Sometimes I think this can be missed with the focus always on slowing down, meditating and the parasympathetic nervous system. However in reality we need all elements in our life.
I was reminded of this recently, by one of teachers and mentors Lucas Rockwood, when he was discussing the two extremes.
We look at the monk on the mountain meditating, he looks in a place of total peace and tranquility. How many of us have looked at this and thought; if only I could get to that place of bliss. However, as Lucas pointed out, we have bills to pay, responsibilities with children, family and work. Even with the best will in the world, we do not have 14 hours a day to practice this art form.
Then we can explore the other extreme. With insurmountable amounts of stressors in our life and this becomes unmanageable and overwhelming. This eventually becomes visible in both our mental and physical health. We also do not want to be in this position. I can personally endorse how debilitating this is from my own life journey. Long term stress massively effects your health.
Balance really is the best place to be and where we all strive for
A person in balance will move between the two modes of our nervous system approx every two hours. That is the stimulating, revved up sympathetic mode and the resting parasympathetic mode. We need both and our bodies need to be access both with ease. The Yin and the Yang, The night and Day, The dark and light……
Have you ever noticed how your breath changes depending on how you are feeling?
How slow and controlled it feels when you are rested as opposed too fast and shallow when you are stressed. Or when in a heightened moment – you may even realise that you are holding your breath and not breathing at all.
Our breath works in tune with our body and changes moment to moment. Often forgotten and unnoticed.
Just as our breath responds to our nervous system, our nervous system will respond to our breath. It can be a simple, quick and effective mechanism to signal to our body to stimulate, slow down or to find its own balance.
There are lots of different breathing practices out there, however learning how to use your breath in a manner that works for you, can make huge beneficial differences for you.
Every few months, I offer a number of free discovery sessions via zoom so that you can explore how breath coaching may work for you, especially to reduce stress and to have more energy balance in your life.
If you would like to find out more for yourself – contact me to schedule your free discovery session.
Mother of the Woods The magnificent Beech Tree, Mother of the woods. Beech trees rise up and stand tall often to approx 140 feet high. They spread their canopies out to nearly as wide to approx 130 feet, offering a cool and dry place on the forest floor. Her bark is smooth and silky and invites your hands to touch her. If you stand within a Beech grove; you will feel the magical grace that exudes from her and the ambience texture in the air. Regarded as the Mother of the woods for her protective and nurturing persona; she invites us to open our senses allowing us to perceive the elemental work of nature and is said to inspire and let us creativity flow. HEALING Ancient folklore says that the water found in hollow beech tree “will cure both man and beast of any scurf or scab”. Beech tree has been used for many skin complaints such as eczema and psoriasis and also as an ingredient of the expectorant used for bronchitis. The leaves also have a uses as are cooling and bind...
We own the Forests By Maria | April 12, 2021 | 0 Poem by Hans Børli Tanslated from Norwegian by: Louis muinzer 1952. I have never owned a tree. None of my people have ever owned a tree – though my family’s life-path winds over centuries’ blue heights of forest. Forest in storm, forest in calm – forest, forest, forest, through all the years. My people were always a poor people. Always. Children of life’s hard, iro-frost nights . Strangers own the trees, and the soil, the stone-heaped cleared by the light of the moon’s lamp. Strangers with smooth faces and pretty hands and their car always waiting outside the door. None of my people have ever owned a tree. And yet we own the forests by our bloods red right. Rich man, you with the car and the bank book and stock in Borregaard timber company; you can buy a thousand acres more, but you can’t buy the sunset, or the whisper of the wind, or the joy of walking homeward, when the heather blooms along the ...
Do you need to be guided in nature? By Maria | April 12, 2021 | 0 We all know that spending time in nature is good for us and many of us have turned towards spending more time outside during this last year. So, why would we need to be guided in nature? We all know how to walk, hike or just spend time in nature; is this not the same thing? Is forest bathing simply sitting in nature and noticing a few things? Another Fad? is this just the buzz thats around at the moment and everyone is joining in? Actually no! Forest bathing as it is translated into English has been around for many years especially if you look at where it has been influenced from. Shinrin Yoku was the term coined in the early 80’s in Japan when it developed this practice. Encouraging their people to move back into the forests and experience nature after a spike in stress related illness. Japan’s traditions included shinto and tao both of which offer practices and traditions that s...
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