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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![]() “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” — Lena Horne The holidays are here and we’re moving into them facing troubling times both at home and abroad. In addition to these two sources of stress there are the deeply personal ones like our relationships with family, friends, and professional situations. The mental and emotional fallout from any one of these sources is difficult enough without the added stress of the holidays. Whatever your holidays look like, this added level of stress can feel like ‘just too much.’ How to deal and cope? We all need huge doses of three self-care medicines: resilience, patience and laughter. Resilience Embodying resilience is one way to manage anxiety, reduce stress, and get clear about what we can do to get through the next few months – or maybe years. Resilience is the ability to rebound quickly from a crisis, tragedy, trauma or a serious case of ‘stress mess.’ Highly resilient people won’t fall apart easily, and when we do (cause’ we will!), it won’t be for long. Why? Resilient folk call on their inner resources and ask for outside help when it’s needed. They ‘tweak’ their expectations to fit any and all new realities. Not surprisingly, research has found that resiliency varies from person to person due to a variety of factors, including genetics, but like any skill, resiliency can be learned. Resilient people tend to share several common characteristics. Resilient People
The difference between those who are more resilient and those who are less resilient, may be in how self-aware the person is and how they put resilience into action. It’s recommended that we build our capacity for resilience before we face difficulty. If we are working on living healthier in body, mind and spirit, we’ve been building resilience right along with self-awareness and peace of mind. Patience Patience is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. It helps us exhibit perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding with annoyance and anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with long-term difficulties. And oh, boy, these days that can resonate loud and strong. There are many benefits to patience as a value, a virtue and a practice. Patient people:
Developing a patience practice is useful, but it’s a real struggle for some people. If you are like me, you’ve had your patience tested and more than likely, the results were negative. So it needs to be on a ‘to-do’ list for regular practice. Laughter My last suggestion is to bring more laughter into your life, because laughter is medicine and we all need huge daily doses. A sense of humor helps. Do you have one? I hope so! A sense of humor is defined as the ability to perceive, appreciate or express what is funny, amusing or ludicrous. Having a sense of humor means being able to laugh at, or at least see the humor in life's absurdities. And with global warming and political storming, we have all the absurdities we can handle at the moment. The Mayo clinic lists several benefits. Laughter can:
Personally, I make it a point to laugh every day. It always makes me feel better no matter what absurdity or problem might be present or looming – and there is always something! I DVR The Daily Show (political satire), and Saturday Night Live (cultural & political satire) - see a pattern here? I get my laughs by watching one or more of the shows after my morning yoga practice. By the time I have finished my breakfast, I’ve had my share of belly laughs, increased my endorphin flow and set a positive outlook for the day - well, most of the time – it’s a process and some days are better than others, but at least I put in the effort. Holiday Stress Busters Here are two easy, accessible techniques for dealing with holiday stress. The Relaxation Breath is a breath practice that does five things at the same time. It:
Instructions 1. Sit with your spine comfortably aligned. 2. Soften your chest and shoulders. 3. Close your eyes or keep them slightly open with a downward gaze. 4. Inhale normally. Exhale normally. 5. After exhaling, hold your breath out and silently count “one thousand one, one thousand two.” 6. Repeat and continue for 2-3 minutes or longer if you are comfortable. If you practice regularly, you will be able to use this technique in situations when you must stand and keep your eyes open. ![]() This ‘yoga for your hands’ technique is said to bring forth a state of balance and integration. If your fingers won’t cooperate due to stiff joints, arthritis or amputation – visualize it. Instructions: 1. Sit with your spine comfortably aligned. 2. Soften your chest and shoulders. 3. Hold your hands facing each other a few inches away from your solar plexus. 4. Touch the tips of the fingers and thumb of your left hand to the corresponding fingers and thumb of your right hand. 5. Create space between your hands as though you are holding a small ball. 6. Relax your hands and forearms on your lap. 7. Close your eyes or keep them slightly open with a downward gaze. 8. Hold the mudra and sit quietly for 2 - 5 minutes as long as you are comfortable. 9. Focus on your natural breathing process. 10. When you are ready to come out, release the mudra and stretch your body in any way that your body needs to stretch. Hope this helps you navigate your holidays!
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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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February 2025
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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