Epigenetics 101 with Suzanne B. O’Brien RN

1. The Two States of Being [2:52] – We are holistic beings, and this means we are made up of four bodies of energy – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. We are equal parts of each of these four bodies of energy. At the end of life, our physical body begins to diminish, and our spiritual body of energy begins to grow. Witnessing this is a profound experience, and there is a certain part of this process where a person will have one foot in this world and one foot in the next. This is what I refer to as gaining their “spiritual eyes.” It is as if they tap into some kind of infinite intelligence and suddenly awaken to so much deep spiritual wisdom that had eluded them previously. They say things like, “I get it now!” and make sense of their past experiences and regrets. Their painful memories and hardships of life take on a new meaning and they tell me they all happened to give them an opportunity to evolve and connect with their “soul self.” It is soul growth – a growth of consciousness – and it is extremely powerful.

 

2. When Science Meets the Bedside [5:46] – I teach about this topic in the Doulagivers Certified End of Life Doula program, and it is one of my favorite things to teach. Henry P. Stapps is a well-known physicist who worked at the University of California, Berkeley. He did incredible work providing strong proof of his theory of non-locality. The theory of non-locality states that you and I are not local entities – that we are instead part of one, unconditional, loving consciousness. This is exactly what so many of my end-of-life patients have shared with me. Henry P. Stapp believes that our consciousness is a fundamental part of the universe and through his scientific findings was able to corroborate the existence of nonlocality properties in the field of quantum mechanics.

 

3. Epigenetics [6:49] – Epigenetics is a field of study in biology that examines the way our behavior and environment can affect our gene expression. It focuses on heritable phenotype changes which do not actually alter our DNA sequence, but rather can change the way our body reads the existing DNA sequence. We have 500 trillion cells in our bodies that make us who we are. Each cell contains gene expressions because they must replicate themselves over the course of our lifetime. These gene expressions are kind of like instructions for the cell so that they know what their function is. “Epi” is a Greek prefix which means “above” – so Epigenetics is the science of studying “above the genes” or basically, what is in addition to our inherited genetics that affects gene expression. What it has found is that your environment is the most determining factor on the health of our genes, and ultimately, our body. Providing ourselves with a healthy and conducive environment is, to a large extent, within our control. Where you are, who you allow around you, and what you put into your body are all products of environment. Your physical location can be controlled through the decisions we make and can have an incredible impact on our overall physical health. It is also true that what you think has a big impact on chemical releases within your body – meaning that what we choose to think about can have a strong correlation to our mental health. Our spiritual body of energy can be maintained and strengthened by allowing ourselves to just be and manage our stress and outside negative influences. We must tap into our creativity and stay in a place of harmony with our surroundings. This will allow you to follow your heart and create the life that you want – building meaningful things, contributing to the world around you, and developing loving relationships are all within reach. Epigenetics has discovered that a person can change their gene expression in as little as 90 days through intentional changes! Our emotional body of energy can be cared for through the power of forgiveness. There is the forgiveness of others and the forgiveness of self. Always remember that forgiveness is for you, not the other person. All of our experiences, especially the most painful ones, are opportunities to grow. Sometimes the most difficult moments of our life become the greatest things that have ever happened to us after we have time to process them. Through the understanding of Epigenetics, you can take control of your health and feed all four of your bodies of energy to live in total and complete alignment with your ideal life. You are in control of this.

 

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