How a virus, a vagus nerve, and a daughter's presence reminded me that we are not separate from nature—or from each other
WHAT: The Surrender to Slow Healing
There is something about November that changes one's heart. In spite of El Niño, the temperature drops, cooling the environment inside and out. This is my lived experience, year on year, that shows we are nature. Not just "part of nature" but one with the natural world. Such interbeing, as the beloved Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh would say: "We inter-are."
Having been afflicted by Influenza-A with very intense and lasting symptoms, I did not resist the reality of my condition or the seeming slowness of healing. I simply surrendered to the truth that it is as it is.
This shift in attitude—from giving in to the compelling pull of impatience, frustration, anger, and helplessness to simply recognizing the sensations in my body—was profound. The incessant coughs. The sleepless nights. The general malaise. The absence of taste. The deep sense of powerlessness.
I allowed them to be as they were. I mindfully investigated every sensation—pain, uncomfortable tingling, upset stomach, buckling knees. I experimented with how I might nurture myself by renewing energy and slowly inching my body toward full restoration.
SO WHAT: The Science of Self-Healing and the Interconnected Web
Activating the Vagus Nerve
One practice that helped was activating the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X), which regulates the parasympathetic nervous system and triggers the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway—calming excessive immune responses and systemic inflammation associated with severe viral infections like Influenza-A.
I learned how the vagus nerve influences inflammation:
· The Inflammatory Reflex: The vagus nerve releases acetylcholine, which binds to receptors on immune cells to suppress the production of damaging pro-inflammatory cytokines.
· Defense Against Lung Pathology: Recent research shows that vagal circuits help rein in harmful immune overreactions and macrophage flooding in the lungs during influenza infections.
I practiced safe, non-invasive ways to stimulate the vagus nerve:
· Slow, Controlled Breathwork: Prolonged slow exhalations, box breathing, and 4-7-8 breathing.
· Vocalizations: Humming, singing in the shower, gentle vocalizing—creating vibrations in the larynx where vagal nerve branches pass.
· Gargling and Cold Compresses: Vigorous water gargling and cool packs to the neck.
· PEMF Therapy: The Olylife Pulsed Electromagnetic Frequency device tangibly strengthened my legs and arms, providing strength for simple stretches and Shibashi practice.
Navigating Ageusia and Dysgeusia
One area that challenged me was the absence of taste (ageusia) accompanied by a persistent bitter or metallic taste (dysgeusia). I explored ways of nourishing myself back to health:
· Shift Protein Sources: I switched to eggs, mild white fish, tofu, and dairy. Cold proteins like chilled tofu and egg salad reduced unpleasant aromas.
· Texture Over Flavor: I relied on crunchy, crispy, or chewy foods—apples, raw vegetables, toasted nuts—to stimulate my appetite.
· Thermal Variance: Chilled foods like smoothies, sorbets, and blended dragon fruit, papaya, lacatan banana, and frozen berries were much more tolerable than hot foods.
· The Power of Sour and Sweet: Gentle sweetness (honey, fruit preserves) helped counter bitterness. But my Pulmo doctor advised me to stop all citrus-based drinks as they triggered more coughing.
The Magic of wHEW
All of these have contributed to my modern-day healing approach. Including:
· My daily Centering Prayer and Mindfulness Meditation practices.
· Walking my dogs in the early morning sun.
· Listening to healing music and the sound of my singing bowls.
· Choosing what I watch on YouTube and similar platforms—especially when doing so with family, sangha, or community.
This is the magic of wHEW—the 7 Pillars of Wholistic Health and Wellbeing, woven together in an integrated whole.
I am deeply grateful to my eldest daughter, Ro Manalo, whose daily presence with me in the hospital was the impetus for me to be well.
The Planet and the Body
You have probably heard the claim that we eat a credit card of plastic every week. That specific number is flawed—a detailed analysis found the real intake is far lower. But the underlying concern is not. Microplastics have been found in human blood, lungs, and even brain tissue. Scientists are still uncovering what that means for inflammation and long-term health.
This is the truth of our interbeing:
1. Degraded Land Worsens Malnutrition and Respiratory Illness. When soil is stripped of fertility, crops fail and dust storms multiply. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification reports rising rates of malnutrition, respiratory illness, and waterborne disease in drylands. When the land gets sick, so do we.
2. Pollinator Decline Strips Nutrients from Our Food. A 2026 study in Nature found that insect pollinators contributed more than 20% of people's intake of vitamin A, folate, and vitamin E in farming villages in Nepal. As pollinators decline, families face "hidden hunger."
3. Air Pollution Is a Direct Health Assault. The WHO estimates air pollution caused about 6.7 million deaths in 2019, with nearly 85% from noncommunicable diseases like heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.
4. Extreme Heat Strains Bodies and Health Systems. Heat exposure disrupts cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health. Neglecting climate stability means more hospitalizations and deaths from preventable heat stress.
5. Green Spaces Are Measurable Medicine. A scoping review of European studies found that access to green spaces is positively associated with physical and mental health, reduced risk of all-cause mortality, and lower rates of noncommunicable diseases.
The UN's IPBES Nexus Report describes biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate as "indivisible, interrelated and interdependent." The UNCCD puts it simply: "The quality of the food we produce from healthy soil is akin to a pharmacy."
NOW WHAT: Caring for the Body and the World
My blog thesis is this: Caring for the environment is not separate from caring for ourselves. Restoring soil, protecting pollinators, cleaning air, and preserving green spaces are not "saving the planet" as an abstract favor. They are the foundation of human nutrition, respiratory health, and mental wellbeing. The absence of that care shows up in our bodies; the presence of it heals them.
1. Practice the Vagus Nerve Reset
· Action: Twice a day, practice slow, controlled breathwork—inhaling for 4 counts, exhaling for 6 to 8 counts. Hum gently. Gargle water.
· Why: These simple practices activate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm inflammation.
2. Eat for Texture and Temperature When Sick
· Action: If you lose your taste, focus on crunchy, chilled, and mildly sweet foods. Avoid citrus if it triggers a cough. Hydrate. Nourish.
· Why: When the body is healing, the goal is not culinary perfection—it is nourishment and comfort.
3. Walk in the Morning Sun—and Bring Your Dogs
· Action: Commit to a daily walk outdoors, even if it is short. Bring a pet if you have one. Feel the sun on your skin.
· Why: Nature is not separate from us. Walking in it is a form of interbeing.
4. Choose Your Media Diet
· Action: Be intentional about what you watch and listen to. Choose healing music, singing bowls, or uplifting content. Share it with family, sangha, or community.
· Why: The mind is a garden. What you plant grows.
5. Honor the Presence of Others
· Action: When someone shows up for you—a daughter, a friend, a colleague—let them know what their presence means. Say thank you.
· Why: Ro's daily presence in the hospital was my impetus to heal. Human connection is the ultimate medicine.
I close with a deep sense of gratitude.
For my body—aging, challenged, but still here.
For my family—Ro, Asia, Amico, my father Gil, my brother Perry, wife Beng and my pamangkins : Carlos & Gemma, Mina, Jay & Kat+Javi, Julia who hold me.
For my TLC Core Team — Myda, Juan, Fida, Amico, Veron, Jessica, Wendy, Ferdz, Joyce, Angel Grace
For my sanghas—who remind me we are not alone.
For the planet—which heals when we care for it.
We inter-are. The body and the planet. The individual and the community. The illness and the healing.
And in that interbeing, there is magic. The magic of wHEW!
💖💖💖💖💖
-Susan Grace Rivera
Posted on: November 7, 2026
