Always Striving, Never Arriving

At certain stages in our lives, it may feel like we are always striving and never arriving … as if something better is just around the corner, but we can never quite get there.

No matter where you are, what you do or whatever your circumstances, you are always with yourself.  And what does that mean?  To be with yourself means feeling life and experiencing all of its ups and downs.  The burdens, the guilt, the weariness, the isolation and the sorrows of humanity … but also the joys, inner peace, love, laughter, happiness and sheer blissfulness of being alive.

At different times in your life, you may look to organisations, religions, associations, family, friends and other people to help you find yourself.  You may keep looking for answers which never come.  Sometimes the racing mind never stops, it just gets faster and faster, constantly buzzing like an electric pylon, leaving you tired and confused.  Should I go left or right?  What am I doing wrong?  Am I any good at anything as nothing seems to be working out the way I thought it should.  The answers never come, as the noise in the head drowns out the sound of inner knowing, truth and peace.

So how to stop the noise?  The first step is to accept that you are doing your best, regardless of any outside pressures.  This acceptance helps to release tension, like the value on a pressure cooker, and creates more space for new ideas and new outlook.  And just as importantly, it gives you hope.  In this simple act of self-acceptance, you can start to see how the small pleasures in life can bring you much joy.

On finding yourself, you lift the pressure and tension from your head, shoulders and heart.  The mind stops racing, it starts to listen to the body, and the body starts to respond to the more positive thoughts in the head.  Small pleasures become a great joy.  Finding yourself and doing simple things which bring you joy is your lottery ticket to health and well-being, and makes your journey through life a wonderful adventure.

S…T…R…E…S…S!

Stress is everywhere and we can’t avoid it.  It’s in our everyday lives, in our health and well-being, in our finances, in our jobs, and in our relationships with ourselves and others.  But some people are under more stress than others.  Last weekend, I attended a charity fundraiser for the Society of St Vincent de Paul.  The organiser told a story about a family he knew that were in trouble.  He invited the head of the family to a restaurant to talk things over, but the guest felt guilty about being there.  They were offered the types of bread, and his guest said “You know, here I am being offered three types of bread, but at home I can’t even afford to put a slice on the table.”

There are many similar stories of people facing extremely challenging circumstances.  So how can we empower ourselves to help us to stay sane and tap into our own health and wellbeing?  It’s not always easy, so I hope that the following tips will encourage you to see the light instead of living in the darkness.  Sometimes we need a torch or a helping hand along the way.  So swallow your pride, and don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help.   

State how you feel.  Speak to someone, and don’t keep things bottled up inside.  Speak to a family member, a friend or a professional counsellor.  PCI College offer low-cost counselling (call 01 464 2268 for details of local services) or contact the SVP. 

Talk to yourself and tell yourself that you are doing your best, no matter how bad things are.  Frequently repeat to yourself “I am doing my best” so that you can feel it in your body.

Respond to stress rather than react.  When you react to stress, you are letting yourself feel the associated ill-effects in your body.  But when you respond to it, you are positively acting on working out the given situation.

Exercise: even the most stressed-out person who goes for a brisk walk or jog will feel the benefit.  Exercise may clear your mind of any negative clutter, and help you to make some sense of where you are at.  

Solutions: look for solutions instead of dwelling on problems.  Problems never seem to get resolved, whereas solutions are the light at the end of the tunnel.

Seek help: tell yourself “I’m worth it” over and over again.  It’s up to you to rescue yourself - nobody else can do that for you. So take that first step and ask for help.  Tell yourself that you love yourself enough to be here living life in every moment, wholly connected to the true loving being that you are. 

INSOMNIA

I’ve seen a number of clients recently who have had trouble sleeping.  Getting enough sleep is a vital component in our health and well-being.  Sleep helps our body cells to rejuvenate and heal, but a lack of sleep can leave us feeling tired, depressed and low.  Insomnia is a surprisingly common complaint: it is reckoned that 15 – 25% of adults regularly suffer from it.  And there are different types: some insomniacs have difficulty falling asleep, whilst others wake up frequently and have problems getting back to sleep or staying asleep. 

In my experience, insomnia can sometimes suggest a deep fear of letting go and surrendering.  When we sleep, we are in a vulnerable and surrendered state, and the inability to sleep may indicate chronic tension, fear and anxiety.  Ongoing insomnia can also indicate a severe lack of trust.  The thymus gland is closely connected to sleep, and in turn the thymus is connected to the energy of the heart.  Thus insomnia is often related to our ability to love ourselves, to trust love and therefore to trust life.

Perhaps the best way to determine whether you are getting enough sleep each night is to see how you feel upon waking.  You should be rested and refreshed.  If you are not, then you need to do something about it!  Here are some useful tips to help with insomnia:

- Before bedtime, take a warm bath with a few drops of relaxing aromatherapy oils such as clary sage or roman chamomile

- The homeopathic remedies Aconite (releases fear), Arsenicum (releases anxiety), Aurum (soothes the inner critic), Coffea (relaxes the mind) and Nux Vomica (calms the racing mind) can all help with insomnia: use a 30 potency half an hour before bedtime and then again at bedtime.  Repeat hourly if necessary.

- Avoid caffeinated products such as coffee, black tea, colas etc.  Nicotine in cigarettes is also a stimulant that can keep you awake at night

- Despite folklore that has long suggested that warm milk helps people sleep, research has shown that it is rarely helpful.  In fact, non-fat and low-fat milk can actually stimulate activity in the brain!

- Bedrooms should be used for sleeping and not for stressful activities like paying bills or doing work: make sure yours has a relaxing atmoshpre

- Finally, acknowledge your anxieties, insecurities and fears.  Write them down and then burn the piece of paper: just the simple fact of putting them down on paper may help you to get a good night’s sleep.

YOU ARE ELECTRIC!

Our body cells, our thoughts, our computers, our phones, our household appliances and our lights all have one thing in common: they are all dependant on electromagnetic energy.  Although we humans are biological and chemical beings, ultimately everything we do is controlled by electrical impulses running through our bodies.  If you had a suitable scanner, you would be able to see that the body’s electromagnetic field is between three to four feet wide. 

Just like all the machines mentioned above, our bodies would not function properly without a balanced energy force.  If the body has too much - or too little - electrical energy, it may experience symptoms like headaches, migraines, sore throats, eat infections or static shocks to let you know that you are out of balance.  You may want to get rid of the pain associated with these symptoms, but unless you deal with the maintaining cause - ie electromagnetic stress - problems can keep on recurring. 

Electromagnetic stress is one of the more unusual and less obvious causes of imbalance in the body.  I have successfully treated numerous clients who literally had a “light bulb moment” (!) when they realised the root cause of their problems.  A simple example is a teenage client whose constant headaches disappeared the moment she stopped sleeping with her mobile phone under her pillow.  I could quote many other similar cases.  In my experience, some people are more susceptible than others to electromagnetic stress, but problems can arise from an overactive mind, excessive mental, emotional or physical stress, prolonged exposure to electrical devices, or fatigue.

So what’s the best way to deal with electromagnetic stress?  Here’s a list of suggestions:

• Keep your mobile phone at least four feet away from your body whilst sleeping (NEVER put it under your pillow!).  This helps your body cells to relax, and your mind will feel the benefits. 

• Children and teenagers should switch their phones off completely whilst in school.  Even if the phone is in your bag, it is still in your energy field, meaning you may become overcharged with electricity, potentially making it difficult to concentrate and making you feel ungrounded.

• If you do leave your phone switched on, use a protector shield or black tourmaline crystal to absorb some of the electromagnetic waves and protect your energy field (mobile phone protectors and black tourmaline crystals are available from my clinics).  

• Take regular breaks from electrical devices - don’t sit for hours on end in front of the TV or computer, and limit the length of calls on your mobile - maybe even leave it at home one day a week!

• Consciously take three deep breaths often, just to allow oxygen to be dispersed around your body.  Breathing deeply will also help you to feel more grounded.   

• Be aware of what you are thinking, and detach from the drama in your life.  Be kind to yourself in your thoughts and actions, and the universe will respond in kind, bringing greater calm, balance and health into your life.