I do not appreciate the term autoimmune. It suggests that the body somehow turns
against itself, as if one day it wakes up and decides to self destruct. This is not how life
works.
The body is designed to live, to heal, to regenerate, and to reproduce. Its intelligence is
always oriented toward survival and balance.
What we call autoimmune disease is not the body attacking itself. It is the body
responding to years of miscommunication and distorted signals. A tumour, for example,
can be understood as a buffering mechanism, a last attempt to protect the system from
a greater harm. In the same way, when the immune system becomes confused and
exhausted, it can no longer distinguish clearly between what needs protection and what
needs removal.
Food is information.
When food is sprayed with pesticides, when water is treated with chemicals, when the
air is heavy with pollution, and when we live in chronic stress, the body begins to receive
mixed and confusing messages. Over time, the immune system struggles to recognise
what is safe and what is harmful.
Ayurveda describes this state of confusion through the concept of Ama. Ama is
undigested residue that accumulates when digestion is weak, elimination is impaired, or
when the body is exposed to toxins and incompatible foods. Ama clogs the body’s
channels and sinks deep into the tissues. The immune system does not react against the
body itself. It reacts to the Ama lodged in the tissues, creating inflammation.
Many healing traditions and now modern science agree that most illness begins in the
digestive system. Digestion is the fire that fuels all health. When digestion is weak,
metabolism suffers and Ama is produced. This is why every Ayurvedic treatment begins
with restoring metabolic function. When the digestive fire is rekindled, the body
remembers how to process food, thoughts, and life experiences cleanly.
Practices for restoring balance:
Fasting is one of the most effective ways to reset both the digestive and endocrine
systems. When digestion is given a rest, the body can redirect energy away from
constant processing and toward repair. Inflammation reduces, tissues regenerate, and
internal rhythms recalibrate.
This can be done gently with soups and stews, or with kitcheri, which is traditionally
eaten for a week or longer to cleanse and reset the system. You can find the recipe on
my website.
The emotional layer. There is also a mental and emotional dimension to these
conditions. Many of them disproportionately affect women. For centuries, women were
discouraged from speaking their truth, setting boundaries, or standing firmly in their
values. That internalised silencing, turning against oneself, is mirrored at a cellular level.
Cells are communities. They are constantly communicating. When we feel we do not
belong or believe we have nothing of value to offer, fragmentation begins internally.
Cells reflect this fragmentation and gradually lose coherent communication. What we
call disease may simply be the body echoing a deeper breakdown in connection.
Something that also exists collectively in our society, so please do not take it personally.
A practice I often recommend begins with awareness. No blaming. No shaming.
When you notice a thought that says I do not belong or I am not enough, write it down.
Name it. Frame it. Not to judge yourself but to see it clearly and hold it with compassion.
Then gently commit to listening more carefully to the words you speak to yourself.
No perfection is needed, only progress.
Every thought feeds either harmony or disharmony in the body. Choose wisely.
Feel free to share this with anyone who might need to hear it.
Autoimmune is a bad word!
Ways you can stay centred while being triggered
