On my walk this morning, I had an epiphany. I realized that my lifelong struggle with anxiety stemmed from the first seven years of my life…and it’s all there in my Design.
I have Gate 52 activated in my design—one of the gates in the Root Center. For me, Gate 52 was activated by Unconscious Venus, which in the Gene Keys system is the source of the “spiritual wound” I experienced during the first seven years of my life. Our spiritual wound sets up the story line for our life, and without recognizing and healing the story, our lives are victim to the lower, Shadow frequency of that activation. For Gate 52, the shadow frequency is Stress.
From what I can remember, the first seven years of my life were incredibly stressful for a child who is hypersensitive. I experienced a huge amount of change with, one by one, all four of my much older siblings, leaving home to start their own lives. By the time I was five, I was an only child. They had all left, married and started their own families. I was heartbroken and lonely, not understanding, as a five-year-old, why they had left me all alone.
My whole life I have struggled with managing my stress, dealing with chronic nervousness and anxiety, and at times dropping into depression—the other side of anxiety.
Several years ago, I spent a year studying Vedic Science at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, where I learned Ayurveda, the ancient framework of health. Ayurveda states that each person is born with some combination of three “doshas,” that make up our basic constitution*: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Me being thin and quick all of my life, I discovered that I have a fair amount of Vata in my constitution.
Vata is all about movement and air. Vata people are wiry, quick, thin, learn fast but forget fast, and are prone to poor digestion and sleep. The seat of Vata is in the gut—the lower part of the digestive system. When Vata is “out of balance,” it causes anxiety, nervousness, and digestive issues. Stress and poor diet aggravate Vata.
But it wasn’t until I had the epiphany on my morning walk, that I made the connection between my anxiety, my Vata tendencies, my childhood, my health and Gate 52!
Three months ago, I was diagnosed with Leaky Gut, a condition that I’ve struggled with off and on for years. (In January I wrote about Leaky Gut—excessive gut permeability—and what causes it.) I was recommended a specific diet and supplement protocol for nine weeks. The protocol recommended a Paleo diet—no processed foods, sugar, legumes (beans), grains or dairy. While I’ve been dairy and gluten free for years, I still ate grains and legumes even though they frequently gave me gastric distress.
I get pretty serious about following recommended protocols for my health. I dove in, cutting out all baked goods, sports gels and drinks, and the few remaining processed foods that I still enjoyed (I have had a serious potato chip addiction for most of my life). After getting my certification as a Culinary Nutrition Expert last December**, I had no trouble creating loads of yummy and nutritious meals that met my Paleo diet criteria. I added daily time outdoors and strength training to help me balance my overabundance of Vata by increasing my Kapha energy (Kapha qualities are solid, calm, steady and strong).
My gut and digestion have improved enormously! And, I’m calmer. My sleep is deeper and more restful. I laugh a lot more. I’ve slowed down. I take time to listen to the birds and look at the flowers and trees. My mind is clearer. I’m just happier and more at ease. I feel more grounded and solid.
Contemplating all of this on my morning walk was when I made the connection with my Human Design and Gene Keys. The gift quality of Gate 52 is Mountain! Healing my gut—the seat of Vata—helped me to move from being a Victim of Stress to the Gift of Mountain—strong, solid, peaceful, present, patient.
For over a year I have been exploring the question of whether there is a physical connection between our Human Design and Gene Keys. I wondered if the ancient system of health—Ayurveda—was a key to unlock this connection. At least for me, I have discovered a direct connection between the activations in my DNA—my Human Design—and my health.
My working theory is that there’s a similar connection for everyone. If I am correct, then linking Ayurveda to Human Design and Gene Keys can give us a system of diagnosis for improving our health and lifestyle to help us move out of our victim frequencies and into our gift frequencies!
I’m excited to explore this further! If you would like to as well, let’s talk! We can look at your Human Design and Gene Keys alongside your Ayurvedic doshas and health situation to see if there’s a connection. Use this link to schedule a call or send me an email to set up a time for a chat. I would love to explore this possibility with you!
* “Vpk® Dosha Quiz Explanation: Maharishi Ayurveda Products.” Maharishi Ayurveda Products International. The Art and Science of Health, www.mapi.com/doshas/vpk-explanation.html.
**Want to know more? Click here to read about my new program to help you makeover your diet to support optimum health.