The Eye Of Your Storm

Ever had one of those days when it seems like you’re traveling faster than the speed of light?  You race from one meeting to the next all morning, pick up the kids, take one to soccer, the other to piano, swing by FedEx, buy groceries, prepare dinner, do the dishes, and…really? I have to clean the house, do laundry, and help the kids with homework too!?! All in the line of duty, right? You’re in The Eye Of Your Storm, huh? Well “Super Women” you maybe, but how long can you keep it up?  Oh, I didn’t mention that you forgot to eat all day, I know, there just wasn’t time!

If this sounds like one of your days, then join me in this monthly blog where I will introduce you to a host of useful tips that will help you do less and accomplish much much more. Sounds impossible? … Read on.

Most of us feel exhausted at the end of the day like you have been paddling upstream against the current. In nature, there are rhythms and cycles that most of us are swimming against. These cycles have been mapped out thousands of years ago as part of India’s natural system of medicine called Ayurveda, the sister science of Yoga, and defined as the “science of life.”

In nature, birds fly south, whales migrate and leaves fall off of trees – life in the natural world depends on being connected to these natural cycles. Our lives also depend on living in harmony with these cycles; however, most of us just put on or take off a sweater and basically eat the same food 365 days a year instead.

We have done a bang-up job of disconnecting ourselves from these powerful cycles of nature. We are going upstream as fast as we can, too often doing everything and accomplishing little. I like to think of the worthy accomplishments as things we will actually get to take with us when we die. Sadly, these are not always the accomplishments our culture seeks.

I believe that our true nature is to be joyful and loving for no reason. Not just becoming happy because something good happened, or sad because something went wrong, but being truly joyful and loving because that is your truth. This is the prescription for perfect health according to Ayurveda. Underneath all the physical pain, emotional armor, and stress resides a more sensitive, vulnerable, and most powerful version of you.  How do we let “her” out?

This is our journey – an accomplishment that will never fade.  In the next couple of months let me guide you on a voyage that few get a chance to take. This journey, which I like to call the “game of life”, is the timeless message of Yoga and Ayurveda.

It starts with the health of the body. Living a lifestyle against the grain of Mother Nature is a risky business. We have become tired, stressed, and toxic. Many don’t digest or eliminate well, the body hurts and there is a list of things each day that remains undone. A lifetime can go by and we may never get to live those dreams or actually play this game of life.

Stress is the first culprit. It impacts the gut, mind, and heart and slowly causes the body to break down, prematurely age, and get sick. The first technique I want to teach is how to let stress roll like water off a duck’s back. It is called “The One Minute Meditation“. That’s right, it only takes a minute. How many spare minutes can you find each day to reset the nervous system from being stressed and hectic to peaceful and calm?  (See associated video.)

Imagine if you saw a bear in the woods, you would likely gasp and take a large breath into your upper chest. Chronic stress encourages shallow breathing with gradually less access to the oxygen-rich lower lobes of the lungs. In the upper chest, where most folks breathe, are the majority of our stress receptors.  The calming repair receptors are mainly in the lower lobes of the lungs which few breathe in to.

Basically, most of us breathe poorly, not giving the brain the oxygen it needs to be calm while under stress. The One Minute Meditation starts with 30 seconds of deep, nasal, bellows breath followed by 30 seconds of rest with the eyes closed. (Watch the video for visual instructions.)

This breathing is deep and fast while safely hyper oxygenating the blood to the brain. When the brain receives this extra oxygen, the nervous system relaxes and the thoughts cease. Imagine that, no thoughts!  Repeating this 10 times a day only takes 10 minutes. I tell my patients that if they did the One Minute Meditation 10 times a day it would change their lives — and I truly believe this.

This is the first step in our journey – to learn how to still the mind. Practicing the One Minute Meditation throughout the day will help replace a stressful day with an oasis of calm. In nature, the most powerful forces have silent centers with objects spinning around them, like a solar system, an atom and a hurricane. Learn how to be the eye of the hurricane – how to be the calm in the center of a storm – how to find peace in a hectic life.

I am thrilled to have Dr John Douillard of LifeSpa join our Dream Team. He will be a regular contributor   – so watch this space. You can also ask Dr. Douillard questions and connect to his blog on our community. We have a wonderful live chat planned, so I’ll keep you posted.