Dear all,
Winter, shorter days, and the approach of year’s end. Time for Tuning up (your resilience) and Turning down (the noise).
During many a season of anxiety a lifetime long, oft accompanied by a darker sense, I’ve learned to listen for my better angels and tune in to my heart’s voice to release the shadows. Over these long (and short!) years, I’ve received some transformative guidance from Teachers along the way. In the spirit of the season, I wanted to offer these words for you to freely share wherever they may be needed.
When I feel the pressure of time and deadlines closing in on me, I recall what Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen advised us to do: As soon as you recognize the voice of the Alice in Wonderland’s White Rabbit, “I’m late, I’m late…” it’s time to press pause and even lie down if you can for 5 minutes. In that short time, you can interrupt the flow of stress hormones and re-set your nervous system.
Another useful frame for interrupting stress was shared by a colleague. If you can differentiate between pressure and tension, you can change your response – Tension is a pull between two or more points and is very alive- think of the tension on a guitar string- that tension between the two points that creates the most resonant and vibrant sound. In contrast, pressure is “dead weight”, a burden that dulls and saps vitality, draining you of energy. If these stressful moments can be re-framed as Tension rather than Pressure, you will find the surge of energy – and Resilience – you need.
Have you received a word or a suggestion that was just what you needed to hear in that moment? Please share with me and I’ll be glad to post them when we “meet” again in the new year!
Namaste,
Dr. Ellyce DiPaola