Hello beautiful friends,
Some people say to me that they can’t imagine me ever being down or stressed as I’m always so vibrant, but like everyone, I have my moments and over the last few weeks there was more than one of them, to say the least. I humbly admit I lost my centre, lost my peace and joy. My awareness became clouded as my mind went into overdrive with negative thoughts, doubts and drama, trying to fix things, find the answers and well, make things happen, NOW.
I had lost the flow, my trust and grace and was trying to redirect the tide!
Have you ever experienced that? When you just know that you’re way off track but you can’t seem to find your way back home.
Do you know too, that it’s always perfect? It always is. In these moments something new is emerging. Deep emotions are bubbling up from our subconscious and throwing us off centre. The time is right for them to be brought to the light of consciousness, expressed and integrated until finally we come out the other end, re-balanced as a slightly different version of ourselves and see the light in a new way.
So that’s the short version and whilst I’m very glad to be back, sailing in clear blue skies, as always, the gift in the process is absolutely magnificent. This is it’s essence:-
“You are what you eat and WHAT YOU THINK or DON’T THINK” Karakrista
I’ve been re-minded that my thoughts, attitude and perceptions are the greatest source of my wellbeing in body, mind and spirit. The raw food I’ve been eating for the last 3 years has palpably and deliciously raised my levels of both wellness and happiness. (This has also been confirmed by research studies at the Deakin University which found that people who eat a healthy diet are much less likely to be anxiouss and to dip into the blues). But my recent experience has reinforced for me that we still need to be vigilant about what we’re thinking, not thinking or over-thinking because thought is all-powerful.
You see our thoughts are the “conductor” of the great symphony of the millions of chemical processes happening every moment in our bodies. These processes equate directly to how we feel emotionally AND physically. We can give our bodies the best food, the best raw materials for our body chemistry, but it matters who’s in charge of doing something with it.
So eating the best food whilst being stressed and thinking negatively is like having the best musicians but a really incompetent conductor. It will not be “music to your ears” and will still result in dis-ease both mentally and physically!
And before I go on, I must say out loud again that these little blips in the bliss-line are a natural part of life. It is life. We will all experience moments, days and periods, of being out of kilter, out of centre… where that sparkle’s gone, netherloan the common life crisis’ like loss of work, divorce and the eventual loss of parents and loved ones. The important thing is how we perceive it, that we know it will change, that we have tools to help us negotiate the rough seas, that we have support in doing so and that we find the message, the jewel in the process. It’s great to ask yourself these questions:- How do I need to change? How is this experience changing me for the better? What wisdom can I glean from this experience? Why is this so perfect for me now? You’ll find some tips below for avoiding the dips and in the blog “The JOYQ Way” to Living Stress-Easy, you’ll find a path to follow the next time stress comes knocking at your door.
So what is stress?
Stress is essentially a negative perception of what’s happening in your life that impacts both mind and body. It doesn’t matter what’s happening, it’s your perception that creates the stress. What one person considers stress is another’s pleasure… whilst one cruises through a set of circumstances, another drowns. Our emotions like anxiety, sadness, grief, anger, guilt and fear are not intrinsically negative but are often perceived as such. More on that in another post soon.
However it’s onset, stress, when we’re in it, is uncomfortable and at a physical, biochemical level scientists have discovered that psychological and emotional stress affects our body’s ability to regulate the inflammatory response. This will produce levels of inflammation that promote disease including the common cold and flu, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, asthma, diabetes and autoimmune disorders as well as your everyday musculoskeletal aches and pains.
The tricky thing is that much of our stress can be unconscious. We have a vast reservoir of subconscious and unconscious thoughts, beliefs and emotions and whether we know about them or not, our body does!
So what is your stress doing to you?? And whether you’re consciously stressed or not:-
…… it’s a really good practice to regularly take some quiet time, tune into yourself, listen to your thoughts, feel your body’s emotions and sensations, acknowledge what’s going on inside, practice r e l a x i n g deeply and if you recognise that you’re stressed, then do something about it, now.
Here’s three tips for you today:-
1. FOR YOUR BODY:- It definitely helps to drink lots of green juices, green smoothies and organic foods to combat inflammation, alkalise your body and flood it with minerals, vitamins, live enzymes and nutrients.
“If you’re malnourished – you should be depressed!” Dr. Andrew Saul. “Food Matters” dvd
And please don’t dismiss this statement. Most of us ARE malnourished to some degree as our food is deficient in nutrients from conventional farming practices and the subsequent depletion of the soil. This is happening world-wide. So get those green smoothies into you regardless. I’m sure the re-mineralisation of my body from all the green smoothies I’m consuming is contributing to my elevated feelings of joy over the past three years. It’s also good to eat lightly and rest more when you’re stressed to allow your body and mind to heal. Recreational drugs such as coffee, alcohol and nicotine are best avoided.
FOR YOUR MIND:- I highly recommend this practice, “The JOYQ Way” to Living Stress-Easy. It’s a combination of mindful meditation, emotional healing and yoga nidra for the mind. This is my go-to practice as a daily meditation and emotional balancing tool. When I don’t do it enough, as happened recently, then life just doesn’t flow smoothly.
Relaxation, yoga, meditation, exercise, support, talking it over with a friend and seeing a Professional (Counsellor, Naturopath, Masseur) are some of the other ways we can address a stressful time.
2. PRACTICE BEING THE OPPOSITE OF STRESS:- It really helps to consciously nurture and to choose to live from these wonderful states of:-
acceptance, non-resistance, peace, openness, harmony, compassion, respect, forgiveness, gratitude, generosity, appreciation, hope, love and joy.
Write these words down, add your own and stick them on the fridge.
Practice saying:- “I am peaceful”, “I am open”, “I am grateful.” Smile at everyone you see and notice how you feel. Then if you begin to feel stressed about something, ask yourself – “what quality can I use now to bring me to a state of greater ease in this situation?”Also notice when you’re naturally in a state of greater lightness and joy and actively appreciate and acknowledge it. The more you acknowledge it the more it will grow and ripple out to affect your life and the lives of many others positively.
3. THE CALM AND HAPPY LIVING GUIDE.
Do this every day and you’ll help keep the stress and dis-ease away:-
BREATHE DEEPLY
SLOW DOWN
MEDITATE DAILY (30-60 minutes)
DRINK 2 LITRES OF WATER A DAY
EAT LOTS OF GREENS
SPEND TIME IN NATURE, BY THE SEA, IN A PARK
MOVE & STRETCH YOUR BODY REGULARLY
GET 7-9 HOURS SLEEP (in bed before 11pm)
LEARN TO SAY NO
SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS
GIVE UP BLAMING, COMPLAINING & CRITICISM
HUG OTHERS OFTEN
LAUGH LOTS
FOLLOW YOUR JOY
I’m so grateful that my JOYful energy has returned and my creative juices are flowing again.
Remember if you need help with your stress then check out “The JOYQ Way” to Living Stress-Easy or if you’d like some personal face-to-face help, contact me for a Counselling session soon.
Do you resonate with this post? What’s happening for you? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear your story too.
JOY through thick and thin,
Karakrista