Stress really does affect our ability to function. It can be all consuming, choking and suffocating. When we are healing, it can be like tire spikes on the road, completely derailing our progress ~ in some cases, setting you back a few steps.
A wise teacher once said, “When it’s good, it’s easy to be good. When it’s bad, it’s not so easy to be good.”
Today I reflect on this sentiment. When it’s good, it’s so easy to do the things our body needs ~ to meditate, to breath, to feel grateful, to flow in love, to be compassionate and kind to ourselves and to others. When things get icky, and we get stressed, it’s hard to find your seat on the mat or cushion to meditate without a million racing thoughts, our stress hormones spike and for me, the acid reflux symptoms start creeping back in as elevated cortisol disrupts the digestive process. When stress happens, we become more reactive, more emotional, and it can be harder to naturally find that sweet spot of compassionate being in the present moment.
Ironically, when we are stressed, these are the moments when we need those healthy, balance tools the most. This is when we really need to sit on the mat; this is the time to really use the breathwork that we practice; this is when we ought to dig deep and find present moment awareness, acceptance and compassion.
As I heal from acid reflux – which is largely connected to and triggered by my nervous system – I find that when pockets of stress arise, so do my symptoms. This used to kick off the start of the vicious stress, symptom, pessimist vicimization cycle. “I’m experiencing stress, I’m experiencing symptoms, I’m sick, I’m never going to get better….” and the story goes on.
It’s so important in our healing journey to stop this cycle before it makes too many rotations. Stressers will happen. Things will get messy. It won’t always be easy to practice healing and balance in our day to day. But if we can find the awareness to pull those tools out when we need them most, to stay present, to forgive our bodies for feeling out of balance sometimes, for relapses and moments of unconsciousness; we are much better off and in a better place to return to balance more quickly and easily without suffering.
It is pray for the art of humility when I am in the midst of anxiety or stress – that I may forgive myself for being human and for feeling suffering. I meditate on peace and balance and remember that one step back, and moments of imbalance are not permanent. Nothing is.
Allow yourself to move through stress with awareness, forgiveness and compassion. Empower your self to use your healing tools – whatever they are for you – breath, meditation, walking, nature, journaling, dancing, yoga – and know that you have everything you need to be joyful, healthy and balanced in any moment…even when sh#t gets hard.