Aha Moments Using DNRS for Brain Rewiring

Are you one of the 20% of chronic disease patients battling mysterious health symptoms and sensitivities for years now, possibly even decades?

If so, you might have a limbic system injury or impairment. This means you probably have a laundry list of diagnosis and are well informed about many health topics.

Maybe you’ve educated yourself and tried to learn from others experiences in search of relief. To regain wellness it will take a mammoth of an effort but you’re committed to getting well.

What if your thoughts, efforts, and attention to disease were actually keeping you unwell? Not in an it’s-all-in-your-head-kind-of-way, but in a legitimate faulty-neural-wiring-sort-of-way.

Perhaps something in your past (chemical, viral, bacterial, psychological, etc.) resulted in neurological disorganization and your brain’s ability to filter incoming information became altered therefore over-activating the “fight or flight” limbic center of your brain. What if your brain now labels all (chemicals, foods and/or molds) as unsafe, and every time you avoid those triggers you’re actually strengthening a negative feedback loop in your brain that confirms this?

So often when dealing with diet, lifestyle, and environmental triggers like food, chemicals or mold — avoidance is taught. Avoid those foods that result in symptoms to allow the gut to heal. Avoid chemicals that will bog your body down with toxins. Avoid buildings with water damage and mold to reduce inflammation and mast cell activation.

This seems reasonable, right? Especially when those reactions can become so severe that they’re life threatening.

Enter the Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS) online training program. . .

My first Aha moment came on Day 1 when I was challenged by the notion that a limbic system dysfunction was the ultimate root cause and that all the other symptoms (and diseases) are secondary.

This was an empowering idea that gained momentum the more I learned about neuroplasticity and how it’s being used to correct other miscommunications in the brain resulting in stroke, hearing and vision loss, PTSD, and other life altering conditions. Fortunately, in some cases these conditions have been overcome by creating new neural pathways that function optimally.

Furthermore by focusing on symptoms, one could keep their brain caught in the same faulty process it’s been using to send inaccurate messages to the remaining body. I was captivated by the notion that changing the thought process around disease could actually change the way the brain works, and therefore how the body responds.

By thinking and generating uplifting emotions in an intentional way, one can shift the chemical messages their brain is producing and sending the body at any given moment. That's powerful stuff!

Instead of contemplating symptoms or disease and then sending chemicals to the body reinforcing those results, one can think about how one wants to feel and experience life instead. They can manifest those physiological changes just as they do when thinking about a savory meal and salivating or preparing digestive enzymes for food prior to eating. This is an example of how one subconsciously sends messages to the body, and does it thousands of times a day. Now imagine sending thos messages consciously with powerful intentions behind them.

Rewiring the brain has been observed by past participant’s who’ve experienced dramatic healing. Seeing the evidence and experiencing small changes, inspired me to relinquish control of the need to understand all aspects of my health. I unsubscribed from dozens of health newsletters, and it was quite freeing! I stopped automatically body checking for symptoms and I began redirecting my thoughts. All of a sudden, I had more bandwidth for much more enjoyable topics like running, organizing my home, making yummy food, and pursuing new hobbies (like piano!)

Another aha moment for me was that it's not necessarily helpful to re-live and re-process past hurts or traumas when one has a limbic system disorder. Although many therapists encourage their clients to re-visit those memories, that practice actually reinforces the negative feedback loop that keeps those with a limbic system impairment stuck in a rut. Rather, it's suggested to take an extended (6-month minimum) sabbatical from those thoughts, while rewiring the brain in a more favorable direction. (Complete this questionnaire if you're wondering if you have a limbic system impairment.)

I began occupying my mind with positive thoughts, music, and mantras (“I can go anywhere I want, when I want” or “I easily apply the tools to rewire my brain, transform my health and reclaim my life.”) I also stopped watching trauma-filled news and dark shows. My body began shifting out of survival mode and it began feeling safe. This became apparent to those near to me. All of a sudden I could think about things I hadn’t thought about in years! A whole new world began revealing itself to me which resulted in more positive feelings. I learned that by keeping my mood elevated with emotions like joy, gratitude and love while envisioning a desirable future, neuroplastic potential heightens - therefore strengthening new neural pathways and reinforcing a positive feedback loop.

I’m now 12 weeks into the program (read about my first 6 weeks here) and continuing to peel back layers, with some BIG its left to shed. I still have to incrementally train within my zone every single day for at least one hour. Training out of my zone can result in temporary setbacks and, as a result, make my limbic system feel “unsafe.” There are still some really HARD days but I move through them quicker and easier. I’m still triggered by external environmental sources (people, places, exposures, food) and working to reach a point in my practice where my inner dialogue and physical response can remain unaltered by those encounters. That is what one might call the ultimate level of enlightenment. By creating a constant internal calmness that functions so optimally that we ideally reach a point where we can rise above all prior insults.

I may not be there physically but mentally I’m telling myself I am, so that my physiological response follows. For now I contemplate this vision of myself:

I am glowing with joy, peace and resilience. I have an inner calmness and confidence in life. I go where I want when I want with ease and grace. I am healthy, thriving and exude a deep and authentic happiness. My days are fruitful and my life is rich in love, relationships and gratitude.

If you’re interested in understanding the science behind this process, and how to implement neuroplasticity for limbic system impairment in a step-by-step approach, be sure to check out retrainingthebrain.com.