At the very center of our being is rhythmic movement, a cyclic expansion and contraction that is both in our body and outside it, that is both in our mind and in our body, that is both in our consciousness and not in it. Andrew Weil More Quotes by Andrew Weil More Quotes From Andrew Weil If at the first sign of infection, you always jump in with antibiotics, you do not give the immune system a chance to grow stronger. Andrew Weil antibiotics stronger giving I fully support a national health care program for the U.S. Andrew Weil health-care support care Genuine happiness comes from within, and often it comes in spontaneous feelings of joy. Andrew Weil spontaneous feelings joy Whole plants differ in their effects from refined drugs (:)...Plants are dilute preparations (of) the active principles...Plants usually go into the body through the mouth and stomach, whereas purified chemicals can be put...by snorting or injecting...directly into...bloodstreams without giving...bodies a chance to process them. Other compounds in drug plants...may modify the active principles, making them safer. Andrew Weil drug dark giving A beautiful bouquet or a long-lasting flowering plant is a traditional gift for women, but I have recommended that both men and women keep fresh flowers in the home for their beauty, fragrance, and the lift they give our spirits. Andrew Weil flower home beautiful Giving gifts to others is a fundamental activity, as old as humanity itself. Yet in the modern, complex world, the particulars of gift-giving can be extraordinarily challenging. Andrew Weil humanity challenges giving Imagine that each time you inhale, that the universe is breathing into you, and as you exhale it is breathing out of you. Andrew Weil inhale breathing imagine Any drug can be used successfully, no matter how bad it's reputation, and any drug can be abused, no matter how accepted it is. There are no good or bad rugs; there are only good and bad relationships with drugs. Andrew Weil bad-relationship drug matter When people are told to "eat many small meals," what they may actually hear is "eat all the time," making them likely to respond with some degree of compulsive overeating. It's no coincidence, I think, that obesity rates began rising rapidly in the 1980s more or less in tandem with this widespread endorsement of more frequent meals. Andrew Weil degrees people thinking To be clear, I worry as much about the impact of the Internet as anyone else. I worry about shortening attention spans, the physical cost of sedentary "surfing" and the potential for coarsening discourse as millions of web pages compete for attention by appealing to our base instincts. Andrew Weil impact surfing worry The usual justification for eating extra meals is that it keeps the metabolism "revved up" so that weight loss is easier. There is, however, very little hard evidence that supports this idea, and a fair amount that disputes it. Andrew Weil support loss ideas My passion for gardening may strike some as selfish, or merely an act of resignation in the face of overwhelming problems that beset the world. It is neither. I have found that each garden is just what Voltaire proposed in Candide: a microcosm of a just and beautiful society. Andrew Weil selfish passion beautiful Limit or eliminate late-night computer and television viewing. A computer or TV screen may seem much dimmer than a light bulb, but these screens often fill your field of vision, mimicking the effects of a room filled with light. Andrew Weil vision light night In the world at large, people are rewarded or punished in ways that are often utterly random. In the garden, cause and effect, labor and reward, are re-coupled. Gardening makes sense in a senseless world. By extension, then, the more gardens in the world, the more justice, the more sense is created. Andrew Weil garden justice people Short naps are good. Given modern workplace demands, this is not possible for many people - but if you have the option, try napping for ten to twenty minutes in the afternoon, preferably lying down in a darkened room. Andrew Weil naps lying people For many in the modern world, carving out time for both traditional seated meditation and exercise has become close to impossible. Andrew Weil meditation exercise world Even low-calorie diets and vigorous exercise fail to work in the long term for at least some people. Andrew Weil exercise long people Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic disease of civilization. Andrew Weil disease heart civilization As an American, you have a right to good health care that is effective, accessible, and affordable, that serves you from infancy through old age, that allows you to go to practitioners and facilities of your choosing, and that offers a broad range of therapeutic options. Andrew Weil good-health care age My personal opinion is that the neutral position on the mood spectrum—what I called emotional sea level—is not happiness but rather contentment and the calm acceptance that is the goal of many kinds of spiritual practice. Andrew Weil acceptance spiritual happiness
