Wellness

Stop the steamroller that heads to anxiety, stress and depression.

It’s almost September and everyone’s rushing to “Register.” For what???? Classes, sports, after-school “experiences,” and on and on. Parents dread the crazy chauffeuring schedules and costs. Kids are overwhelmed by the new level of work at school and emotional adjustments to a new environment. Everyone’s huffing and puffing and by October, my phone rings off the hook.

How about scheduling a few family hikes or bikes or day trips? Or committing to an old fashioned family-around-the-table dinner conversation three times a week this fall instead of rehearsal and practices? You ‘ll save on gas, and maybe therapy when everyone’s in the same place at the same time just BE-ing, bonding, and listening to one another. The stress of fitting food, homework, deadlines, chores, friends, exercise may just stop the anxiety before it starts. Worth a try.

It’s HOT! When tempers flare, the thermostat’s at 90, your patience is gone, and anxiety, stress and depression put you over the edge, try this (quick), easy exercise to calm your mind. Either have someone read this to you, or record it yourself into your phone, then play it back. Speak slowly and put on soft, gentle background music if you’d like.

1. Close your eyes. Take deep breaths in and out. Imagine a summer breeze filling your lungs and on the out-breath, see any toxins within leaving your body. Continue until you feel brighter inside.

2. Fall into a gentle breathing pattern. See the summer sun high in the sky. Imagine its golden rays beaming down into the top of your head, continuing over your face, neck, chest, your heart and back, continuing down your arms, sides, down through your belly, around your hips, down through your seat, your thighs and knees, your shins and out the bottoms of your feet — sending sunshine deep into the earth. Let the warmth relax each muscle, melting all tensions away. When every cell is vibrating, tune into your sacred body energy (chakra) centers.

3. Allow the crown chakra (top of your head) to see and open to a small, golden circle that is rotating clockwise. Do the same with your third eye chakra, (mid-forehead), your throat chakra, your heart chakra, and your solar plexus chakra, your sacral chakra, and finally your root chakra. Take your time.

4. Straighten your spine, creating a straight line from your crown all the way down to your tailbone (“root” chakra).

5. Then, see a water pitcher pouring cool water into your crown. This flowing water is filled with the light of a thousands stars. This starlit water feels cool, and as you receive it, the clockwise rotation slows down a bit. The ripples seem like a summer lake at sunset. They calm you.

6. Lower the water pitcher to your mid forehead. As the starlit water flows here, let the motion slow down further, and see the ripples bringing you peace.

7. The water pitcher pours starlight right into your throat chakra, cooling and relaxing our tired voice. As the clockwise motion slows and the ripples form, take a moment to listen to your thoughts.

8. Then pour starlight water into your heart (chakra). When this chakra feels relaxed, send this tranquility inwards & outwards to a friend, relative or neighbor.

9. Repeat with your solar plexus chakra, and know that when we calm this area, we can become more grounded and centered.

10. As we move this celestial water pitcher down to our sacral chakra, pouring starlight into this chakra and allowing the clockwise motion to slow, imagine the ripples of this chakra glowing with all colors of the rainbow. See the reflection of this chakra’s rainbow lake and gaze into it asking for a vision of the future. Take your time receiving this vision and message.

11. Now take three new deep breaths. This time bring the star filled water pitcher down to your “root” chakra (tailbone). As you pour the cooling water into your root chakra, know that this water is healing your entire body and immune system. Let the water flow down your legs to your feet. Let the healing water flow onto the ground and be absorbed by Mother Earth.

12. See yourself as whole and complete and healthy. Take time to have a vision of yourself engaging in an activity that adds health to your lifestyle. Notice that you are strong and joyful.

13. Come back and imagine yourself back in your meditative space. You are relaxed and calm. You feel balanced and at rest. You have stopped the world from spinning so fast and spent these moments receiving healing. You have remained open to the universe and all of the wonderful gifts it has for you. When you are ready open your eyes.