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Click Here to be taken straight to it!
In chaotic times, it’s important to remember that there are things you can do to remain
healthy, centered and calm.
EMOTIONAL EMERGENCY PAPERS #1:
Click Here to be taken straight to it!
In chaotic times, it’s important to remember that there are things you can do to remain
healthy, centered and calm.
EMOTIONAL EMERGENCY PAPERS #1:
Address the Physical. Your body is exquisitely reactive to all that is around you—it reacts
faster than your conscious awareness. Nourish and support your physical system.
faster than your conscious awareness. Nourish and support your physical system.
- Drink lots of water.
- Celebrate soup season with nourishing broths, which are light and easy to digest - a "plus" in stressful times. Make bone broth by cooking bones 4 to 12 hours to add valuable minierals to your soup base.
- Walk in nature: go to the ocean, fields, park or woods. Watch birds, squirrels, dogs, etc. Nature heals, and getting outside and walking is important because--
- Motion is good for the body and in tough times, the body is taking a hit (stress chemicals released into the bloodstream; physical exhaustion of grief, fear, rage, etc.). Take a walk, do jumping-jacks. Exercise in any form releases anti-anxiety and antidepressant chemicals into the bloodstream, activates your immune response, burns up stress chemicals and stimulates ch’i.
- The lymphatic system is part of your immune system, and acts as a sturdy defender as well as rubbish remover. But it’s a passive system, as opposed to the active cardiac system. It relies on stimulation through activity—which includes gentle deep breathing and stretching, along with more vigorous activities like walking, dancing, etc.
- Luckily, when you are unable to exercise you can tap your sternum, which stimulates the thymus—a lymph gland that is a ‘first responder’ of the immune system. Take four fingers and slowly tap twenty times on your sternum. Repeat as needed.
- Dry skin brushing also stimulates the lymphatic system. While naked and dry, brush (using natural fiber, if available) up all sides of each arm starting at the fingertips, and up all sides of the legs starting at the soles of the feet, in a light, brisk motion, always toward the heart.
- Get oxygenated! This happens naturally with exercise and occurs quite peacefully with deep breathing. Lie on the bed or floor and breathe in slowly till your belly rises (then the lower lungs are filled); breath out slowly and when you feel empty, blow out three more short bursts to really empty the lungs. Repeat.
- Any time, in (almost) any position, you can practice slow, deep breathing. The parasympathetic system, which is the body’s “soother”, loves slow, deep breathing. Press your back and shoulders against the wall as you slowly inhale to open up your chest; bend over slightly while exhaling.
- Slow stretches also cue the parasympathetic system, stimulate the flow of lymph, and counter the “stress” message held in contracted muscles. No jerking or forcing (which I have both done and witnessed). Stretch gently, paying attention to how it feels.
- Yawn freely. It’s not boredom: your body releases tension this way.
- Support the senses: Use fragrances that are pleasing, music that soothes, candlelight and soft textures. Rhythmically rock self while wrapped in a soft blanket.
- Bathe or shower consciously, staying aware of sensations and gently washing the body. Warm water relaxes muscles. Sluggish and depressed? Consider ending with a burst of just cold water to stimulate and awaken the body—a natural antidepressant. (In some countries this is the only available antidepressant.)
- Touch the lips to cue the parasympathetic system. (This was a surprise to me, but then I noticed that I touch or lick my lips when anxious …)
- Rub your hands together; stamp your feet and clap your hands to get grounded.
- Soften your gaze. Relax your eyes by letting your vision blur.
- Name colors as you look around. This slows down the action and helps you get out of the ‘thinky’ part of your brain.
- Here's an astonishing fact: 93% of communication is NONVERBAL! What is the rest? 55% is body language and 38% is tone of voice. Beware of Social Media, which is tone deaf. No wonder there’s so much fighting on social media! Blessings upon emojis, which help a little—and sometimes a lot.
- Take a break from electronics. It’s not just the obsessive quality that prevents a body from going outside or hugging the cat. We’re talking science, here. Quote from Wikipedia: “The Earth behaves like a gigantic electric circuit. Its electromagnetic field surrounds and protects all living things with a natural frequency pulsation of 7.83 hertz.” The human body’s natural vibration frequency is between 6 to 8 hertz. Cell Phones operate at 800 to 3,000 hertz, and computers far surpass that. Take a break to allow your body to stabilize in its natural pulse frequency. We are only a few decades into this level of bioelectrical exposure; it's still an experiment.
Stay tuned for Emotional Emergency Papers #2:
Creating Calm Through The Thinking-Feeling Dynamic
Creating Calm Through The Thinking-Feeling Dynamic