Ilchi Lee - Water Up Fire Down: An Energy Principle for Creating Calmness, Clarity, and a Lifetime of Health

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Gilbert, AZ 85234

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Copyright 2020 by Ilchi Lee

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Please understand that this book is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. The information in this book is intended for educational purposes only, not as medical advice. Always check with your health professional before changing your diet, eating, or health program. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use and application of any of the books contents.

First paperback edition: November 2020

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020944838

ISBN: 978-1-947502-19-2

Cover and interior design by Kiryl Lysenka

INTRODUCTION

Own Your Health for Everyones Sake

I wrote this book in the middle of and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation has caused great upheaval, pain, and suffering, but we are all in the process of learning an important lesson: we must defend and protect our healthnot only for ourselves, but also for our families and our communities.

It was shocking to see the pandemic bring all of humanity to a standstill in a matter of months, even affecting inhabitants of the Amazon rainforestone of the earths most remote regionsas well as those living in cities. I felt a need to offer something to the world, something to bring health and healing to people. I wrote this book out of a desire to help people understand ways to protect their health and the health of the planet and to apply in their lives the fundamental principles of energy.

Weve seen so many dedicated health care providers who have risked their lives during this pandemic. They are the heroes of our times, courageous people who have shown us the greatness and beauty of the human spirit. Yet, the medical and public health systems could only go so far in protecting us from the virus. Experts could only issue warnings and suggest behaviors, like wearing masks and social distancing, to help flatten the curve. At the time I am writing this book, medical researchers are racing to find a vaccine and a truly effective treatment. For the most part, we have all been left on our own to take care of ourselvesand each other. The coronavirus woke us up, making us realize that the social systems weve been relying on, medical and political, are more vulnerable than we thought.

It is crucial that we build a medical system that is better able to cope with these situations. However, we cant depend only on health care providers and politicians to prevent disease, allowing us to escape from anxiety to find peace of mind. Each one of us must own our health.

The World Health Organization lists more than 40 types of infectious diseases. The speed at which new contagious diseases arise is gradually increasing, so its highly likely that well face even greater risk in the future. Whats more, many scientists are concerned that contagious diseases will spread more as a result of climate change and damage to the natural environment.

Taking care of our own health in our daily lives is the most powerful tool for protecting us from pandemics. People with robust immune systems who caught the coronavirus were able to beat it, while people with underlying disease or weaker immunity were more likely to succumb to the virus.

You probably took your vitamins more diligently than usual during the pandemic and looked for foods said to be good for boosting immunity. But there are no foods or drugs that boost immunity in one shot. The key to good health is maintaining harmony and balance, and that is true for immunity, too. Our immunity is determined by how we manage our bodies and minds on a day-to-day basis, not by expensive new drugs or special foods.

We have within us a wonderful inner physician working to keep us healthy: the immunity and natural healing power built into our bodies and brains. Yet even if our bodies have powerful immune systems, they will naturally weaken if we live in ways that inhibit rather than assist the work they do. Eating and sleeping well and having peace of mind are essentials for good health, as we all know. The principles for enhancing immunity are not much different than the general principles for good health: If you ignore these basics and overwork your body and mind, breaking lifes balance and rhythm, your immune system will weaken. Immunology experts unanimously agree that this is true.

The World Health Organization designated COVID-19 as a pandemic because of its surprising speed of transmission and high mortality rate. When we look into our daily lives, though, we find many factors that may threaten our health as much as or even more seriously than the coronavirus.

What do the experts consider major factors weakening immunity? They include lack of sleep, lack of exercise, unbalanced eating habits, overwork, stress, alcohol consumption, and smoking. As the world has adopted an industrialized lifestyle and culture, these harmful habits have become a part of many peoples lives in most countries. Although such habits severely eat away at our health and immunity, they get less attention than a pandemic because their impact manifests slowly and is not immediately apparent. Diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and heart disease are typical lifestyle diseases. Many of those who have lost their lives from the coronavirus, unfortunately, had such underlying disorders.

Medicine has developed greatly, yet the number of people suffering from such lifestyle diseases is increasing, which confronts us with these questions: Why is it so hard for us to change lifestyle habits that ruin our health, even though we want to be healthy? Why are we negligent about taking care of our bodies in our daily lives when were well aware of the importance of prevention?

One of the most significant reasons for this, in my opinion, is that weve lost our sense for connecting and communicating with our bodies. Were investing more time and money in our bodies than at any other time in history. Paradoxically, however, were growing more distant from them. Many people craft their ideal bodies, but they dont actually have a good feel for the state of their health. They arent paying attention to the signals from their bodies that tell them that their balance is broken. Many even hate their own bodies when they fail to meet the beauty standards set by society.

I believe we should all love and cherish our bodies, regardless of their appearance. They are miraculous, and they deserve our respect. Rather than looking in the mirror to examine them for imperfections, we should learn to feel them, listening for the messages they are giving us. We need to acknowledge the connection between our bodies and minds, and we learn to understand ourselves in the process. This is the basis of true wellness, and it is my reason for writing this book. Our society needs people with healthy minds and bodies, but too often the opposite is true.