I know it’s Thanksgiving and we’re supposed to be grateful and most of the time I truly am. But do you find yourself grumbling with this cold weather, barometric pressure changes, achy joints and just more overall pain. There is so much to be grateful for, but sometimes pain makes it difficult.
Before I leave to go to work every day, I try to spend at least 10 minutes doing a meditation, focusing on paying attention to deep breathing. I have used Headspace™, Calm™ and Insight Timer™ apps. It’s also a great way to calm down before going to sleep or in the middle of the day when I need a reboot! It is a good way to help silence the chatter in my brain and keep me focused on the present. My goal at work is to be wholly present with each client I treat. That also lets my creativity and insight become more available.
Recently, I was listening to Tamara Levitt on Calm, www.calm.com, as she talked about how we are just a witness to what we are feeling. What would your day be like if you observed emotions, rather than felt them? Think about pain. I always ask how’s the back, the hip, the neck and want to hear where the pain is and the description of pain. This information helps me determine which tissue might be inflamed, such as the disc, joint, muscle or nerve and how to proceed.
But, in day to day life constantly playing in your mind, “my back hurts, my hip hurts, my neck hurts”, keeps our brain focused on the pain. This is true for any emotion: stress, anxiety, anxiousness, depression, to name a few. When we are focusing on the aspects of life that are sharp and prickly, like a cactus, it makes it much more difficult to be grateful. Rather than claiming the negative emotion as part of yourself, is it possible to observe the emotion and not identify with it? Instead of saying to yourself, “my back hurts”, try saying “there is discomfort in my back”.
As you are breathing deeply, breathe into the discomfort and see if it changes. You may find the discomfort becomes less intense, moves to another area or even fades away. You can become aware of the difference of feeling discomfort from pain, feeling the body tense with stress or the accelerated heartbeat of anxiety. Focus on what you’re feeling will give you space between the negative emotions and your true self. It allows you to witness the sensations and not react to them. In this way you can distance yourself from pain and give yourself more time to be grateful for all the good around. I am thankful for each of you.
A Jewel from Judy
When you are sitting, try to position yourself so your feet are flat on the floor with the knees even or slightly lower than the hips. Let your chest bone lift without arching your back. Think of a string pulling your head upward and slightly forward. This puts your weight just in front on the sit bones, allowing you to be grounded into the floor and reaching upward to the ceiling with your chin tipped slightly down. This is a good position to practice taking several deep breaths.
I love this one!!!!