Since his personal experience in the Australian outback in 1994, until his passing in 2007, Dr. Gary Holz engaged in the practice of PsychoNeuroImmunology, the study of how thoughts and emotions influence the physical body.

Seeking more knowledge–as well as to gain Western validation for the gifts shared with him by the Aborigines–Dr. Holz earned a Doctorate of Science in Immunology and a Master's of Science in Nutrition from Westbrook University in New Mexico.

Modern Science Explores an Interrelated World

The scientifically–recognized field of PsychoNeuroImmunology (PNI) investigates the dynamic relationship between the mind (psyche), the brain/nervous system (neuro), and the immune systems (immunology).

This interdisciplinary field of study springs from healing traditions that are both ancient and modern, Eastern and Western.

• In addition to centuries-long use by the Aborigines in Australia, there have been numerous accounts of similar techniques being used by indigenous tribes in Africa and elsewhere.
• In the early 20th Century, Walter Cannon developed the now well-accepted theory known as the "fight or flight syndrome"–the body's diversion of energy from the internal organs to the muscles and sensory organs that enable it to deal with a perceived threat or danger.
• In his 1956 classic publication, The Stress of Life, Hans Selye, M.D., introduced the concept of stress and its relationship to the manifestation of disease.
• In 1964, George F. Solomon, M.D., opened a "psychoimmunology laboratory" at the Stanford University-affiliated Palo Alto (CA) VA Hospital. There he conducted pioneering research on the effects of psychological factors on diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and linked stress to altered immunity.
• Only in 1975 was the study of these mind-body linkages given its present-day name, PsychoNeuroImmunology, by Dr. Robert Ader, director of behavioral and psychosocial medicine at the University of Rochester in New York State.

Today, PsychoNeuroImmunology is a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary field subjected to the same rigorous clinical investigative techniques central to all Western medicine.

Over the past several decades, PNI has provided a greater understanding of the relationship between immune system function and both disease-inducing and wellness-promoting behaviors.

By bringing together a wealth of scientific insights, PsychoNeuroImmunology has spurred the exploration of phenomena that are at once interlinked and interdependent as well as bi-directional.

What's Old Is New Again

As long as they can remember, Australia's Aborigines have held the belief that feeling and expressing emotions are integral components both of who they are and of maintaining a state of physical wellness.

Just as importantly, they believe that suppressing and not acknowledging emotions can promote disease. Like food taken in, digested, and expelled by our bodies, emotions can become toxic to our physical system when not properly digested and released.

Understanding this, the Aborigines use the powerful tools of the mind and spirit to harness and retain a state of physical wellness through acknowledging and releasing emotions.

In 1994, the Aborigines shared these tools with Dr. Holz, who sought their guidance in dealing with his own Multiple Sclerosis. Through their teachings and his own commitment, Dr. Holz's body was restored to a considerably improved state of wellness.

Treating the Whole Person

At Holz Health Center, we believe the mind and body–as well as the spirit–are not simply interconnected, they are one. It is only our human propensity to label and categorize that has segmented these entwined aspects of our being.

It is not possible, we believe, to treat the body yet ignore both a person's mind or their spiritual journey. Conversely, to succeed in an intellectual or spiritual endeavor, the body, too, must be respected and treated as a temple.

Subconscious in the Driver's Seat

Via the subconscious, our bodies physically manifest our thoughts and emotions.

While understanding the connectedness of mind, body, and spirit may be intuitive for Australian Aborigines, Westerners may look to the way in which modern science explains the linkage of our psychological, biological, and social spheres.

Simply stated, governing the interconnectedness of our bodily systems is our subconscious, the "master control center." The ability of our bodies to act and react (without our awareness) is contained within the DNA present in every cell in the body–DNA that has accumulated from the lives of our parents and their ancestors as well as from every one of our own past lifetimes.

This (automatic) master control center never sleeps, operating in a straightforward manner, without an ego or agenda, 24 hours a day. It is responsive to everything that transpires in the body and mind.

Communicating directions through neural impulses and hormonal releases, the subconscious directs the body's reactions to and defenses against continuous environmental and human influences, such as air and water conditions, the demands of work, family, and poverty, or simply unexpected events to which the body must adjust.

The body's responses take advantage of positive elements as well as defend against negative elements that stress our systems.

The body is under stress when it perceives the demands on it exceed its ability to cope, resulting in a negative emotional state.

Taking Control

It is not the subconscious alone, however, that has the power to affect the body. Our state of wellness or disease reflects conscious choices of love, forgiveness, and gratitude or of fear, anger, and despair.

Conscious "thought directions" play a role in guiding the body toward wellness or disease.

Per the instructions you communicate through your thoughts, your body becomes a physical manifestation of your mind.

Making the conscious choice to fully feel, experience, and release emotions is necessary to maintaining a healthy body.

Emotions in and of themselves are neither good nor bad. Expressing anger, for instance, can be inappropriate or therapeutic. Laughter can be a positive release or hurtful to another.

Stop and ask yourself: To what elements am I exposing my body? What directions am I feeding my body and mind? Fear? Stress? Hopelessness? Or am I focusing healthy thought directions toward what I intend to achieve?

As aches and pains can be red flags that our bodies need attention, emotions can be warning signs that all is not well. Unattended to, they impact not only our emotional health, but our physical as well.

Triggering Action

How much stress do we try to bear before being forced to deal with it? How bad do we have to feel before we listen to the physical and/or emotional voices within us?

Sadly, we often endure more stress than is healthy for us. The societal approach to painful or uncomfortable emotions for many is to treat those feelings through drugs, food, or simply thought avoidance–anything but allowing ourselves to acknowledge and experience the discomfort. The result is often a challenge far greater than the one we were seeking to avoid.

But remember, the same miraculous mind that contributed to a state of ill health can play a vital role in getting you out of that state as well.

Begin by making wellness your conscious choice.

Effective strategies for releasing built-up emotions may begin with physical activities such as walking, biking, or golfing; emotional outlets like laughter, tears, or talk therapy; or tactics that draw on mind and body for expression, such as yoga, gardening, watching a movie, listening to music, or connecting to nature.

Dr. Gary Holz, assisted by his wife, licensed counselor Robbie Holz, blended ancient wisdom and modern scientific understanding to help individuals choose and achieve higher levels of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness and deeper understanding of their mind-body-spirit connection.

Robbie Holz is a licensed counselor and inspirational spiritual motivator. Robbie counsels individuals on their healing journey, and teaches the healing principles of the mind-body-spirit connection through personal counseling sessions, publications, public presentations, and workshops. She has helped individuals worldwide learn step-by-step how to use the power of the mind to create more fully enriched lives.

The ability to actively contribute to our own interconnectedness, to begin on our own journey toward wellness, lies within each of us. We need only open ourselves to its potential.

Find out more at an upcoming workshop or contact us.