ENLIGHTEN UP! a blogSelf-awareness stories: lighting our way to clarity, contentment and resilience in a complicated world.
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ENLIGHTEN UP! a blogSelf-awareness stories: lighting our way to clarity, contentment and resilience in a complicated world.
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Guest post by Lizzie Madelyn I was diagnosed with PTSD also known as Post-Traumatic -Stress-Disorder. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after someone has experienced or has witnessed a traumatic event. My problem was that I was struggling to recover from a disturbing event that left me dealing with symptoms such as nightmares, and unwanted memories of the trauma. I was also experiencing a high level of anxiety and it was difficult for me to concentrate. In my story PTSD was due to domestic violence. I was diagnosed and given medication to treat PTSD. I soon found out that these medications were making me feel worse. I then slowly eased off from these medications with supervision and started to get involved in a support prayer ministry group. I learned to identify the problem, which was PTSD and become 100 percent honest with myself. I replaced my pharmaceutical medication with prayer group and alone prayers. I started to believe that if I had faith as small as a mustard seed I would start to heal and be healed. I am not suggesting that anyone should get off their medication. You need to seek advice from your doctor first and then with supervision ease off slowly. Everyone has a different healing process. As a Believer, I believe that God is still the best doctor and prayer is still the best medicine. Prayer definitely helped me. I started applying the word of God towards those letters PTSD. I started exchanging sickness for healing, changing my mindset and putting effort towards my healing by announcing that I was healed in the name of Jesus. Prayers, meditating on God's word, and believing I was healed got me through. PTSD Symptoms: Flashbacks, nightmares, unwanted memories of the trauma, depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating. Causes: Traumatic events such as: accident, physical abuse, loss of a loved one, fire, torture, robbery, sexual assault, terrorist attacks and much more. Treatment: PTSD can be treated with a support system such as family and friends, support groups, psychotherapy and medications. Reassurance is also important, so when you can, remind someone with PTSD that they are worthy and that you care. Show them love. Love is powerful and heals. Remind them that they are not alone and that there are resources available to help them; such as mental health professionals, peer support groups, prayer groups and much more. As we come closer to the holidays, I encourage you to stay the course and know that you are not alone. Lizzie Madelyn, is the author of The Breaking, which is available on Amazon. Lizzie Madelyn was born and raised in the Bronx, the heart of New York City. She is a survivor of domestic violence, and has overcome PTSD, also known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She is a graduate from Mandl School, The College of Allied Health in Manhattan, New York. She is certified at the Board Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology as a medical assistant, phlebotomist, and EKG technician. She is a phlebotomist at Yale New Haven Health- Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. Lizzie is a firm believer that with God all things are possible.
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R-e-s-p-e-c-t. Find out what it means to me. You may recognize these words from the famous song by Aretha Franklin. For me, respect means sensitivity toward the feelings, wishes, rights, beliefs or traditions of other people. It’s recognizing the incredible diversity that exists in this complicated world of ours. Showing respect means honoring the basic humanity of others despite disagreements, dislike or even disgust. When we show respect for others we’re able to emerge from a world of black/white, right/wrong, true/false dichotomies to see the world in all of its complexity and shades of grey. As complicated as this sounds, it is the world we live in. Too many human beings otherize individuals and groups because of prejudice, bias or a wide ranging list of ‘isms’ such as sexism, racism, genderism, ableism, ageism, or disapproval of those who identify as LGBTQ+. Sadly, this includes stripping others of their basic humanity to exist. One of the best ways to respect the humanity of others is to understand the difference between acceptance and approval. Acceptance, I believe, is the state of ‘I receive you as you are.’ It’s the ability to see others, and have others see you first as a human being; to value, and understand that you and everyone else on the planet has a right to their own expression of who they are and what they believe. This includes those whose actions, and beliefs are diametrically opposed to yours. And here’s the get out of jail card that allows us to be repulsed and pissed about those whose actions and beliefs we can never and will never be comfortable with - acceptance does not mean approval. Approval means agreeing, condoning, sanctioning, or endorsing someone or something that is being presented. Getting approval moves beyond acceptance. I believe we have a human right to expect acceptance. When we do not get it, we will need to affirm our humanity to ourselves even if we’ll never get it from others. But when we seek approval, we’re asking others to agree that who we are or what we’ve created or accomplished is condoned, embraced, endorsed or supported. No surprise that’s easier said than done! Respect, like most social skills can be learned. But first we must open our minds and our hearts. If we are able to pause when uncomfortable words or actions come our way, we’ll be able to consider how to respond with respect; to find a way to see and accept the difficult situation and then respond as best we can with respect for the other person’s humanity even as we strongly disapprove of what we are hearing or seeing. We always have the right to express our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, wants and needs in honest and appropriate ways. Along with that, we have to shoulder the responsibility to respect the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, wants and needs of others. How do we do that? We need to find the tiny pause between what we hear or see in order to respond respectfully instead of reacting with a shoot-from-the-hip retort that we may regret. Here’s an in the moment practice from the yoga tradition that might help. Finding The Pause: Your Practice One of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard about how to stop and consider how to react or respond came from Iyanla VanZant in her interview on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday (11/5/17). She said, simply, “Pause, Boo!” The Four Part Breath, can help us find that all-important pause allowing us to consciously be ‘in the moment’ and respond productively to whatever is happening within us and around us, especially if it involves interacting with others. The Four Part Breath There are four parts to every breath we take. Two of those parts are obvious. We inhale and we exhale. The other two parts are always there, but unless we pay attention we don’t notice them. They are the pause after we inhale before the exhale and the pause after the exhale before we inhale. Becoming aware of and paying attention to these two parts can help you learn to “Pause Boo!” Here’s the how and the why. Instructions: the How
The Why Both medical professionals and alternative health care practitioners recognize the many ways that awareness of your breath and breathing patterns is a major factor in connecting body and mind and influencing behavior. Awareness of how you are breathing ‘in the moment’ is key to finding the all-important pause and the mental/emotional space needed to listen and watch carefully in order to form an honest but respectful response to what you are dealing with. Practicing when you are not in a difficult situation will help you call on this technique when you find yourself in one. |
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November 2024
AuthorBETH GIBBS started her yoga practice in 1968, four months after her son was born and she’s been practicing ever since. She currently teaches all levels therapeutic yoga classes for adults, and specialty classes for seniors in the Hartford, Connecticut area. Beth is a certified yoga therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists and is guest faculty at the Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy. She writes for the blogs, Yoga for Healthy Aging, and Accessible Yoga. Her master’s degree from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA is in Yoga Therapy and Mind/Body Health. Categories |
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Enlighten Up! a Blog
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