Throughout history, this wrestling with strength and power has been characterized in all cultures which represent the best and worst of what it means to be human. Both of these energies live within each of us, and we are able to respond instantaneously to whatever challenge we are faced with. When we are living in pure awareness and from our center, a connective embodied power arises that unifies all life and such embodiment, such as facing the dragon, can be heroic in the deepest sense. Yet when we are cut off, even for a moment, we feel numb, we have lost center, we grow powerless and we are consumed with fear of the unknown outcome.
A new science has emerged over the last 20 years called Epigenetics. It is the study of changes in gene activity that is not accounted for by alterations in the genetic code, but is still passed on to the next generation. It is through epigenetic “marks” that environmental factors such as diet, stress, emotions, exposure to toxins, prenatal nutrition, and parental influences can modify and regulate genes that are passed on to future generations.
Epigenetic research has established that DNA blueprints passed down through genes are not set in concrete at birth and can be modified. Our genes are continually being modified in response to our life experiences and how we perceive them. Our cells respond to our thoughts and perceptions, and our perceptions shape our biology. Each of the 75 trillion cells in the human body has a digestive, respiratory, excretory, endocrine, nervous, reproductive, and immune system. Individual cells have intelligence and memory.
