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For poetic prescriptions to relax and reflect - CLICK HERE
Do you have a busy life? How often do you have fun and laugh? How often do you stop and do nothing, just be still. I see so many people become ill because they live life in the fast lane, fuelled by ego and adrenaline. When not working they are exercising, entertaining or partying, watching films or DVDs. They are constantly organizing, planning, negotiating, wheeling and dealing. They never stop thinking. There is never time for fun and frivolity or for doing nothing. It leads to burn out and break down.
"Laughter is the music of the soul"
In my experience, both personal and professional, this causes two main problems.
Firstly the body never physiologically calms or settles. The heart rate and blood pressure are always elevated at working levels, commonly also aggravated by caffeine and nicotine. The muscles are tenser, the nervous system is always alert and on edge. The body systems just have no time to normalize.
"Be a fundamentalist. Make sure the fun comes before the mental"
Secondly, and in my opinion more importantly, they never switch off their thinking and let their mind be still. It is in this still time that we connect to our higher creative self, our intuition, our inner guidance system that helps us stay on an even keel. It is in this "still time" that we are grounded, connected to the earth, stabilized. Just as a tree without a strong root system will easily be blown over, so too someone flying high is easily buffeted by turbulence and pushed off course, frequently to a crash landing.
"Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a
quiet mind is adequate perception of the world." Hans Margolius
So many patients tell me that they have no time to stop ... but I believe that the busier you are, the more important it is to be still and to relax the body and brain, even for brief moments. I often do it for a two minute interval between patient appointments. I just let my body relax in my chair and switch off my mind. Initially it was difficult but now it has become automatic.
Having fun and laughing releases natural endorphins, chemicals that relax and regulate the body. The muscles will lose their tension, inhibitions are lowered to lift the mood, the immune system is stimulated to protect against infection, the lungs are filled and aerated increasing our oxygen levels. It is an envigorating process.
Having still time relaxes and normalises the body keeping it functioning optimally. Having still time connects you with your creative talents so that when you start up again you are more productive. But most importantly having still time keeps you in touch with your intuition, your inner real self, and helps you see and choose what is best for you.
Take time out to read one of the poetic prescriptions:
can you go nowhere? .......are you able to be alone with yourself?
have fun ...... ............................learn to lighten up and cultivate a sense of play. Best of all it’s free
stopping .................................. the busier we are the more we need to stop
daily pause ............................. why not pause at intervals and reflect
be calm .................................. a wonderful poem with which I calm myself
my bliss ............... what is your bliss when time becomes suspended and we are immersed in the moment
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