Chapter 6: What Sunset Stillness and Strudel Taught Me About Immune Healing
We all enjoy the same sunsets, don’t we?
It doesn’t matter which part of the world you’re in—Greece, Austria, or home in Mumbai.
If you really pay attention to it, sunsets are beautiful everywhere.
And on recent summer trip with my family, it reminded me of just how connected we truly are.
And on that journey, I realised two things.
One was a quiet reminder. The other—an eye opener.
Both changed how I think about healing. And I believe they’ll offer something valuable for your journey too.
We are far more alike than we are different.
During our trip, we visited the Temple of Poseidon.
If you have ever studied Greek mythology in school like I have, you’ve likely read about Gods and Goddesses such as Poseidon, Athena, Zeus, Hephaestus. It has an amazing history that I had only so far read about in history books.
And then there is Austria.
It is a beautiful city replete with music and the arts. In fact, music seeps from its very pores! And then you have its long association with not one but both the world wars.
As I observed these 2 very different cultures I realised that while they are so different, they are very much the same too.
We are all much more alike than we are different.
Whether we’re hurting or laughing, we all feel the same things, don’t we?
We value our family, those whom we love and want to protect them at all costs.
We create, experience and enjoy music, arts, languages with our senses- this what makes us human
What’s one place you’ve visited that reminded you how universal we all are?
I’d love to hear—feel free to hit reply.
Enjoying the beautiful sun set behind the Temple of Poseidon overlooking the Aegean sea
And while I loved the way that each country wears its uniqueness with pride, I have seen far too often how it can create divisions.
Us vs. them. It’s subtle, but it’s everywhere.
Every time you travel, you tend to pick up some of these things.
And if you are really open to these experiences, you start seeing the world with fresh eyes. You are less stressed and more open when you are travelling.
It’s not so much that the world has changed. It’s that you have changed as a person because you’re taking in new ideas.
A calm immune system can tolerate so much more than you think.
Now for the part that genuinely surprised me.
This is something I already knew in theory, but witnessing it firsthand is way more powerful.
You may know our story: my daughter has been off gluten since 2014.
It was a one of the steps I took to address her gut health using a Functional Medicine approach to heal her from very severe eczema.
By the time we made that decision, she had already been on multiple immunosuppressive medications for a few years. She had also been hospitalized with a life-threatening infection.
New here? If you’re navigating eczema, autoimmunity, or chronic flare-ups, this story might help.
👉 Download the free Decode Your Symptoms Workbook (a gentle guide to tracking what your body’s really trying to say)
Fast forward to now, she’s doing beautifully.
Ninety percent of the time, her skin is completely clear. But it’s always a balance. She knows her triggers. One of them is gluten.
Unfortunately, just before we left for our trip, she had to take a course of antibiotics.
While it brought her infection under control, it affected her gut and in turn her skin health.
So imagine my surprise when, she decided to try a bite of apple strudel in Vienna. And then more desserts over the next several days always keeping a close eye on her skin.
And… her skin held up. No flare. No reaction. Just… calm.
When the immune system feels safe, it no longer overreacts to every small threat.
Why did this happen?
We were in an environment with clean air. No pollution.
She was resting, relaxed, and enjoying the holiday. Her body was receiving good food. And because she was doing everything else right, her immune system wasn’t hypervigilant.
It didn’t see gluten as an immediate danger. It remained what we call appropriately tolerant in Functional Medicine.
That’s exactly what I teach inside my coaching programmes, but witnessing it in real life, with my own daughter, still felt like magic.
🎧 Want to hear the whole story? Watch the video shared above.
(Also available on Buzzsprout, if you prefer audio while walking or resting.)
From theory to lived truth
This is what it means when we say healing becomes effortless.
It doesn’t mean that no effort is necessary.
It means that you don’t have to chase your healing, you just have to hear your body. You are simply leaving behind the five villains of the outdated wellness models that may be sabotaging your health efforts.
📌 If you missed that episode, you can find it here:
Chapter 5: Introducing Effortless Healing: The Clear, Compassionate Path That Finally Makes Sense (or search in your Substack archive)
So if your immune system feels like an angry person right now, flaring without much provocation and always on edge, start with calm.
Find out a way to make your body feel safe again. Start with restoring that trust.
Because when your body feels safe, it lets go of the fight.
🎁 Start here: Download the FREE Decode Your Symptoms Workbook
Map your top triggers in 15 minutes—without labs, guesswork, or overwhelm.
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What’s one moment that surprised you on a recent trip—or in your healing?
Hit reply. I read every note, and I’d love to hear your reflections.
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These reflections are part of my Healing from Within series.
If this resonated, tap the 💛 or share it with someone who needs to hear it.
Your voice is always welcome here.
Originally published on Substack: <https://healingfromwithin.substack.com/p/chapter-6-what-sunset-stillness-and>