Homeostasis

Homeostasis. What a beautiful concept. What an exemplary goal to shoot for. I have learned that it means wholeness. Soundness. Balance. Harmony.
On a physical level, it means, the ol' ticker is beating effortlessly, regularly, smoothly. Blood pressure is being monitored and maintained at a reasonable rate by a brain that knows what it's about.
And that brain is sending and receiving messages from nerves, from the gut, allowing our eyes to see what's really there, and our ears to hear what's really going on around us.
Ticking clocks are not too loud and distracting. Blinking lights don't send us into a darkened room. Our balance is good, and the floor is not rising up to meet us, the walls are not moving in and out. Breathing is not laboured or shallow.
On a mental level, it means that our thoughts are clear and make sense, and don't drop away before we've read them. We understand what's said to us and can respond in an intelligent manner. Or a foolish one if we feel like it. We are in control of this faculty and use it with ease.
On an emotional level, it is bliss. To one who has not had it in quite some time, at any rate.
When homeostasis is working at peak efficiency, we are not aware of it. We do not notice the infinite number of processes our bodies are performing, we do not despair at the number of steps it takes in order to carry on a conversation with another.
We are unaware of all these things, unless we have been grappling with ME/CFS, and are now re-surfacing ... to homeostasis. For those of us in that new and blessed circumstance, we are VERY aware and are in awe at the wonder of a body and brain that ... works.

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