Welcome to Health 101. I enjoy step-by-step instructions for learning so when I learn something, even supernatural things, I want to teach it in step-by-step instructions. I have studied some of Dr. Caroline Leaf’s teachings on the brain and I have really gotten a hold of a revelation about it. Her studies talk about “green trees” and “black trees” of the brain; now stay with me a minute while I interpret what she has taught in my own words because this gets exciting.
Step 1. Understand that health is related to joy. “If this is true,” some people will be saying, “I’m in trouble then.” If you are suffering physically or mentally or both, you need more joy.
Step 2. Understand that these branches or “trees” are physical thoughts in the brain. A thought can be either conscious or non-conscious. Thoughts are what we hear, what we decide to be true, what we focus on or meditate on and memories. Thoughts create physical creases in the brain which hold information like file folders. These creases in the brain look like branches. Apparently, the healthy thoughts create healthy branches, called “green trees.” Good-thought branches release good health and peaceful feelings from endorphins.
Step 3. Understand that bad thoughts are toxic. They are negative, fearful, stressful, depressing, painful thoughts and they look like black trees. The black branches are dripping toxic chemicals when triggered, making us sick or mentally imbalanced. These are triggered as we dwell on the negative thoughts. They actually stimulate the body into a physical reaction if allowed to continue. You can get chronic diarrhea (IBS), panic attacks, chest pains, shortness of breath, and more just by what you are thinking.
Step 4. Now comes the exciting part. Dr. Caroline Leaf says green-tree activation not only feels better and is healthy, it causes the black trees to shrink and disappear! So dwelling on green tree activities is the key to health. If we keep stimulating the green trees, we will become healthier, peaceful and full of joy.
Bible confirms: Now that you understand the value of this thought life, let’s talk about green-tree thoughts. Green tree activities include everything in Philippians 4:8. whatsoever is true, whatsoever is honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtue, praiseworthy.. dwell on these things. My interpretation is as follows: Things that cause endorphins to flow are healthy for you. When I enjoy myself, I stay healthy. I mean getting into my happy place all day long. Conversation and happy thinking keeps us in peace and health. Things that are enjoyable for one person may cause anxiety to another though. So be aware of how you feel and do things that make you feel excited more often.
Step 5. Find your own safe green-tree activities: singing, (especially praises and worship), music, playing instruments, dancing, art activities, games, shopping, books and movies that make you laugh. WARNING: Do not become addicted to any one thing. Too much shopping, eating or smoking will be unhelpful of course so, start finding healthy hobbies and crochet away! Draw! Clean your house! Go horse back riding!
Laughter is the number one green-tree activity. “Laughter is the best medicine” (Prov 17:22) and if we realized how good it was, we would find a way to make ourselves laugh every hour. People who need to be well must stop believing it’s all about vitamin C, rest and staying germ-free; they need to change their toxic thinking into joy, laughter, peace and truth. Relaxing through anything you find relaxing is a green-tree activity. This is what nursing homes and hospitals should be filled with. Laughter, fun and games. Christian programs filled with scriptures of grace and healing would improve health faster than any medicine. There should be Green-Tree therapists.
Caution: The Word of God is the ultimate green-tree activity, ONLY IF you are seeing the verses through the eyes of grace. Reading the Word of God with a legalistic, condemning understanding will not be healthy. In fact it drives one crazy. We must understand the truth in God’s word for it to bring health to our flesh. Comedians would be the healthiest people in the world if they used good thoughts as sources of humor. Many comedians are depressed because they do not know Jesus and their source of laughter is not rooted in the joy of the Lord. Religious, condemning thoughts are toxic and will cause harm.
Black-tree activities cause toxic chemical releases into the body, making you sick. These are complaining, arguing, strife, fear, listening to or speaking slander / gossip; worry, moping, horror movies, TV that focuses on death, depressing thoughts through movies or people.
**If you are in a habit of toxic thinking and don’t know how to stop, you probably suffer from anxiety and depression; you may be bipolar or schizophrenic or many other disorders. You may be using alcohol or many other drugs to help ease the pain of these thoughts that bombard you. This toxic thinking is no joke. But it is controllable. There are steps to de-toxing your thoughts but the first step is knowing why you need to. **When I began to change my thinking, I actually found my body starting to exhibit detox symptoms. It’s a chemistry change in your brain and your body. Refer to Step 5 to begin detoxing. More steps to healthy thinking to follow. Keep yourself “posted” ha-ha for more on this subject.
Recommended Grace reading:
“First Wash The Inside” book by Lynne and Mark Suszek
“The War Is Over” by Andrew Wommack
