There is a banner in front of our neighborhood church that proclaims a sentence of scripture. It reads: “Be not afraid.” Easier said than done you say? Well, yes, but it is a good reminder that fear and worry usually makes a difficult situation worse. No doubt it has been a scary year. In fact, the last few years have been quite turbulent in this and other countries. Fear seems to have gotten a stranglehold and traumatized us.
So why do we have these emotions if when expressed frequently may lead to stress and ultimately illness? In fact, we hold trauma in our bodies and it informs every action and reaction. (Check out My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem for and excellent and in-depth explanation.)
Our bodies are incredibly and wonderfully made. Everything has a purpose. Right? No doubt in our evolution stress propelled humans to survive and eventually thrive, but our bodies have not kept up with modern society. Today running (in general) is for sport and not for necessity. I am not athletic and think I would have been another creature’s dinner had I lived in prehistoric times.
What to do then, if I am not a runner? What to do with all that stress? (I am not a worrier by nature, but as we all know Life gets….complicated.) My go-to de-stressor: a walk. Observe. Notice Nature . Contemplate Beauty. Take a good deep breath. Touch and acknowledge your body and your being. For those hard to get to parts like your organs and atoms, touch them with your mind. Thank everything and all. Gratitude cultivates Love and Love will conquer fear. Try it! It will take a little practice to get into that mind-frame, but this can be done as a short pause or a longer sitting in any time or space. Let me know how it goes.
By the way, ALL of my designs are made with intention and Love. It’s the only way I create.