Perhaps that sounds impossible . Even magical thinking . If you ’ re not feeling well — if you ’ re ailing in any way or seeking change in your life — it may seem that you should be taking action , that you should be doing something to shift circumstances and situations .

But it ’ s not magical thinking . It ’ s by surrendering , by allowing disease , that suffering and disease can leave us . It ’ s by stopping to pause and just be with challenging circumstances and situations , that those circumstances and situations can change . When we stop trying to fix or change things , those things change . Everything that you ’ ll ever need for anything and everything that ’ s going on in your life can arise from being , not doing .

To be clear , it ’ s not that we don ’ t ever take action . We don ’ t simply wait around for things to change or happen . But things changing , things happening — whether you ’ re healing a health issue or transforming a challenging situation — arises from a place of peace . Peace mentally . Peace emotionally . And peace physically .

This place of peace is “ Absolute Health .” It ’ s from this place of Absolute Health , of inner peace , that healing happens . And it ’ s from this place of peace , that clarity , solutions , and effortless , inspired action arises .

I didn ’ t always get this . In fact , it took me many , many years to get it . Years of living in an unwell body , with emotional strife , with challenging life circumstances , and more . I was always trying to fix things , to make them better , to make them change or go away . When I finally stopped with all of the trying , when I started to just be present with what I was experiencing in the moment , I came to know Absolute Health and inner peace . And then things started to change . My health improved . Circumstances and situations got better .

This notion of being versus doing finds firm footing in science . Here ’ s what that science tells us : our thoughts and feelings affect our health and well-being instantaneously . Every thought and feeling is either creating a state of ease or dis-ease . A calm , peaceful mind creates a calm and peaceful body . A disturbed mind creates stress in the body .

When the mind is calm , it activates the parasympathetic nervous system . That ’ s the system we need for rest , repair , rejuvenation , and healing . The parasympathetic nervous system turns on the digestive system and the feel-good chemicals in the brain , and it readies us for sleep , if need be . A calm mind , a peaceful mind , facilitates healing . We cultivate that peaceful mind by being here now , with all that we ’ re experiencing in the present moment . Thoughts , feelings , physical sensations . Even difficult ones .

Research studies have shown that feeling feelings can keep us well and get us well . A 2016 study of women with breast cancer demonstrated that women who were more able to be with their feelings about their health , even difficult ones , had less symptoms of sickness . Those who weren ’ t able to were sicker . 1 In 2019 , a study of individuals undergoing cancer treatment revealed the same connection between feelings and health : Those who avoided their feelings of uncertainty and fear fared worse .

Other studies have demonstrated the connection between being with feelings and