140 the rice diet renewal
affect physical health and healing rates through mechanisms
that can be studied scientifi cally and documented.
Thus, through its effects on helping people to cope with
stress, religion can facilitate the healing process or prevent
some diseases entirely, and the scientifi c research to back
this up is growing and growing and growing.If you are by now questioning whether you have a spiritual or
religious practice suffi cient to inspire your health, much less reduce
the crime rate of a major city, or whether this chapter is possibly
outside of your comfort zone, let ’ s remember that you can gain
access to this same healing power of the spirit without committing
to a religion. We are all human beings and have a spiritual nature,
with the word spiritual defi ned (by Webster ’ s) as “ of the spirit
or soul ” and soul defi ned as “ the spiritual, moral or emotional nature
... credited with the functions of thinking and willing. ”
In this way, we all possess a spiritual nature. Some choose to
exercise their spirit or faith through a religious practice, and others
connect with their fellow human beings, the Universe, animals, or
nature as a way to explore and express their spiritual core. For the
remainder of this book, I invite you to meditate on the unconditional
love that we all desire and have never completely received from
another human being. Simply be open - minded and open - hearted
to the possibility that the unconditional love and acceptance you
desire can come from the Creator of the Universe and that this
loving, connecting force is within you. Suspend for this time any
agenda or habituated practice of judgment about whether you agree
or disagree with what we call this Creative Force or Higher Power.
Simply be open to the possibility that you can be fully known, loved,
and accepted for who you are and can enjoy the health benefi ts of
doing so!
Whether you can really hear and digest this important truth that
pervades the latest research in quantum physics, in positivity psy-
chology, or from HeartMath investigators, or perhaps you ’ ve discov-
ered it by exploring your own inner sanctuary and/or taking a journey
within your religious discipline of choice, the message is consistent