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 by Dr. Rita Louise
Are you feeling tired, confused and just fed up with it all? Does it seem as if you are drifting all alone in a turbulent sea with no land in sight? Well, you are not alone. Every day I hear these words from my clients, many of whom are normally filled with vim and vigor, have exciting and robust plans for the future and know exactly what steps they are going to follow to get there.
While I will go on and discuss what I believe we are all experiencing at this time as well as some ideas you can follow to help get you out of your funk, I thought I was more important to let all of you know that is it not just you. We are all being affected by the intense movement and shifts in energy that are happening on the planet right now.
If I were to sum up what is going on in one word, the word would be stress or stressful. Stress is one of those generic words used to describe situations in our lives which are unsettling in nature. In order to reduce or eliminate the stress in our lives, we need to know what the object of our stress is. What is worrying you? What is keeping you up at night? What thoughts feeling or emotions are chronically invading your space? This is often an indicator of what is creating the stress in the first place.
When we are under stress we activate the fight or flight mechanism of the adrenal glands. The hormones secreted by the adrenals allow us to run faster and jump higher. They support us and our ability to handle the changing situations in our lives. When we are under chronic stress, our adrenal glands are unable to rest and recharge themselves, thus leaving us unprepared for the next time we experience a challenge.
Our adrenal glands are like the batteries in a flashlight. If you leave the flashlight on, it is only a matter of time before the batteries are drained and the flashlight stops working. Chronic stress keeps our adrenal running all day and all night long. With them being turned on 24/7, they can become fatigued. This can cause them to not respond effectively. When our adrenals are overworked we are less able to deal with what is being presented to us on a day to day basis. Instead of responding, we react and depending on how depleted they are, the smallest thing that is perceived as a stressful stimuli can create an overwhelming reaction in us.
For many the stress we are currently experiencing revolves primarily around issues of survival. We are put into a place of survival when we lose our jobs or are worried about losing them, when we lose sleep about having enough money to eat, pay our bills or our rent.
Let’s look at stress from an energetic level, from the perspective of the 7 chakras that reside in the body. The 1st chakra is associated with the physical body as well as our ability to survive in the physical world. When our survival is threatened, the 1st chakra, located at the base of he spine begins to close, thus limiting the movement of life force energy through it.
When our 1st chakra is affected in this way, two things typically happen. Since the 1st chakra is physiologically associated with the adrenal glands, our fight or flight mechanism is activated. If left unaddressed, our adrenals can remain turned on until the stress finally subsides. Secondly, when the 1st chakra shuts down, in addition to the stress we feel, we also begin to experience the emotion of fear. We experience fear when something happens to us which pushes one of our survival buttons.
In today’s context, we are experiencing fear because we don’t trust that the universe will provide for us. We don’t believe what is happening to and around us is ultimately for our highest good. Instead all we are able to see is how we are all being affected in the now. This view of the world however is coming from a victim mentality and from the fear that is being held onto in the 1st chakra.
At this time, so much is going on, the path forward, is so unclear that we often don’t know which way to turn, what steps to take or if a decision we make now will be right, wrong, profitable or disastrous down the road. With things moving, changing and shifting so quickly I wish I were able to give you a quick fix or a sure sighted solution, but I can’t. What I can do, however, is provide you with some tools and guidance to support you as we move through this stressful period.
So let’s roll up our sleeves and get started. To begin, take some time to explore what is being said in the media about our current situation. Don’t they make is sound really bad. I think more importantly, check out the commercials being aired on TV. Every other one lets you know in one way or another how tough times are followed up by statements of how they can help you survive. As we watch, read, listen or even talk to friends, we are surrounded by a blanket of fear. We are being programmed into believing it is true.
My question to you is this: is this your truth? Your reality? If it is not, stop buying into the energy of fear, scarcity and lack on the planet. Wishing, hoping and dreaming of better things to come only leaves us sad, frustrated and blaming our lot in life because we don’t have more. Instead, recognize the abundance in your life. Many times we become complacent in our thinking and don’t recognize all we do have. Take a look around, acknowledge your blessings and say thank you, thank you, thank you.
Impossible as this may sound, but it is possible to separate who you are and your inner truth from the “reality” that is being pushed on you from outside sources. If you experience fear, acknowledge it. Remember fear is an emotion and emotions are designed to flow through the body. Don’t hang on to. Like a bad joke, laugh at it and let it go. Take a few deep breaths and allow it move through you – don’t let it become you. While this technique may take some getting used to, it is a wonderful and actually simple method to master.
Meditation can also help you to keep your energy flowing. By centering yourself, you will be able experience the stress relieving benefits meditation can provide. These benefits can be experienced even if you can only close your eyes and quiet your mind for a few minutes every day.
If you find yourself under chronic stress, it is also important to support the body nutritionally. The most common symptom of adrenal insufficiency is fatigue. Other symptoms include: not feeling rested after sleep, inability to deal with life stressors, poor memory, a low sex drive, frequent infections due to a suppressed immune system, inability to concentrate, depression, mood swings, irritability, weight gain, weakness, and hormonal imbalances.
To combat the effects of stress on the body, try soaking in a hot Epsom salt bath for 15 to 20 minutes with a few drops of Lavender or Neroli oil added to it. Epsom salts are made up of magnesium sulfate crystals, which can help calm the body and mind. Lavender or Neroli oil can help to soothe frazzled nerves, promote a feeling of calmness, and bringing about a restful nights sleep.
Siberian ginseng is an adaptogenic herb that supports the adrenal glands, making it a great tonic to help the body deal with stress. Other adaptogenic Chinese herbs that support the body include Schisandra, Ashwagandha, Astragalus and Cordyceps. In the west, Licorice Root and vitamin B complex has traditionally been used to support the adrenals.
Let’s face it; our planet is in the midst of stress filled times. We can choose to add our feelings of lack, fear and survival to the already intense emotions prevalent in the world today, thus making them stronger. On the other hand, we can choose to raise our hearts and our heads above it and fill ourselves and our lives with feelings of love, gratitude and abundance. As more and more individuals make this choice, collectively we can shift the prevailing energies on the planet and move us collectively out of fear and into grace…Then, what a wonderful world it would be.
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