After Superstorm Sandy has slammed the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, it is hard to imagine that nature alone is responsible. Even if you deny that there is global warming and that we are at least part of the cause, it is hard to miss the fact that the severity of storms and earthquakes is steadily increasing. The five most expensive natural disasters in history have occurred in the the last 18 years, since 1994. Two of these disasters have been in the U.S. It is still too soon to say which number Hurricane Sandy will be on the list.

It seems evident to me that our excessive diet and lifestyle, together with our complete disregard for nature are strong contributing factors to the recent changes in weather. Some people think that the weather is a reflection of our inner feelings, thoughts and turmoil. Everyone knows that a happy person brightens a room when they enter and that happiness and laughter are infectious. The opposite is also true when someone who is upset or tormented shows up. We influence our environment in the same way that our environment influences us. We usually feel more uplifted on a bright, sunny day.

They say that people with a green thumb talk to their plants. I know my wife does and we have a house full of beautiful, happy plants. It stands to reason that nature is a reflection of our overall health, including our innermost thoughts and feelings. From this subtle to a more gross reality, our daily choices of what and how we eat can have an enormous impact on the health of soil, waterways, ecosystems and the global climate. Part of one whole, it is not a coincidence that the general public and environment simultaneously face ill-health on catastrophic and pandemic proportions.

In health, our energy, thoughts and emotions go through a range of ups and downs that are not overly extreme. Some days are better than others but we generally feel and act okay. As we start to loose our health, these physical, emotional and mental extremes start to increase. We experience more physical, emotional and mental ups and downs. Nature is loosing it’s health and these extremes between hot and cold, floods and droughts are increasing worldwide. These extremes are also causing storms and earthquakes to become more severe.

As nature looses it’s healthy order it is increasingly more important to bring order into our daily life. Order and chaos balance each other. Try to keep you mealtimes, daily activities, rising and sleeping times as regular as you can. Go outside for a walk, meditate or do your yoga at the same time each day. Try to be as regular and consistent as you can in a comfortable way. Life pulls us in different directions so it is not always possible to be as consistent as we would like, but having an intention of such a routine will always pull us in the right direction.

At the Strengthening Health Institute we teach people how to create lasting health and personal fulfillment through order in diet, eating habits and lifestyle practices. I am always amazed to see the power of these simple practices as I watch people transform each day of our seminars and into their daily lives. I hope to see you here soon to help bring some order to the mounting chaos around us.