recovery of our health.
let me tell you and invite you to see an increase in symptoms with the following optician. If you’re making a recipe for recovery, which we see as increased symptoms, it is nothing but the inertia of moving in the same time ,, but ,, to make the recipe healing is taking just inside there are positive changes within us every day and therefore the inertia symptoms that lead is shrinking every day we do the recipe and thus reduce will go to minimum.
and therefore the symptoms disappear. the delivery of my fears to God
all this has given me the courage to go on with my struggle, today my body is not so weak, but still I have many symptoms like sluggishness, lack of COORDINATION, lack of skill, stiffness, fatigue, is that everything with commitment and seriousness moving forward and symptoms disappear in this journey called life we live Challenges experiences and challenges, which give us a message, we always invite us to be better, parkinson’s a challenge, but the human spirit can overcome.
Welcome, Carlos! Congratulations that you have begun the Recipe for Recovery. Probably everyone who reads this blog or comments on it has felt despair and frustration like you describe; I know I felt it. It was devastating. Through dedicating myself to following the Recipe for Recovery, I did recovery fully, and no symptom ever returned.
We are all so fortunate to be living in a time when we have Howard’s remarkable example and his insights and experience to guide us, and this whole inspiring group of people supporting each other on this blog. This is a good place for you to be. A good time to begin.
Sending my very best wishes. May 2016 be a year of healing for you.
Ciao Carlo! You are on the right road. Today it may seem very difficult to move, but stay with the Recipe and you will begin to heal and continue to heal. Do as much as you can. Each day you will be cleansing the toxins and it will become apparent that you are doing the right thing for your soul mind and body to heal. Be grateful for the kindness and love you are giving to yourself.
All the very best joy and health in this New Year ! Buon Anno! Abbracci!
Dear Carlo,
Hang in there my friend. It’s not an easy road that we travel, but we do not travel alone. Take heart and just imagine that you’re in a safe place with people who really understand because I know I’ve been there too. Although I’ve never taken meds, I’ve been tempted many a time. Each time, I come back here to support myself and I’m never disappointed. The temptation fades away and I get back on track! You,too, are part of this journey and you can do it tomorrow! May the new year be an amazing one for you and everyone else in this community.
Best wishes
Waseema
Thank you Howard
Have no fear Carlos
Love to Karen and all my friends
Thank you jimmy
Happy parkinsons free new year
Xxx
Love back to you Mayarita.
Happy New Year my friend.xx
Howard!
Your in depth discussion of the Recipe for Recovery is so amazing! What a gift to us !
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
If I had never had Parkinson’s, I would never have found this blog and your tremendous wisdom about how to live a balanced life. As you expand more and more on what you have learned about recovery, the messages still so inspiring and important to me beyond Parkinson’s.
It is always good to be reminded of the power of acceptance! I can still go down the rocky road of struggle some times, and your words remind me not to get far off course,
Not to waste all that energy fighting what is.
You have taught me so much. Howard, my dear friend, my loving and generous guide to Recovery, I thank you today and every day. With all my heart .
Best wishes to you and to Sally for the new year.
And best wishes to each and every person following the Recipe!
“Fighting Parkinson’s , and ___________ is symptom free!”
That’s you! It really can be you!
Beautifully said Marie. I love that you’re still an active Warrior. Bless you.xx
Happy New Year, Karen. Sending you a big hug! Wouldn’t miss being part of this joyful and inspiring community for anything!
Happy new year to you Howard and to this lovely community. I feel so inspired for 2016 and intend to commit myself even more to the receipe. Today Im doing full practice almost every morning, but tend to miss out on the evening part. I feel very grateful to myself for making more and more room for my healing process, even though being in the middle of family life with children and running a big yoga studio with my husband. I realize Im blessed in so many ways and Im really looking forward to the neurology appointment where I will be symptom free and the blog post here announcing it to the world :-). May we all have a fantastic 2016, we are soooo worth it!!! With love. Jessica
Oh, what a perfect way to start our 2016 – with Howard’s wonderful deep and juicy posts illuminating our way to recovery. I am not only SO grateful for Howard, but also for this community of folks committed to healing and KNOWING that healing is even possible. There is real power in this shared knowing and intent to heal. I always know I can come here to see truth – the truth that we can heal as witnessed in the recoveries of Howard, Marie, Pratima, Betty and now Helen. As well, I can also see the truth that we each have our struggles and in sharing them we can find and show compassion in ways that cannot be found elsewhere – even among supportive family and friends. I am grateful for all of you and appreciate your honest expressions of what you are going thru. Thank you for being here. Sending you all big hugs and sincere wishes for perfect recoveries.
At the beginning of 2015 my world was shrinking as I found more and more things difficult to do. Then, in July, I found Howard and I gradually started doing the Recipe and familiarising myself with Howard’s liberating guidance, and getting to know all you wonderful people all over the globe. My world has already grown again significantly and I know it will continue to do so during 2016. I have faced some other challenging, and very sad, experiences during this time and Howard’s teaching has been invaluable in dealing with these situations. Thank you, Howard, for changing my life.
I send my love and very best wishes for 2016 to Howard, Sally and family, to all my companions here, and particularly to Carlo.
Anita
Words are not enough to describe my gratitude for Howard’s promise with our Almighty to help us all with PDs. I can’t imagine where i will be if i didn’t found this website. He gave us all hope, wisdom and courage to face this dreadful malady head on. Right now im in the middle of “pool cleaning” and without Howard’s wisdom, ill be in great discouragement and disappointment maybe even depression. Thank you a million times Howard!
Fighting Parkinson’s and Waseema is symptom free!
Howard I’ve followed your advice and the sentence looks beautiful to me. I’m on my way to recovery!
Love and blessings to you all.
Waseema
YES! Waseema, that is a beautiful sentence indeed! I’d like to offer you the suggestion that you Stay in the feeling of gratitude for your full recovery as much as you can as a practice. Let it sink in to you how amazing and now wonderful it feels to say to yourself and to all of us “Look, I have done it!! ”
It is powerful and empowering.
Sent with love, encouragement and best wishes to you in this new Year, the year of Your Recovery!
Dear Marie,
Thanks for your lovely words of encouragement. I am practising gratitude as I type. I feel that we, as a community, are about to take the world by storm and have many more recoveries this year. We are going to inspire many others to join us and share the love and gratitude. My world has changed from one of sadness and misery to one of love, hope, gratitude and acknowledgement. I acknowledge myself in front of the mirror every day now. I’m becoming more self expressed and experiencing transformation in my way of being. Being part of this community is a huge blessing and I thank everyone that participates as well as Howard who has inspired us all. Thank you for your continued support, love and encouragement.
Love and blessings
Waseema
Xx
I’m impressed by how many and how intense messages I’ve received from the people in this forum. They were enough to take me out from desperation and practice the Recipe with more faith and energy.
Thank you all, thank you Howard; this is a wonderful comunity and I’m pleased to become a member of it.
You all are worth it.
Carlo Somigliana (simply Carlo, from now on)
You are now officially a ” warrior” Carlo 🙂