Month: April 2020

Blog

Keeping Yourself Healthy: Spirit, Part 3

Post author By MariaDaehler
Post date April 21, 2020

4. Connection to nature: Nature heals. We are from and of nature. To remind yourself of this connection is grounding. There is much research suggesting that green spaces are healing to people and decrease anxiety and depression. This is one reason people are encouraged to walk outside in their neighborhoods while maintaining social distance. Not all people have the capacity to go outdoors during this time, but there are many ways to connect to nature. Remind yourself daily of the gift of life.

Use your many senses to take in the beauty of the earth that surrounds and cares for us. How does the earth sound in this moment? For example, you can wake up early and listen to the birds or step outside as dusk nears and you will hear them again. If you cannot go outside, listen to a recording of birds or the ocean waves, or as one astronaut who spent considerable time in space shared, the “buzzing of the mosquitoes.” Find a sound of nature that resonates with you. Notice what you hear. How does the earth feel in this moment? When you wash your hands, notice the temperature of the water you dip your fingers into, the smoothness of the soap and the softness of the towel. If you are outside, guess at the temperature of the day as you appreciate the sun warming our earth or gray clouds readying for rain. Touch a tree or a rock and ask yourself what texture and shape you experience. Notice what you feel.

How does the earth smell in this moment? Perhaps you smell her in the beverage you are drinking or the fruit you are eating. If you go outside, do you smell the blossoms perfuming the air? Or how the air smells different after a lightning storm, a new rain, in winter or on a hot summer evening. Notice what you smell.

How does the earth look in this moment? Perhaps you notice the light shaft filtering through your window and reflecting off the dust in your home. Maybe you see the many hues of green in the leaves and grasses outside your home. Look up and wonder at how blue the sky seems or how much brighter the stars appear with fewer cars and factories turned on. Notice what you see.

How does the earth taste in this moment? Some cultures do not talk during meals in order to fully focus on the experience. There is a meditation exercise in which you take one raisin and spend time looking at it, the color and the shape; then smelling it; rolling it in your fingers and then in your mouth to discern the texture and how it changes. Only after looking, smelling and feeling do you start to chew, listening to the sounds as you chew, tasting the flavors that evolve across your tongue. Notice what you taste.

If you are feeling depleted, bring nature into your space, a leaf or rock can do. If you are more confined, look out a window at the sky or search through a magazine or online to find a picture of nature that brings you joy. The national parks offered a beautiful series of photos on their website. This week celebrates Earth Day’s 50th anniversary.

What a gift to be reminded of our connection to the earth.

Tags pandemic

Blog

Keeping Yourself Healthy: Spirit, Part 2

Post author By MariaDaehler
Post date April 15, 2020

Previously, we have discussed how to connect to your body, mind and part of your spirit (yourself and your people). Today we’ll discuss the third aspect of Spirit.

Connection to other people: As humans, we are wired for connection with others and are healthier when we have connections. Find time each day to connect to others. The other can be friends, neighbors, acquaintances and strangers. Connection can be done through giving help when you can and receiving help when you need it. Both are important parts of any connection. The healthiest intimate relationships usually have both people giving sometimes and receiving sometimes. My grandmother used to say a relationship is best if it is 60/40, meaning each person is 60% giving and 40% receiving. Not all of our relationships are deep, particularly with other people, but there can still be a give and receive. For example, you may rely on the people in the grocery store to give to you by stocking the shelves and bagging the items you receive. You give money to them for their work. If you verbally share appreciation for their presence in the store you are giving even more than the money you pass to them. Notice how the other person reacts when you share gratitude for their presence in the store. Notice how you feel when you offer gratitude and get a response back. This is a simple but powerful connection. If it is unsafe for you to go to the store or you feel lonely, envision the people who planted, harvested, drove and prepared the food for you. Give mindful gratitude to those people while eating the food. Notice how you feel when you do that.

Nodding or waving to a stranger as you both pass with face masks on is a way of giving and may also elicit a receipt. In this time of “social distancing” it is important that we have physical distancing but maintain a social connection from a physical distance. Before the pandemic, that approach is still wise in situations involving strangers you do not yet know if you can trust. If we nod and there is no response, we are giving without receiving. When we give without the intention of receiving anything, that is unconditional giving (parents get to practice this type regularly). Notice what it feels like to give unconditionally. If you have joy in giving you are doing the right amount. If you are exhausted from that type of giving then you need to be taken care of. When this happens, look at scaling back and getting care for your body, mind and spirit. If you get enough care you will be able to connect again with joy. Many people believe joy is part of a healthy spirit.

Sometimes we receive without giving. For example, when we borrow a book from the library, hear a free online musician or witness a public art piece we may not be giving back. That is OK. We are witnessing the creative expression of others. If we like it, we can pass it along to others through how it inspires us. If we don’t like it, we can be inspired to do something differently with how we express ourselves to others. What is something you received unconditionally this week that inspired you?

Tags pandemic, parenting

Blog

Keeping Yourself Healthy: Spirit, Part 1

Post author By MariaDaehler
Post date April 7, 2020

What does it mean to have a healthy spirit? What do you have available to you? Spirit is defined in many ways by different people, cultures, religions and philosophies. A common thread is connection. We are social creatures so we seek each day to feel connection to ourselves, our people, other people, nature, and what some may call the sublime. The health of your spirit depends on all of these facets together. Being attuned to just one area may lead to malnourishment in others. Try to connect to all parts. We will discuss each of these five areas this week.

Connection to yourself: You can establish a connection with yourself through mindfulness, prayer, art, music, dancing, play and much more. These help you to be in touch with your body, mind and inner spirit and express these parts to yourself and others. What medium helps you to connect inwardly? Anne Lamott, an author, shared in an interview this week that she thinks of “Intimacy as Into me I see.” She suggested writing about the prompt; how you have changed during this time of world change. This is an example of how to connect within. Consider using one of these ways of showing yourself how you have changed today because of COVID-19.
Connection to your people: You can ground yourself in your family and your culture. Family can be who you are genetically connected to or who you choose to be with. Often families are a mix of these connections. Culture can be what you grew up with or what you have chosen to represent your people. Often culture is a mix of these connections. Take time each day to connect to your family and your culture. This can be as simple as calling or writing to someone. Or, as complex as looking at a picture, listening to a song or story, or smelling an odor and recalling a memory of that person or cultural event. Connection within your mind or directly with others you know can be a positive or negative experience. Understanding the impact of this connection to you can be grounding. It is an opportunity for growth.

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend a virtual wedding. Only ten people were in the church while the beautifully dressed bride walked down an aisle, passing all empty pews. She shared her love to the groom in Spanish, he in English. Many people watched through video monitors and shared comments in both languages. The bride and groom were creating their newest family and combining several cultures. There was little connection at the event but many witnesses virtually. Perhaps the most moving part was when they turned to the screen and shared their appreciation with one person after another confined to their homes during the ceremony. The viewers witnessed the couple’s receiving of their guests in a very intimate way through the screen. The couple was so surprised and happy to see all the guests, tears in their eyes and in those who looked back at them. Physical expressions of feelings such as tears can represent both joy at their union and sadness at the distance. In that moment, many strangers shared a connection as they witnessed the couple’s new definition of themselves, their people and their culture.