The Bigger Picture: Amidst the many conflicts of the world, another has recently re-emerged - that of Israel and Lebanon. It is important to actively think about this.
War is the most extreme form of human struggle. Within a war, we deliberately plan our destruction. We discuss, implement and rationalise murder - insisting that it is necessary.
That war threatens the health of those unlucky enough to be in proximity of it is obvious. Armed leaders speak of "unavoidable", even "acceptable", numbers of victims and casualties.
Individuals are not only physically, but also emotionally and socially traumatised. Still, the perpetrators of war - politicians and soldiers - as well as we who are innocent bystanders far away and removed, are also damaged.
For the past month, I have been in Canada (thanks for the e-mails and texts from readers who noted and wondered about my absence). While there, I attended two conferences: an assembly of activists in the World Peace Forum, and the more academic gathering of the International Peace Research Association.
One paper that struck me was delivered by US researcher Rachel MacNair. She studied post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans and noticed that those who were involved in killing someone (directly or indirectly, and regardless of the intensity of the war) suffered much more post-traumatic stress than those who had been in terrible battles but didn't participate in a killing.
I am reminded of how much life matters to us. People matter to us. We feel death, even if it's of someone we were taught to hate: our "enemy", a "justified" death.
It isn't easy to make a human choose to kill another. No one can be violent against someone else without first establishing a psychological foundation. We must learn to disconnect, blame and "evil-ise". On top of this, we feel either completely powerless or licensed to fully control. Neither perspective reflects our humanity, but is evidence of the most distorted human distress.
Rational. Acceptable. Enemy. Justified. All these words are used regularly in war-talk, usually by leaders. Yet none of these words make sense in relation to killing. As such, we are each left genuinely confused.
Being a bystander of war (no matter how distant) makes us feel hopeless. Little else can make us feel more insignificant. Even when we are thousands of miles from the struggle, that deepening sense of powerlessness affects our health. It shapes how much truth we are willing to see, how much courage we can access, and how much hope and belief we can generate.
In Canada, I also had the opportunity to listen to a panel of journalists who chose to work "unembedded" (without a US army escort) in Iraq. They confirmed something that I have believed but couldn't always prove: the average person knows little of what really goes on in the world's conflicts. Again, the feeling of insignificance runs deep and affects our individual lives.
Our level of health is dependent on our ability to feel hopeful and, in doing so, gain support, realise what is true and enact within us a force towards positive changes.
You can go through the motions, but without belief in yourself or the world around you, your health is fragile. You have no strength to influence things to make them right. Your love stagnates and does not make you stronger.
A final highlight came from a workshop entitled "Healing from War" by an organisation called United to End Racism.
They began with a simple statement: "We believe we can do this. We can end war." It was a bold and powerful premise, from which they outlined a tool to heal from the shock, confusion and separation that results from participating in or witnessing war.
You must know that inner peace does not begin and end with a personal journey. It is not enough to carve out a corner of the world for you to live "in harmony". This leaves you with a limited position, disconnected from the world. But real peace comes from connecting one's inner joy to the world. We must be part of a great collection of people, acting with love.
As humans, we are meant to have influence, but not as we currently understand it. We are not meant to control. This is not real power. Neither are we meant to be insignificant. These are simply two extreme, reactive positions. We are meant to participate - take part in life, be present and involved.
We each have a job to do: open our eyes, connect and act in positive ways. Currently, those who do so are often looked upon with strangeness: why would you go out of your way to get involved with the business of the world? It's good enough to mind your own business. But being involved and offering out love is what keeps us human. Only one thing makes us genuinely strong: our caring interactions with each other.
When we connect, we open up infinite possibilities. It becomes impossible for us to carry on destroying each other. When we can figure this out, we are on the path to real health.
• Shalini Sinha has established Forward Movement, a clinic where she practices life coaching and the Bowen Technique.