A Harvard University study that was conducted in 1989 revealed the amazing power that our environment holds over the activity of our genes and our biology.
A group of volunteers that were age seventy or over were sequestered in a retreat center for a week. The center was decorated in a way that gave the participants the impression that they had been transported back to 1959. Participants were instructed to speak of news events, that they witnessed through recordings on black and white televisions and old newspapers, in present tense, just as if the news was current. They also dressed in the style of the day and the music also reflected that era.
Prior to this week long experiment the participants had been given a variety of physiological measurements that serve as biological markers of age. At the conclusion of the project the physiological measurements were repeated.
The results showed that the participants had become physically younger, as reflected in the biological markers of age. Some of the reported changes were increases in height, finger length, increases in mental acuity, and improved eyesight. Some of the subjects actually grew younger mentally and physically by 25 years.
The old ‘nurture or nature’ argument can be re-framed in the light of epigenetics. It’s our environment, both inner and outer, that has a significant impact on the expression of our genes and health.
So, our choices really do matter. Better food, appropriate exercise, and most importantly, lending order to the inner, unconscious terrain of our beliefs, attitudes, and emotions, guides the epigenetic signaling that supports greater health and happiness
Dr. Templin offers online courses and consultations, and sees patients personally in his office in Lakeland, Florida. You can learn more about his course Bio-Energetic Focusing: A Revolutionary Medical Model for Self-Healing! here.
Steven Templin, D.O.M., Dipl. Ac., is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, specializing in MindBody Medicine. He is a certified META-Medicine Health Coach and nationally certified acupuncturist. He shares the underlying science and more importantly, the practical tools for resolving the unconscious energetic and emotional roots of illness. In his online course Bio-Energetic Focusing: A Revolutionary Medical Model for Self-Healing! he provides training in Self-Regulation skills, that include Bio-Energetic Focusing, HeartMath and Energy Psychology techniques, Energy Medicine modalities, and Gastrointestinal repair for enhanced immunity, mood, and mental clarity. Dr. Templin is in private practice in Lakeland, Florida, at the Natural Medicine Center of Lakeland.
Steve is a retired Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture Physician, and HeartMath Trauma-Sensitive Certified Practitioner with over 35 years of clinical experience in Energy Medicine, Energy Psychology, and Biofeedback.