How Negative Can Equal Positive

Sometimes, the best way to get positive is to get negative… negative air ions, that is!

A negative air ion is formed when an oxygen molecule gains an electron. Since electrons are negatively charged, the addition of one to a previously neutral molecule results in the molecule as a whole becoming negatively charged. The extra electron comes from another molecule that has been broken apart by means of energy acting upon it.

Since this energy is most often in the form of sunlight or moving air and water, it comes as no surprise that negative air ions are found in abundance in natural environments, which can contain about 4 000 negative air ions per cubic centimetre. In comparison, a typical city environment will contain less than 100 negative air ions per cubic centimetre as a result of the neutralising effects of various pollutants and synthetic materials as well as the presence of objects (such as computer monitors) that create positive air ions instead. Whereas positive air ions have a draining effect on us, negative air ions help to regulate our levels of serotonin and increase the flow of oxygen to our brains, resulting in us experiencing increased energy, greater alertness, decreased depression and relief of stress.

Various negative ion generators (or ionisers) are available in the marketplace to increase the concentration of negative air ions in your home or office. If you plan to invest in one of these, it is best to do some research prior to purchase, as not all such generators are effective. An alternative is to spend some time in your home’s own built-in negative ion generator… your shower! In nature, one of the best generators of negative air ions is a waterfall – the falling action causes electrons to break apart from the water molecules and attach themselves to oxygen molecules in the surrounding air. An indoor shower achieves the same effect, giving a whole new meaning to “washing away the stresses of the day”!

The Cure For The Common Cold?

I have a cold – my third cold this year, to be precise. I am not happy. Instead, I am, quite literally, sick and tired! For me, this is a very unusual situation, as I hardly get sick. In fact, prior to this spate of colds, I hadn’t been ill for about two years. I thought I’d discovered the cure for the common cold! Actually, I still think I have; I just haven’t been applying my own knowledge…. So, here, without further ado, is Mags’ Theory On The Common Cold. The Nobel Committee is welcome to email me to make arrangements for me to collect my award for services to humanity :).

The principles of the field of Energy Medicine, along with the tenets of teachings such as The Law Of Attraction, focus on the fact that our bodies reflect what is going on for us at the levels of our mind and spirit. All illnesses therefore reflect certain beliefs that we hold or a soul-level issue that is currently a challenge for us.

Let’s look at the area of beliefs first. In terms of a cold specifically, I’ve noticed many people espouse beliefs such as: "When the seasons change, then I get a cold", "When other people are sick around me, then I get a cold", and "When I’m out in the chilly weather, then I get a cold".

This seems like common sense, and it matches many people’s experiences of catching a cold. But is it the truth? I would argue that it can be your truth if that’s what you choose to believe. I would argue that you can choose differently. I did. For example, last year, as winter slowly relinquished its chilly hold on us, many people got sick with colds and flu. My husband and I were catching public transport a great deal, and I lost count of how many times we were sneezed on and coughed on in the crowded buses. My husband kept on saying things like, “Oh, it’s just a matter of time before we come down with this as well.” My reply went something like, “I choose perfect health regardless of what germs are in the air or what other people’s bodies are doing. My body remains immune and healthy.” My husband got sick. I didn’t.

So why, if I have chosen not to conform to society’s beliefs about when and how I should catch a cold, am I sick now for the third time in as many months? Well, for me, this series of colds is not about beliefs such as those mentioned above, but is instead about larger soul-level issues with which I am currently grappling.

For example, cold number one happened at the same time as we had a couple of groups of house-guests come to stay with us. Don’t get me wrong – I dearly love the people who came to stay with us. For me, though, an ongoing issue has always been one of personal space and setting boundaries. When it’s just my husband and me in our home, we have a fairly uncluttered peaceful space; when we have houseguests, that all gets disrupted :). It can be fun, but it is also definitely chaotic! As the chaos took over, I started to feel claustrophobic, and the phrase “I can’t breathe” kept running through my head. Lo and behold, what should manifest out of that but a cold – I didn’t feel sick anywhere else in my body apart from having a very blocked nose. I literally couldn’t breathe!

Cold number two was also related to boundaries, but in a slightly different way. We had a surprise visit from some friends. I had hoped for a quiet evening and an early night as I was tired after a busy day, but as the evening wore on, I could tell that these friends were hoping to stay for supper and were settling in for the evening. I should know by now that not speaking up when I should about something results in me getting a sore throat, as the throat chakra corresponds to communication. As I’ve been working on this issue for pretty much my whole life, I actually do also know by now how to gently and kindly, but firmly, assert my boundaries. You do teach people how to treat you, after all. Yet, for some reason, this particular night, I chose not to put any of this into practice. I think I felt guilty at wanting to be selfish, as we hadn’t seen these people for a while. However, as the evening wore on (and on and on!), I got more and more upset, and old scripts related to others’ lack of consideration for me returned with a vengeance, until I was eventually screaming at them (in my head only, that is!) to please leave. And still, I chose to remain polite and not say anything. They eventually left, and I woke up the next morning with a sore throat.

Cold number three has arrived at a time when I am working on moving energy in an area of my life which has been quite stagnant. I’ve started a new project, and have been quite excited at the creative flow getting going again. To get the energy moving again has meant getting rid of some of the old “gunk” attached to it, and the cold has been a manifestation of this.

So, as unpleasant as three colds in three months has been, they have certainly taught me a great deal about work that I still need to do in certain areas of my life. I’d better put my own preachings into practice now – I’ve had enough colds lately to last me the rest of the year, if not the rest of my life!