Rest as Readiness
After 15 years as a paediatric occupational therapist — and 12 years as a Vedic meditator — I’ve come to see that adaptability isn’t just a mindset. It’s a physiological capacity.
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What you need to know about the stress response (Part 2)
The human brain is incredibly intelligent, and its response to stress is no exception. When the stress response is triggered, the brain takes a snapshot of all the sensory information we receive in that moment. If we encounter that sensory stimulus again, the brain will trigger the stress response earlier, allowing us to prepare for fight or flight sooner. This process is known as a premature cognitive commitment (PCC).
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Lessons from the field
Whether I’ve got my Vedic Meditation teacher hat on, or Occupational Therapist hat on, I spend my week working with individuals to support their nervous systems and emotional regulation. Here’s one thing I’ve learnt..
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Pondering the New Year Using the 5 Fundamental Elements of Evolution
Looking for something different to New Years Resolutions? This year, I used the 5 Fundamental Elements of Evolution as the basis for my New Year pondering.
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What You Need To Know About The Stress Response (Part 1)
Well, there is bad news and good news… let’s start with the bad news, with reference to the ‘father of stress research’ the Hungarian endocrinologist, Hans Selye.
Selye developed the ‘general adaptation syndrome’ model which describes the impact stress has on the human body. Each time the body is exposed to a potential stressor (demand, change in expectation, pressure etc.) it has a limited amount of adaptation energy to cope or deal with the demand.
Become the sanctuary
Have you noticed how we isolate our time to rest, to switch off, to holiday periods? You feel rested and refreshed only to open your inbox to 165 unread emails or go into overdrive getting the kids ready for school etc.? Our next thought is often, when is my next holiday?
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Infinite Adaptability, Absolute Groundedness
Every time we practice Vedic Meditation, we increase our ability to adapt to changes in demand or expectations. This is important when we consider that all that is ever happening is change. The process of evolution is a result of progressive change. Without change, there is no progress. 🦍🚶🏽♀️In order to not only survive, but also to grow and flourish with change, being able to adapt and stay grounded is vital.
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Consistency is Key
Consistency is key in any practice and Vedic Meditation is no different.
(Cue pep talk motivational track)
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Staying Grounded When The Ground Keeps Moving
I heard Esther Perel use this saying on a podcast recently. It summed up the challenges of the past two years so well. The solution is much more simple than you might think, provided we can access the quieter states of the mind and step beyond the thinking processes.
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Lockdown has brought about another test of our resilience. Does the uncertainty of it all makes us question how little we control externally or, is it highlighting our capacity to change and expand our internal narrative and personal agency?
Is your locus of control focused externally, believing that everything is happening to you? Do you often internalise things as devastating, shocking and/or have feelings of helplessness?
Or is your locus of control focused internally, embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and understanding your power in making things happen?
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The Medium is the Message
When we take a rusty, steel chisel and carve a line into granite, it leaves a deep and lasting impression.
When we take that same rusty, steel chisel and carve a line into sand, it leaves an impression that, over some time, will disappear.
Take that same rusty, steel chisel again and carve a line into water. On this occasion, no impression is left.
In life, we are constantly being challenged by the ‘chisels’, the demands of our experiences, whether they relate to the pressures of work, family, love or society. We all face these demands, no one is exempt. The message lies not in the demand itself or how intense it is but rather who we are and how we deal with such demands.
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