Your Holistic Rebellion

As children we are taught the moral of the lesson is "the race is not always to the swift." Sure. That fits on a superficial level. Did we ever pause to wonder why the hare really lost? Maybe there is another deeper truth to this ancient Greek story: Slow n' steady wins the race. 

Imagine if the hare represents the sympathetic (fight-flight-freeze) division of the autonomic nervous system whereas the tortoise embodies the parasympathetic (rest and digest) system.  Let's rewind to the week before the race. 

The hare choose  productive procrastination, the art of doing everything else except for the task with the most recent important deadline. She stayed up all night during week, over indulging with social engagements,  candy crushing, washing her cupboards, cleaning the basement. You know, doing all the other things. So the night before she stayed up too late cleaning her sneakers, she woke up late so did not properly hydrate or nourish. Just abou 1/3 left to the finish line, a migraine set in so the hare fizzled out.

The tortoise showed up early to the race well-rested, bright, cheery and a reserve tank full of energy for she had prepped a little every day over the past week to be pleasantly prepared. In that week she meal prepped, made protein smoothies, got a full night's sleep, hydrated, stretched. meditated. She was calm and relaxed with a "slow  n' steady" mindset. She told herself to have fun, enjoy the scenery, feel the sunshine on the tip of her nose.

Visit the U.S. LIbrary of Congress for the full story. 

At times we may need to respond like the hare - fast, darting, hyper-responsive; this can be very helpful during times of intensity such as emergency, emotion like embarrassment, excitement and exercise. Once adrenaline enters into the bloodstream, it has a shelf life of 30 minutes.  This stress response was not designed to last forever, only for short bursts. 

Is this what serves my highest good all of the time? Do I want to be in that state consistently? Usually this is not sustainable. This type of chronic state of being programs a person to be wired, frazzled, scattered with a dysregulated nervous system, perhaps an autoimmune issue where the immune system has mutanied and attacked the muscles, joints, gut, thyroid, pancreas, or even chronic fatigue. Basically state of mind contributes to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

This lesson invites each one of us to pause and take inventory. To ask, "How am I showing up for today's race? Am I showing up to support myself?? Am I choosing burnout??? Do I advocate for burnout???? Do I expect myself to suffer???? Do I expect others to operate at burnout???? And to suffer????

On the other hand, I can choose to show up for the journey another way, a softer, gentler, kinder way. "Do I fully support myself? To take care of my needs because it is completely natural to have them? Do I get enough time to quiet my mind, to go within, to breathe, to rest? Do I choose the tortoise or the hare? 

Affirmations help achieve a sense of safety and hope. Over time repetitive use can help to rewire our state of being and to bring more ritual to your daily living. Here are a few classic affirmations from the "Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron:

"I am a channel for God's creativity, and my work comes to good."

"My dreams come from God and God has the power to accomplish them." 

"My creativity heals myself and others."

"There is a divine plan of goodness for my work."

"I am willing to let God create through me."

"It is important to remember that at first flush, going sane feels exactly like going crazy."

"As we gain strength, so will some of the attacks of self-doubt. This is normal, and we can deal with these stronger attacks when we see them as symptoms of recovery."

Using these positive statements allow us to instantly take a moment, breathe, then choose to step back onto the path for balance, for restoring harmony in this  moment. Doing this as a daily practice is taking the time consistently to bless oneself, to feel good and safe inside your mind and body because they can change negative thought patterns, improve self-esteem and boost motivation. 

Affirmations are the gateway to reprogramming our state of being, our consciousness, actively being in a state of being that you are choosing - being in your head, securely in your body, tapping into your heart. 

Restoring balance happens gradually over time as one spends more and more moments through the day enjoying an organic, deep feeling of body-mind-spirit wellness. The natural inner sense of well-being  that is independent of any outside factors that creates a whole life with oneself, family, work, relationships, creative pursuits, self-care, spiritual community, etc. 

For moments of balance, one must create space to show up with the commitment to feel naturally good and a a fundamental knowing that "my life goes well." This leads to the practice of radical acts of going into the inner depths ~ inside one's mind and heart ~ where the deepest held beliefs about what is possible resides. 

So how does one create this space? Most of us really are not taught. I was not, however, I have spend my adult lifetime learning. First you must know your values - the principles that guide your beliefs and actions, defines what is important to you,  gives you clarity, and helps you to make decisions. Some common values include honesty, integrity, kindness, fairness, and personal growth. 

Acting as a built-in personal compass, you can live in accordance to what your value the most which leads to increased confidence, clarity, a stronger sense of self-respect, resilience, and purpose, healthier relationships, and reduced stress. Basically, when you know your values, you honor your worth. This leads to having healthy boundaries with others and even yourself. 

When we know our values and respect our boundaries, we can better understand how to identify and meet our needs that we can elevate to creating ritual in our everyday routines. This structure supports the nervous system as well as protects motivation and energy levels throughout the entire day. 

Into the afternoon and evening, it is crucial to stay connected with the body, mind and emotions with "body check-ins" which are a mindfulness practice to intentionally focus on physical sensations that increase self-awareness.  For a proper body check-in, first pause in the moment and take a few deep breaths, grounding you into the present. Scan the body from head to toe, noticing any stress or discomfort without any judgement. 

What do you notice? Are there any emotions surfacing?  Do you feel pain or tension? If any thoughts come up, just let them pass and return back to the body and your breathwork.  When you find patches of tension try to soften the area with an inhale and release it with the exhale. Breathe fully into that area. Re-center by feeling your entire body as a unified whole then bring your attention back into your surroundings. 

Body check-ins are a great and easy way to connect your physical and emotional states, provide a tool to de-escalate stress by shifting an overthinking mind back into the body, encourage self-compassion, and clearly identify needs. When we feel safe in our bodies, we are in the present moment - not in the past or the future.  

Choosing ourselves, our needs instead of the social media platforms, the mind numbing games, the worry, the fear, the anxiety, the gunk that prevents us from showing up for the real stuff. Here are some of my favorite activities to show up and support myself for radical acts of restoration and grounding: 

• getting a massage or bodywork
• stop to "smell the roses" moment aka using aromatherapy
• listening to calming music or affirmations - I love Neural Frequency Sounds on YouTube
• meditation with deep belly breathing
• using flower essences and homeopathy remedies
• being in nature, feet on the ground, hugging a tree
• getting a hug, giving a hug
• elevating your bath, shower, foot bath into a ritual
• using a pumice stone on the feet
• humming the "Happy Birthday" song to stimulate the vagus X cranial nerve which initiates the parasympathetic nervous system
• stretching, yoga, pilates

The more and more we show up for ourselves in these small ways, the tiny baby steps, it connects us on a deeper level to our intuition, a deeper knowing , and inner wisdom. This helps us to be in alignment which opens the possibility for recognizing our boundaries, our needs, and our emotions. 

Life is better when you eat like you love yourself, move like you value yourself, speak like your respect yourself, and live like you care for yourself. Essentially self-care is how you take your power back.  What can you do, just for today, to fall in love with taking care of yourself today - body, mind and spirit?