By Rev. Dr. Catherine W Dunne MSc.D, RGN, WMA, ACHH, RGMT, RMP, RHP, Healing Minister, Reiki 20th Degree GMT, Lemurian Seed Reiki GMT, Chakra Master Practitioner, Master Pendulum Practitioner. Co-Founder of Aumvedas Academy and Teacher. Owner of Holistic Health Care Wexford. Author of Reiki Grandmaster Series Attunements numbers 19&20.

Thymus and the significance of T-cells and Covid-19

It is fascinating to learn that scientists are now regarding the emerging discovery of T-Cells as equally important to antibodies in the fight against Covid-19.

SCIENCE

Your thymus is a small gland in the lymphatic system that makes, and trains special white blood cells called T-cells. The T-cells help your immune system fight disease and infection. Your thymus gland produces most of your T-cells before birth. The rest are made in childhood, and you’ll have all the T-cells you need for life by the time you hit puberty.

What is the thymus?

The thymus is a small gland that’s part of your lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system is made up of a network of tissues, vessels, and organs such as your tonsils, spleen, and appendix. Your lymphatic system is a part of your immune system. It helps defend against infection and disease.

What does the thymus do?

The primary function of the thymus gland is to train special white blood cells called T-lymphocytes or T-cells. White blood cells (lymphocytes) travel from your bone marrow to your thymus. The lymphocytes mature and become specialized T-cells in your thymus.

After the T-cells have matured, they enter your bloodstream. They travel to your lymph nodes (groups of cells) and other organs in your lymphatic system, where they help your immune system fight disease and infection.

Your thymus gland is also part of your endocrine system. Your endocrine system makes and releases hormones that control the functions of your body. Your thymus produces and releases several hormones including:

• Thymopoietin: fuels the production of T-cells and tells the pituitary gland to release hormones.
• Thymosin and thymulin: help make specialized types of T-cells.
• Thymic humoral factor: keeps your immune system working properly.
  
  

During what age is the thymus gland most active?

The thymus gland is most active during childhood. Your thymus actually starts making T-cells before you’re born. It keeps producing T-cells and you have all the T-cells you need by the time you reach puberty. After puberty, your thymus gland slowly starts to decrease in size and is replaced by fat.

ANATOMY

Where is the thymus located?

The location of your thymus gland is in your upper chest behind your breastbone (sternum). It sits between your lungs in a part of your chest called the mediastinum. Your thymus is just in front of and above your heart.

What does the thymus gland look like?

The thymus gland is pinkish grey. It is made up of two irregularly shaped parts (lobes). The lobes have lots of small bumps called lobules on the surface.

How big is the thymus gland?

The thymus gland is quite big in babies and children. It reaches its biggest weight of about 1 ounce during puberty. After puberty, it begins to shrink, and in older adults, it’s rather small.

CONDITIONS AND DISORDERS

There are disorders that can affect the thymus gland, but this is not the place to be listing them.

Many conditions and disorders can affect your thymus gland. The issues range from genetic disorders present at birth to diseases most commonly seen in adults.

Does this sacred gland hold the secret to overcoming Covid-19?

T-cells: the missing link in coronavirus immunity?

Scientists who have spent months focused on the role of antibodies in fighting Covid-19 are beginning to suspect that a lesser known part of the immune system is equally crucial: T-cells. Evidence is emerging that T-cells, which can “remember” past infections and kill pathogens if they reappear, have a big influence on how long patients remain resistant to reinfection by Covid-19. The cells, whose size and complexity dwarf tiny antibodies, also appear to affect how well vaccines work and even the level of immunity in the community required to suppress new waves of disease. “Antibodies do look slightly precarious and transient in the blood, while there is a lot of evidence that T-cells are long lasting,” said Mala Maini, professor of viral immunology at University College London. People who recovered from Sars, the disease most closely related to Covid-19, in 2003 still show cellular immunity to that coronavirus 17 years later. T-cells, which circulate in the blood, might protect people who have been infected and recovered from the new coronavirus but have no detectable antibodies shortly thereafter.

Immunity to any infection arises from a complicated interplay of different cells and proteins such as antibodies, which are produced in various human tissues. Some are designed to recognise invading germs. Others have the job of destroying them. T-cells come in several different types, including killer T-cells, helper T-cells and memory T-cells. Then there are B-cells — another essential category of white blood cell. Among other roles B-cells are the immune system’s antibody factories. Al Edwards, associate professor at Reading University’s School of Pharmacy, offers an analogy. “T-cells are tasting the virus whereas the antibodies are feeling the virus,” he said. “T-cells can promote antibody responses and antibody responses can promote a T-cell response. These two systems work together.”  “Even if you’re left with no detectable circulating antibodies, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have no protective immunity, because you are likely to have memory immune cells (B and T cells) that can rapidly kick into action to start up a new immune response if you re-encounter the virus,” added Prof Maini of UCL. “So you might well get a milder infection.”

Holistic Healthcare – TCM

T-Cells are produced in a small gland called the thymus, which sits just above the breastbone, on top of the heart. From the Western medical perspective, the thymus gland is linked to our lymphatic and immune systems, helping us to fight infection. It is especially active during childhood and then starts to deteriorate after adolescence. The thymus gland is also an important centre in the body’s meridian system, mapped out in ancient Chinese medicine, and the chakra energy centres in the subtle body.

The location of the thymus is also significant. It is positioned within the heart meridian, as well as the lesser-known higher heart chakra, representing the transpersonal aspect of the heart, unconditional divine love and compassion. It is therefore unsurprising that the thymus can hold a lifetime’s worth of unprocessed emotions such as anxiety, sadness, and grief, stuck in layers of the physical and energetic body and affecting our vibrational frequency.

Our ancestors knew the innate intelligence and wisdom of the sacred thymus! The ancient Chinese, Indian yogic, Egyptian, and Mayan traditions all recognised that to open our thymus is to open and infuse our lives with forgiveness, love, and compassion. For this reason, many of them performed special healing techniques and ceremonies to activate the thymus.

Thymus self-care is particularly important and potent at a time when the fear response is on high alert, and we encourage you to cleanse this energetic centre to optimise its function and stimulate the production of T-Cells.

The thymus is very sensitive to both positive and negative sounds, and sound therapy can help to restore balance to your chakra.

There are also a few simple practices that you can try at home to stimulate the flow of energy, move through blockages, and bring about harmony and equilibrium:

1. If you have a singing bowl at home you can try lying down, placing the bowl directly on to your body and simply allowing the acoustic vibrations to move through your sternum.
2. Practice Qigong  
3. Try tapping on your energy meridians, particularly those directly under your collar bones (tip: these spots will probably feel sore if you press into them).
4. Thymus patting/tapping: Using your fingertips or side of your fist, tap up and down and counter-clockwise, about 2-3 inches along your sternum, between and above your breasts. The thymus is located behind the third rib, but any vibrations along the length of the upper sternum will stimulate it. Do this for 15-20 seconds and continue to take regular slow breaths. Do 1-3 times a day or up to 4 during times of acute illness. It can be all you need to ward off a cold or illness as the thymus is stimulated to release all those infections fighting white blood cells.
   
   

Thymus and Heart Chakra

The Heart Chakra has been referred as the seat of the soul. The Heart Chakra represents unconditional Divine Love. Unconditional love is free of ego; therefore a healthy higher heart facilitates spiritual growth and deep inner transformation.

Opening our thymus chakra enhances our willingness to forgive and to show compassion. Unlocking it corresponds to flinging open a window for your soul to work through in the material world. Often, people who get in touch with their ascended heart will desire to hand its gifts on to others because, as receptacles of divine love, they also feel it flowing from them like water from a spring.

In our everyday lives we can connect to our heart, through sound through music, it reminds us of past love, events, memories, and moments that have captured our soul.

So, for a thriving thymus chakra, listen to music, sing like nobody is hearing, dance like nobody is watching or play a musical instrument.

In my Energy Healing treatments I hold space for healing, I use the divine  universal energy to restore depleted energy in my clients and restore vitality to each Chakra. It’s possible to dissolve blockages and become aligned once again with your true self.

Thank you for showing an interest.

Catherine

CWD Ireland 26/01/2023