Breath – Meditate – Move

Posted on May 19, 2020 by eresko

3 Easy Ways To Be More Present

How much do you want to stop the mind chatter? If you’re like me, it seems like it just won’t quit! On the bright side, I have a lot of great ideas, but on the flip-side sometimes these ideas are popping up at the worst times, like in the middle of the night or when I’m trying to relax in the evening. Sometimes the chatter is positive and entertaining and sometimes the chatter is just thoughts of rumination and negativity, and I find myself in the past overthinking a situation I had no control over or in the future where I haven’t even been yet, worrying about what might happen.

So, what’s the key to staying in the present, keeping thoughts positive and light, and keeping your emotions in check? These 3 simple steps are a great start:

 

 

The breath is a remarkable way to bring you to the present moment. Focusing on your breath brings you back into your body, keeps your mind focused and the extra oxygen is calming to your whole nervous system. Check out this post for some great breathing exercises you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. Use when you become aware of negative thinking patterns or if you feel extra anxious or stressed. Take one minute or ten, your body and mind will thank you.

Meditation is a proven stress reliever and seems to be all the rage right now. There are so many meditation resources out there to learn, continue or improve your practice. Some of my favorites are Insight Timer (there are about a million meditations to choose from – from guided to just plain music), and Gabby Bernstein’s meditations. The beauty of meditation is that you can meditate while practicing a breathing exercise or while you are moving. It doesn’t have to look a certain way for it to work.

Move. It’s simple, the body craves movement. Movement gets your blood pumping, it increases the amount of endorphins flowing in your body (the feel-good hormones), and it works off excess negative energy. We all do well with movement but it may look different for each of us. Find your movement, whether it is yoga, Pilates, walking, an at-home bodyweight workout, running, or strength training. Some people feel all the feels from a simple 10-minute stretch routine and some get what they need out of a high-intensity workout. Whatever it is, do it, your body will be healthier for it in the long run as will your mind.

These 3 things have become my non-negotiables over the past few months. I have fallen in love with Gabby Bernstein’s meditations – they are ultra calming, inspiring and leave me feeling lighter and more connected to the universe and myself. Having gone through somewhat of a health crisis in January, which I am still recovering from, breath-work has gotten me through moments of terrible pain and emotional strain when I didn’t think I could handle it anymore. Wim Hof’s breathing method became my go-to technique but I also used many others that you can find here. Movement has always been my go-to. It makes me feel like a well-adjusted human, keeps me happy, and calms my mind.

Incorporate these 3 things in your daily routine. Make them your non-negotiables even if you do 10 minutes a day! Put them on your to-do list. At worst, you just took 10 minutes for yourself and at best you feel 100% better! Practice makes perfect (if there was such a thing). The more you do it, the easier it is, the more you get out of it and the less it feels like one more thing you have to fit in your day. Create a habit of getting present and feeling good.

Do you practice these 3 things in your daily life? What are the benefits you feel in your life and mind?

Till next time ~ stay present ~ breathe ~ meditate ~ move ~

Erin

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Just breathe 💙

Posted on March 21, 2020 by eresko

What do you do when the wheels fall off; when anxiety, fear, and worry get the best of you? What do you do to ground yourself and get present?  It’s ok to let life get the best of you, we are human after all, what matters is how you recognize and choose to cope with these experiences.  Life happens and that means the good and the bad.  It’s important to take moments to be still, be aware of your physical, mental and emotional body and to learn how to give your nervous system a break when it all gets to be too much. These days we are constantly inundated with information from our TVs, our iPhones, the radio and other people.  Learn to recognize when you are overwhelmed by it all, how it makes your body feel physically and emotionally and what to do about it.  Using the breath is one of the best and most simple ways to do this.  Set a timer, set an expectation (sit and breathe until you feel your breathing slow, smooth and your body relax the tension), make it a part of your routine in the morning before you get out of bed or before bed and breathe deep.

  1. 4×4 or square breathing:  Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for a count of 4 and hold for 4.
  2. 4-7-8 breathing:  Breathe in your nose for a count of 4, hold for 7, exhale through the mouth with a ‘whoosh’ sound for 8.
  3. Wim Hof breathing:  Breathe deeply into the belly, then fill the diaphragm, then the head and exhale slowly through the mouth. Take 20-40 deep breaths this way, on your last exhale hold your breath for as long as you can.  Inhale and hold another 15 seconds at the top.  Repeat 3x.  For a better description please follow this link to the Wim Hof free mini-classes.
  4. Diaphragmatic or 360 breathing:  Breathe deep into your whole diaphragm.  Feel the belly rise and diaphragm expand in all directions (360 degrees).  Feel your whole rib cage stretch.  Take inhales deeply and exhale slowly while relaxing the tension away.
  5. Mindfulness breathing with a mantra:  Pick a mantra, a saying, a word or a statement and repeat while you breathe slowly and deeply.  Bring awareness to your breath, and how your body feels. For example, repeat a word such as “peace” or “relax”.  A statement could be, “my body is still, my mind is at peace”.
  6. Alternating nostril breathing:  Breathe in your right nostril, exhale through your left, inhale through your left, and exhale through your right.  Repeat for a set number of minutes or until you feel your breathing smooth and your body relax.
  7. Resonant breathing: Inhale and exhale at equal counts of 5.  Said to maximize your HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and to reduce stress.
  8. Body scan: Lie on your back in a comfortable supported position. Start with some deep slow breaths, in the nose, out the mouth.  Bring your attention to the top of your head and scan down the whole body.  Get specific… How does your scalp feel, how do your ears, eyebrows, and jaw feel?  Check in to your neck muscles, your shoulders, your throat.  Down into your diaphragm, lungs, digestive system, belly, ribs, pelvis… arms, elbows, wrists, fingers… you get the point. Feel the blood pulse through the body, and on every exhale release the tension where your attention is.
  9. Movement with breath:  Yoga!  Maybe stillness isn’t where you want to be… and that’s ok.  Follow a vinyasa, or do some sun salutations following your breathe.  Walking with breath (I know sounds silly, because we are always breathing).  Nature is a great healer.  Get outside – walk without expectation, without a need to exercise, just breathe in the fresh air and be conscious of just being in nature and outside experiencing your environment. If you can find some ferns to hang out with, do it!  Fern growth in a forested area is a sign of excellent soil conditions and air quality.  As an extra bonus, you are also enhancing the gut microbiome in breathing fresh ferns and forested air.

The major takeaway here is that pretty much any time you focus on the breath, whether you use a mantra, count, lie still and feel it… you release tension, calm your nervous system and give your body a much-needed boost of oxygen and calm.  Make it a daily practice.  We could all use a little less stress lately.

Till next time ~ breathe deep and relax.

 

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The Big Chill

Posted on March 9, 2020 by eresko

Cold showers anyone?  I put it out there last month to join me in a challenge to make it 14 days with a cold shower, meditation and breathing exercises… did you do it??  With the exception of this morning which is ironic as I am writing this today, I have done it every day since February 1 and I am NOT one to enjoy COLD let alone cold showers.  While I was mostly forced into taking cold showers (for reasons I will get into at some point down the line), I may be starting to enjoy their refreshing nature.  Though after spending a week on the Oregon coast, I would much prefer daily morning dips in the cold saltwater any day over an actual shower.

So, why, you ask?  Why would you put yourself through something like that when a hot shower feels so heavenly?  Yes, hot showers are the best, believe me, but there is something to be said about the health benefits of going cold.

Benefits include:

  • Boost metabolism
  • Aid in recovery
  • Decrease inflammation
  • Improve sleep & Focus
  • Boost the immune system

Just ask Wim Hof or any number of millions out there who follow the Wim Hof Method.  If you haven’t heard of him – check him out, he’s a super interesting character that has figured out how to harness the benefits of cold exposure while incorporating breathwork and meditation and use it to literally control his own immune system to the point of actively fighting off a deadly virus injected directly into his veins… Truth.  It’s crazy. But, hey, I’m sure willing to try.

Did you try it?  What did you think, leave me a comment!

Till next time~

Check out this little video about the Wim Hof Method and Auto-Immune Disease…

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Fall & Chinese Medicine

Posted on September 23, 2016 by eresko

Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

“Best of all, he loved the fall” Ernest Hemingway

I have seen this quote all over social media for the past week and agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Hemingway.  I do love the fall.  The weather, the leaves, the light are all changing; making their way toward colder weather and shorter days and the end of another cycle.  It is a beautiful transition period.  We experience natures beauty boldly, colorfully and quickly before it, and we, lapse into the winter months.

In Chinese Medicine, we look at things in relation to nature and our environment, and how it all works together.  This is to say, as the seasons change, our bodies go through similar changes both physically and emotionally.  Each season has significance and an association with certain meridian systems, organ systems & emotions.  This is evidenced by changes in mood, energy, and an expression of your strengths and weaknesses at different times of the year.

 

Fall & Chinese Medicine

So, what is fall all about?  In Chinese Medicine each season is associated with a number of things, including an element, emotion, organ system, color, taste etc.  The following list includes all that is associated with fall:

  • Element: Metal
  • Color: White
  • Organs: Yin: Lung / Yang: Large Intestine
  • Time of day: 3am-5am (Lung) 5am-7am (Large Intestine)
  • Tissues: Nose/Skin/Membranes
  • Emotion: Grief/Sadness
  • Taste: Pungent/acrid
  • Climate: Dry

Foods that support the Lung in Chinese Medicine: (fragrant/white/acrid)

  • Apple
  • Barleygrass
  • Broccoli
  • Daikon Radish
  • Flaxseed
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Green Onion
  • Horseradish
  • Kelp
  • Kombu
  • Marshmallow Root
  • Mullein Leaf
  • Mustard Greens
  • Nettles
  • Oats
  • Pear
  • Radish
  • Slippery Elm
  • Tomato
  • Turnip Greens
  • White Pepper

 Character Traits of the Metal Element 

In addition, each element has a unique personality style that is associated with it, which can be exaggerated or collapsed during its own season.  We each have within ourselves every element; Metal, Earth, Fire, Water & Wood; but with more or less expressions of each which make up our strengths and weaknesses and personality characteristics.  Metal includes some of the following in its most healthy state:

  • Methodical
  • Discerning
  • Scrupulous
  • Accepting
  • Neat
  • Calm
  • Disciplined
  • Honorable
  • Precise
  • Reserved

These traits can become problematic as well.  Depending on whether they are exaggerated or collapsed, examples include trouble with control, disappointment, difficulty with intimacy and authority or becoming ritualistic, prejudiced, overly strict and dogmatic (Beinfield, Korngold 1992).

Physical problems in the body could result in:

  • Respiratory disorders
  • Skin ailments
  • Dehydration

Trouble with:

  • Elimination
  • Lubrication
  • Venous &
  • Lymphatic circulation

As we all know, the fall is a season where people get sick and run down.  It’s a good time to take care of yourself and begin the necessary steps to boost the immune system, start eating warm foods (cooked veggies rather than raw/cold), & taking advantage of the shortened days getting ready for the impending cold of winter.

Advice for the Season:

  • Wear a scarf.  It will protect you, warm you up and keep you healthy.  In Chinese Medicine we see the back of the neck as a vulnerable place to ‘catch wind & cold’ and something as easy as covering up can decrease your odds of getting sick and protect the body, as well as keep it warm and stylish.
  • Learn to let things go. The role of the Large Intestine is literally to let things go both physically and emotionally. If you have trouble in this area, take a closer look at what you may be holding onto and make a practice of meditating on letting things go that no longer serve you, both materially and emotionally.
  • Breathe.  Daily meditations of listening to and focusing on the breath are especially important this time of year.  Take a few moments out of each day and recognize the patterns of your breath – is it shallow and inconsistent? Do you tend to hold your breath?  Take a moment or two each day to take 5 deep, nourishing breaths, you will feel more grounded, calm and present than you did beforehand, and it is a great exercise for healthy lungs.
    • Breathing meditation tip:  Breathe in and count to 6, pause, and out as you count to 6.  It will help you focus on something other than your monkey mind and keep you present.
  • Process your sadness & grief.  Check in with yourself and see if there is anything you may be grieving and holding onto. Grief and sadness damage the lungs and now is as good a time as any to work on it.  Emotions are healthy as long as you move through them, process them and accept what is and what you cannot change. Take from your grief what you can and move on.
  • Boost your immune system.  For more information on this check out these article’s  Tips to a Healthy Flu Season or Fight Cold & Flu!
  • Get Acupuncture.  Acupuncture helps balance the meridian systems, improve qi and blood flow and helps transition you through the seasons.  In other words, it improves your immune function (builds white blood cells), it improves blood & lymph flow which gets more nutrients, oxygen and cellular products into the tissues that need them and out of the tissues that no longer need them (think metabolic waste).  It helps transition you through the season, especially if you are feeling out of balance in general, or having any of the troubles listed above.  Acupuncture will improve the flow of qi through each meridian (they connect like a group of trail systems or roadways), in a way clearing the clutter along the trail to make for easy traveling and steady your emotions and energy as well. Thus leaving you refreshed and reset to enjoy all the things you want to enjoy during this beautiful season.

 

Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash

Recipe for the season:

Steamed asian pear with Chuan bei mu & honey to nourish the lungs and promote immune system function.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 asian pear or any type of pear will do.
  • Chuan bei mu (or Frittilaria cirrhosa bulb) – 8-10 tiny bulbs per pear.
  • Raw local honey to taste.
  • Optional: Add a bit of Xing ren (apricot seed) or Chen pi (citrus rind) to aid in digestion and stop cough (Stropes, 2013).

For more information and directions please follow this link to Mayway Herbs recipes page.

 

 

Until next time, stay healthy & be well,

Erin

 

 

 

Sources:

Beinfield, H., L.Ac, & Korngold, E., L.Ac, OMD. (1992). Chinese Medicine Works Clinical Handbook. San Francisco, CA: Chinese Medicine Works.

Foods that support the lung. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2016, from www.floatchinesemedicalarts.com

 Stropes, L., L.Ac, OMD. (n.d.). (2013) Mayway.com. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from https://www.mayway.com/chuan-bei-mu-and-pears-recipe/

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Here Comes the Year of the Fire Monkey!

Posted on February 8, 2016 by eresko

Photo by Cristian Escobar on Unsplash

As you may already know, this Monday, February 8th marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year.  We are transitioning from the soft, nourishing, feminine, Yin energy of the Wood Sheep into the mischievous, playful, Yang energy of the Fire Monkey.

What does that mean? 

Pretty much what you would guess, a year full of mischief, play, innovation, action, curiosity and trickery.  For some this will be a test of spirit.  The trickster personality of the Monkey will likely be harder on some than others, particularly the Tiger.  One horoscope reported:

“Do NOT, under any circumstances, be baited into leaving your cave this year. Yes I know you have to go to work, take care of commitments, and you can’t literally retreat into a cave like Milarepa. (Well if you can, then by all means do so.) But you’re going to have to symbolically take yourself out of the game and sit on the bench… (Caldwell, Narrye, 2016)

So what does this mean for others?  To answer that, let’s first understand what and who you are in the Chinese Zodiac.

How does it work?

We each have our own Chinese Astrological Animal depending on the year in which we were born.  Each animal has its own set of characteristics that are represented by the animal.  In addition, every year is associated with an element that somewhat modifies the characteristics of the year; Metal, Wood, Fire, Earth, Water. Here is a basic breakdown:

  • Rat: 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960
    • quick-witted, resourceful & kind
  • Ox: 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961
    • diligent, reliable & honest
  • Tiger:  2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962
    • brave, adventurous & independent
  • Rabbit:  2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963
    • gentle, quiet & clever
  • Dragon:  2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964
    • enthusiastic, hard-working & confident
  • Snake:  2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965
    • intelligent, calm, materialistic & communicative
  • Horse:  2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966
    • active, rational & optimistic
  • Sheep:  2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967
    • calm, amicable, gentle & creative
  • Monkey:  2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968
    • ambitious, quick-witted & adventurous
  • Rooster:  2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969
    • observant, hard-working & confident
  • Dog:  2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970
    • amiable, honest & loyal
  • Pig:  2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971
    • compassionate, easy-going & ambitious
For a more complete overview of each of the animals, including personality traits, best suited careers, compatibility and more fun facts check out The Twelve Animals of the Chinese Zodiac

Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images
images@wellcome.ac.uk
http://wellcomeimages.org

Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

So how will you and the Monkey get along?

  • Rat: You’re in the inner circle… you are sure to be a part of the success this year.  You provide the wisdom behind the invention.
  • Ox:  The monkey is a bit too erratic for you, but stick to your plan and the coming year (Rooster) will be yours to shine.
  • Tiger:  Like I said before… maybe you should keep a low profile and stay in that cave of yours… stay true to yourself by taking your own adventures, but keep it to yourself.  Maybe this is a year you work on Tai Chi, Qi Gong or regularly practicing yoga.
  • Rabbit:  The monkey could test your limits this year, be careful to always have multiple escape plans.
  • Dragon:  Adventures await, this is your year.
  • Snake:  The snake cannot resist the monkeys charm, but entanglement always ensues.  Practice holding back from the intrigue this year.
  • Horse:  Be careful not to get caught up in the excitement and hyper energy of the monkey. Stay true to yourself and you’ll be just fine.
  • Sheep:  Allow what you’ve created in the past year to manifest.  The monkey will do his/her best to pull the rug out from under you.
  • Monkey: Monkeys love excess monkey energy.  Go ahead and get into all sorts of lovely trouble, you can do anything!
  • Rooster:  Keep your focus and you won’t get taken by the mischievous monkey.  Just stick to the plan, your year is coming.
  • Dog:  Loyalty is your game, but this year, let loose a little.  Go take advantage of the playfulness of the monkey, just don’t get too carried away.
  • Pig:  You are trusting, it’s a blessing and a curse.  Watch out for tricksters and swindlers, the monkey can be opportunistic and see your trust as a weakness to be taken advantage of.
All information above was paraphrased from a longer article by Narrye Calvwell @ Year of the Fire Monkey

For more information on what the holiday is all about; celebrations, festivities, food and other rituals, please check out this old post:  Celebrate the Chinese New Year

Here is to The Fire Monkey!  To a year of fun, action, adventure, play, intrigue and keeping our wits about us.  It’s sure to be an exciting year for all.

Till next time ~ Be well

 

Erin R. Hill, L.Ac

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