Many of us are familiar with the image of someone “hyperventilating” (breathing rapidly) as a reaction to stress. However, the opposite is also true from periods of prolonged stress: In times of continued mental, emotional, or physical stress (such as chronic physical pain), our breathing can become shallow and we may even hold our breath without realizing it.
“When meditation is mastered,
The mind is unwavering like the
Flame of a lamp in the windless place.
In the still mind,
In the depths of meditation,
The Self reveals itself.”
~ The Bhagavad Gita
There was a time in my life when I was so busy and stressed, I couldn’t stop for a single minute. I mean that quite literally. I flew through the day, from one thing to the next on “autopilot” (going through the motions), and everything became a blur. By the end of the day, when it was time to sleep, I’d lay in bed awake for hours. My mind still thinking, wheels turning, about what I had done that day and what I needed to do the next day.
When I was introduced to mindfulness, I was confused. It never occurred to me that the healthiest place for my mind to be (and amazingly the most productive!) was in the present. Not thinking ahead, nor about what had already been done, but in the present moment.
A technique? A technology? A lifestyle choice? A therapy? Arguably all these things – so no wonder many people are confused about what it is and whether it’s worth pursuing. But people are pursuing it. We find mindfulness at universities, elementary schools, hospitals, and government institutions.
A contemporary definition of mindfulness describes it as a technique, not affiliated with religion (i.e. secular), used to reduce “negative experiences”, such as those related to stress, pain, depression, anxiety, or chronic illness. It’s described as a method to cultivate our focus on the present moment – and after days of scheduling, planning ahead, trying to recall details of the past, how could this not be a welcome relief?! Contemporary mindfulness is also about meeting our experience in the present with openness, curiosity, and kindness.
What is mindfulness? What is it not? How does it alleviate stress and why might you want to give it a try?
Please join Lisa Sabatini for this 3-part online (Zoom) introductory mini mindfulness course:
Wednesday evenings 7:00 to 8:00pm
September 15th to 29th, 2021
I am a bit in awe of how fast things can change. There have been many examples of this lesson in the last month, but the most impactful one for me is that “nothing is certain”. I thought I had already learned this lesson, but watching the dramatic changes to society and our community over the last few weeks has made me realize that I am still learning this lesson. Learning how to let go of the need for things to be certain and to be in control. Remembering that all I truly control is my inner state of being and reaction to the outside world. Inside all this uncertainty is a glimmer of hope for healing, that glimmer comes from solitude.
In this unprecedented time of self isolation and suffering it is the opportunity to seize the moment. The monastery has come to us.
What to do:
Relish this period of slowing down to be here now. Explore the present moment. Every time you are aware you have leaned forward into the future or leaned back into the past; come back NOW to this exquisite moment before it slips away. What is present in the moment for you to See, Hear, Feel? How can this present moment support you?
Stress is a growing problem across the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2017) ranks stress-induced disorders, such as depression, as a leading cause of disability worldwide. In response to the growing number of individuals suffering from stress-related mental disorders, researchers in Scandinavia have designed a nature-based therapy model for those on stress-leave. In 2001, The Healing Garden in Alnarp was established at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and soon after, in 2010, Nacadia Healing Forest Garden was constructed at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
This emerging model of green care is based on findings that individuals suffering from stress experience limited cognitive, emotional, and social resources, which often makes it difficult to think, learn or otherwise problem-solve in ways that might be required, for example, in talk therapy (Stigsdotter & Grahn, 2002; 2003).
Change is stressful, especially when it’s unexpected change. But even planned, positive change can put you on your toes!
People have a general tendency to fear the unknown. Oftentimes, we’d rather stick with what we know because it’s familiar and, well, let’s face it, the familiar is comfortable. When we look into a future of unknowns it tends to feel largely out of our control, and this lack of control is what tends to make us feel stressed. So, when we think about starting something new, we might hesitate, make excuses, or save the change for “one day when…”
How is it, then, that you can stop procrastinating and actually make change happen?
Being mindful.
A concept many of us have embraced.
Mindfulness is in fact a great tool to use to monitor your energy, and to help you understand where your energy goes and how to ensure that you aren’t depleting yourself unnecessarily.
