Flow With Your River of Life

Outlining this piece today has made me realize something. Most of us react one way or the other when it comes to the topic of Blood. One way is that it's not a real popular topic: sorta creepy, possibly phobia-inducing. The other way is that blood is cool: sorta creepy, rather fascinating.

I'm going for a compromise. I'll say blood is cool, for sure, but its most fascinating qualities (for our purposes) aren't the creepy kind. This week's topic is place where the interests of Twilight fans and Red Cross volunteers alike can flow together. Let's connect with and rediscover blood for all its worth, including its vital role in our bodies and its incredible powers of movement and balance.

What's Cool and Hot about Blood

Writing this piece today has made me realize something else. Blood offers up a lot of figures of speech, classical references, and bad puns. Could be trouble for me, I do love a bad pun, so let me get a few of them out of the way right now, before I give you the beautiful River of Life analogy.

I'm thinking blood gets a bad rap, mostly. Hot blooded leans toward angry, cold blooded leans toward killer. Blood sucking is everything from icky insects to greedy criminals. Blood lines and mixed blood and first blood and so on: these concepts and connotations rarely end up in cozy places. And they say bloody is a very bad word in England.

But there are some nicer references as well. First, we're all warm blooded (us mammals). That means we need to eat a fair amount of food because we convert the food we eat into energy. Due to this, warm blooded animals are often multi-talented and active creatures with well-defined needs for fuel, which we gather or grow or hunt. (Except nowadays we mostly just buy it in the store, and that has caused some undesirable results. See other blog post on shortening the food chain: The Cheese Stands Alone)

Also, when something is in your blood, it usually means that you've got a innate knack for it, an undeniable passion, or are driven by legacy. That's how I feel about some of my own favorite things to do in this life--dancing, gardening, reading, writing, cooking....they are in my blood.

Your Body's River of Life

It's easy to understand why most of us don't give a lot of thought to the health and well-being of our blood. Until we're threatened with injury or disease, blood remains hidden in the body. But blood, much like your heart, is one of your body's grand essentials. In fact, blood is your heart's best friend. With the help of the lungs, blood regenerates and cleanses itself inside healthy people, to keep them healthy, with astounding proficiency.

Blood supplies nutrients to all the cells in your body! Your heart needs oxygen to survive, so blood supplies it, bringing it in from the lungs. And while blood carries beloved oxygen from your heart to all your outposts--from your brain to your toes--it also delivers a cornucopia of necessities, including hormones, proteins, vitamins and antibodies. Imagine the scourge of planetary infections without those blood borne immunities. And you can't build bones or muscles without proteins or vitamins. Plus what happens to reproduction without the hormones?

Blood. It's the stuff of a life, really.

Conveniently, what you do for the care and keeping of your heart goes a long way toward the care of your blood. Keeping it clear of too many saturated fats, triglycerides and cholesterol, and avoiding high levels of blood pressure, are the first steps to deeply honoring your circulatory system.

Also, make sure your blood is well-stocked and rich in essentials like electrolytes (proper hydration/salt balance, please!) and iron (anemia symptoms affect your heart and blood!). To keep the world's supply of blood well-stocked, perhaps you can be a blood donor.

Nourish your blood, vessels, and heart with plenty of wholesome, lean, natural foods. And be careful with your stress levels. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is terribly hard on your health.

Give the good things that are "in your blood" plenty of attention, too. Your whole self becomes more at ease when you align your life with the ebb and flow of your energy, thoughts, intuitions, talents and desires. If they're in your blood, then they're not only in your heart, but throughout all of you. From your brain down to your toes. Your pulse is a drum, your circulatory system is a dance which is choreographed on your blood, behind the veil of your skin, created in your bones.

Your blood deserves your attention. When you connect with it, remember: Go with the flow.