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| Jackrabbit on trail Author image |
While hiking under a gently
warming Arizona sun last summer, I was on the
verge of a panic attack. I was used to avoiding the occasional free
ranging cattle and their plops. I was also used to scanning the
surroundings for snakes. But, discovering that a resting, coiled
snake may resemble a dry manure mound, was startling.
My
usual panoply of sensory pleasures--wide sky, bird calls and
blooms--with the addition of now-suspicious plops, became a Code Red
cacophony. At my usual swift stride, I called back to my hiking
buddy, “I’m feeling overwhelmed by everything I need to watch out
for!” His simple reply changed my life: Why
don’t you slow down?
Crisis Intervention
Slow
down. This message permeates health and wellness media with calls to
be mindful, focused, conscious, present, aware, tuned in, receptive,
centered, grounded. Now, Covid-19 prevention is mandating us to slow
down, too. During a crisis, the sense of vulnerability heightens and
our tolerance for mental chaos may fluctuate. This is highly characteristic of the grief journey. Individual thresholds
for ‘chaos’ vary, like a strong radio signal that turns to
static. If you’re feeling mental static, it’s time to turn off
the “breaking news” and tune in to yourself. Slow down.
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| Cloud gazing Author image |
I
utilize a variety of methods to get grounded. Is the setting day or
night, sunny or cloudy, private or public? Develop some methods that
empower you with choice and comfort. Simple “meditation” can be
sitting with eyes closed and focusing on breath. Get on the floor or
a yoga mat and stretch, roll, breathe. I also highly recommend cloud
gazing (best done with formations, not full-sky gray.) Relax and
watch them drift, change shape. Brief, light tapping
on oneself (also known as the Emotional Freedom Technique,) may be
calming and done anywhere, with subtlety. Can you step outside for a
walk or play a soothing tune? If traveling, find the airport
terminal art gallery
before takeoff or, read a short, enjoyable text.
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| Blue Skipper on leaf Photo used with permission Jim Hunter, Fairbanks, AK |
Savor the Slow
As
a writer, I value words for many reasons; language is amazing! Does
my sentence need a dandelion or dahlia? Most of us enjoy reading, but
I have discovered the calming pleasure of reading word... by...word.
Taking that brief text, prayer, proverb or affirmation, I read one
word at a time. Try this: Savor
that word! Let its
shape and sound and nuance roll around in your mind like a peppermint
on the tongue. Then, read the
next word, and so
on. I am usually a happy, limp noodle after only one sentence!
It
is important to remember that slowing down is not just for Code Red
situations. In The
Power of Now,
Eckhart Tolle advises that a steady practice of being mindful during
all daily activities will strengthen mindfulness during difficult
moments. I hope you, too, can discover the pleasure and peace of
‘slow.’
Read other posts about mindfulness:
Thank you for caring!
