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Our series on methods to remove toxins continues with ways
to take control of your mind - removing unnecessary stimuli
and clutter enabling us to achieve a natural balanced state
of mind, body and soul.
Why do you care?
- The brain's primary job is "health maintenance"
- it seeks to recuperate from stresses of day-to-day life.
- Everyday stresses found in our:
- Environment - time pressures, noise, traffic, weather,
physical set-up of office/home.
- Body - aging, illness, lack of exercise, poor nutrition,
and sleep problems.
- Thoughts - how we interpret, perceive and label experiences
can either relax or stress you.
- Any everyday situation that is perceived as a threat can
cause the thinking part of the brain to send an alarm to "switch"
on the sympathetic nervous system - which initiates a series
of changes in your body - heart races, blood pressure increases,
perspire, production of hormones to slow your system down.
- When you assess "situation normal" and you do
not perceive danger - body quickly goes back to balanced state.
- Problems occur when the "switch" is left on -
when we live in a low level state of stress, the body does
not have time to rebalance and the heightened physical effects
are stressed.
The Know How
- Acceptance - switching gears from summer mode to full steam
ahead fall pace is a given. As a wise person once said "September
is hell - put your head down, focus on one-day-at-a-time and
it will all sort itself out." Lift head up now and
again … to notice the season changing!
- Awareness - suss out the current stressors in the day and
see if there is a different way to deal with them. Same
things - same way - same result.
- Consider your reaction - are you pressing the panic
button or taking the time to appraise the situation?
- Breath! Some techniques
from Dr. Andrew Weil.
- Get out into nature - it's good for the soul.
- See past detox e-bulletins - Please
release me ... let me go ... and Sweat
it out!
Know and Tell
- Patti tends to still her mind when moving her body: morning
dog walks with self, nightly dog walks with spouse, weekly
yoga classes, and listens to her need to "get out into
nature".
- For mini-breaks in the day - Patti turns to tea. The process
of making tea is calming and it has many health benefits.
Any favourites? Oh yea … roobios, green tea with lemon,
and Typhoo. Tea Granny, she is!
- Tamey's mind is rarely stilled (but she's working on it).
How does she relax? Check out the Pure
Know How Blog.
1. The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook.
Martha Davis, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, Mathew McKay, 2000.
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