Light and Shadows

by Dotti

Do you like January?

January is always a challenging month for me. It’s not unusual in our neck of the woods to have few sunny days in January and this year we actually set a record for cloudy and rainy days.

To compound matters, I feel like I've been living in the shadows due to unusually stressful family issues. Fortuitously, on January 1, the Lexington Herald-Leader ran a great little article in its health column by Dr. John A. Patterson, associate professor at the University of Kentucky Medical School, about mindful breathing.

Like you, I’ve read other descriptions of this practice but for some reason, this method seemed to resonate with me and I’ve had good success using it so I wanted to share it with you. I firmly believe we’d all be healthier, mentally and physically, if we learned to do this every day, whether we're living in the light or the shadows. Here are some key points.

• “Assume a comfortable position, lying down, seated or reclining. Closing your eyes improves focus and reduces distractions.
• Allow your muscles to relax, especially the neck, shoulders, jaw, face and back and anywhere you are tense.
• Take a few deep breaths, paying attention to the physical sensation of breathing.
• Notice the pause at the end of the out-breath. Without prolonging that pause or thinking about it, experience its calmness, quietness and peacefulness.
• Shifting your attention to your belly, allow it to be soft, rising with the in-breath and falling with the out-breath. A soft belly increases the movement of the diaphragm. This stimulates the para-sympathetic (“rest and digest”) of the vagus nerve, which runs through the diaphragm, acting as an antidote to the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) impulses of the stress response.
• Finally, feel the physical sensations of the breath in the nostrils, throat, chest and belly. Notice when the thinking mind wanders and, without judging yourself, simply return to feeling the breath.”

Dr. Patterson suggests practicing five to twenty minutes a day, once or twice daily. And the great thing is, you can do this anywhere although if you’re driving, you might want to keep your eyes open.

The hardest part for me? Keeping my mind from wandering. To do this I think the word “in” on the in-breath and “out “on the out-breath. (Hey! I never claimed to be a great wordsmith!) You can use whatever words or phrases work for you but the key is using a tool to help you focus on the breathing.

Perhaps you have other ideas which you can share with us about reducing the stress load on your body. If so, please share with us in the comments. We’re all here to help and support one another and I don’t claim any particular expertise in this field. I just want to start a conversation. Want to join in?

Wishing you sunny days and blue skies,

Dotti

In The Dirt

by Carol

"Sit beside a mountain stream, see her waters rise.

 Listen to the pretty sound of music as she flies."

Paul McCartney

"Mother Nature's Son"



Have a listen while reading....
The Beatles - "Mother Nature's Son"
(right click and follow)

I have been hugely busy at work lately, and when I finally arrive home, my mind is still with my work. I don't work with numbers or products, these are real people I am working with - how can I just set aside their struggles? How can I not mourn their losses? And yet it's that old adage about using the oxygen mask before helping your child - if I don't feed myself, I won't be creative enough to find a solution for them. Yet, somehow this week, running out the door to take a walk after work became one more thing to cross off my list, rather than the relaxing interlude that's meant to bring me back to my true self at the end of the day. So, I'm wondering how to combat that? I've been reading about meditation, and relaxation and my goal this weekend is to put some of what I'm reading into practice.

We all know we should walk, and deep breathe, etc - but what to use on the days when you just can't? I thought about times when I've gone through crises and I considered that when a real, undeniable crisis hits, you find the time for everything you need to do. Suddenly, you have the time to get to the hospital, or to look for a new job, or to administer medication, or just to get that procrastinated stress-inducing project done. Why do we need a crisis to see that?

I think part of the route to success here is to believe in your own control. Don't underestimate yourself. Stop attending to the fear and anxiety that stop up your power like a bad drain, and pay attention to the other spheres of your life. I recently discovered this website, and I love their quote:  "peak performance is an inside job." Their analogy is that "you are the pilot of your own life." After your pre-flight check list (basically ruling out medical issues causing your distractions) go to your "emergency first aid kit."

   1. Deep breathing and aerobic movement bring clarifying oxygen to your brain
   2. Listen to music. It engages a whole different section of your brain to bring calm to the system.
   3. Look at or engage in art - your brain holds great  resourcefulness in the area that processes art.
   4. Being in or looking at nature shifts your brain to neutral  and allows open consideration of new     things.

We came from nature - our bodies are attuned to nature subconsciously, even when we are not consciously listening. We are all about our "fight or flight" reflex and it's relationship with our stresses. Consider the following quote from a wonderful resource on the effects of nature and technology on your brain and body: Your Brain on Nature by Selhub and Logan. They say that playing outside as children brought us;

 "The fragrance of pine and flowers; the sounds of rushing creeks,waterfalls,and ocean waves breaking; and the sites of fireflies and other interesting animals captured our minds. As time passed, our responsibilities and adulthood pursuits left less time for nature immersion.....Our individual stressors, personal anxieties, and the overwhelming demands of contemporary life would ultimately bring us back to the medicinal aspects of nature."

 I encourage you not to wait until you need nature's "medicinal aspects." Run to Mother Nature now before the crisis hits!

Now,if you will excuse me, it's Saturday morning at the beginning of a 3 day weekend, and I am going to get myself to the nursery and then come home and dig in the dirt - and my camera will be with me, and I plan to play my Eagles CD on my porch speakers. I hope to complete my day tired and dirty, and full of vitamin D from being in the sun. And I plan to flop into bed at the end of the day and fall effortlessly into a fulfilling sleep! What are your plans today?