When you’re navigating turbulent waters, your natural instinct might be to keep paddling to stay afloat which can be exhausting when you’re already feeling depleted. Getting still on the other hand, might feel counter-intuitive but it allows you to float with the tide and recalibrate.
Stillness. It sounds like a luxury in this day and age, notes Nutrition Health Coach and the host & founder of the self-development podcast, The LifeKraft Podcast, Melissa Lainn.
“Our lives are filled with noises, sounds, and demands from the technology we use to the corporations all vying for our attention,” she says. Further enlightening that we’re experiencing more dis-ease, burnout, anxiety, depression, and drug use than ever before in our recorded history. “Everyday life can leave us feeling like we want to ‘switch off our minds’, and when we go through hard times, personal storms, and unexpected events, we can find ourselves drowning in the noise of it all.” Although finding stillness in the midst of a personal storm can feel like an impossible task, she affirms that not only is it possible but it’s also your greatest place of healing. Here, she recommends five holistic wellness practices that can help you find inner peace during difficult times.
Be Here, Now…
Meditation can feel a little tricky when your mind is racing and your body is in a state of stress, so, a great way to begin finding stillness is becoming present in your now experience. Take a deep breath and focus all of your attention on the rising and falling of your chest, the sound your breath makes leaving your body, the feeling of your feet on the floor, and the sensation of your clothes on your body. Your senses engage you in this world, by focusing on them and paying attention to them, with no judgment, you move out of the mind and into the present moment. Practice this 3 times a day or whenever you feel like your mind is running away with you.
Make Room…
Our minds get full of things just like our homes get full of things and stepping into stillness requires there be room and space available for a miracle. Look at yourself as a holistic being, and ask: 'Where am I holding on to things that don't serve me at the moment.’ Then, start the cleaning. Journal and get the things that are in your mind out on paper (burn it afterwards as a symbol of letting go if you please), declutter your office, clean your cupboards and fridge and throw away old mouldy foods, donate the jeans you don’t fit into anymore, etc. Make room in yourSelf, your home, and your environment for healing to enter.
Practice Meaningful Movement…
Your body loves to move. But when you’re feeling overwhelmed by life it can feel like the last thing you want to do, yet, exercise and movement can help your body release the hormones associated with feelings of joy and serenity. So I suggest incorporating ‘meaningful movement’, forms of movement that are not very intense and can help you gently quiet the mind like yoga, pilates, gentle swimming, and walking. Make them meaningful by being fully present when you practice, seeing it as something you do for your mind, body, and spirit. Remember, even 10 minutes of meaningful movement can begin to shift your physiology to a more peaceful state.
Go to Momma Nature…
Spending time in nature can help you not only feel more connected to the world around you but has been found to help with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Stand outside in the sunlight first thing in the morning, go for a walk outside, plan a hiking trip with friends, ground yourself by walking on grass barefoot, hug a tree for 30 seconds or plant a herb garden. Being connected to momma nature helps your physical body relax and is a moment you can consciously become still.
When You’re Feeling Helpless, Help Someone…
This quote by Aung San Suu Kyi, brought more peace and joy to my life than I could ever have imagined. Helping others can give you a sense of purpose, bring perspective to your own struggles and activate the part of you that is needed to step into your next version. Volunteering, giving of your time, creativity, love, and experience, or performing acts of kindness can be one of the most powerful ways to find stillness in a storm.
Patience is key when trying to get to that place of stillness, and Melissa recommends trying different practices to find what works for you. “Honour your humanity by being kind to your body, like you would a friend, and remember your divinity by staying connected to the part of you that is bigger than this moment in time,” she says. Further affirming that storms are the perfect time to re-write your story, step into a new era and emerge a stronger, wiser, more fulfilled you.
Meet the Expert
Melissa Lainn is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and the host &founder of the self-development podcast, The LifeKraft Podcast. She is passionate about holistically helping people create more energy and true transformation in their body, mind and spirit so that they can have a bigger experience of life. Her metaphysical approach to health brings clarity, direction, and positive support for her clients and it’s that passion that lead her to create the LifeKraft Podcast, a top self-development podcast from South Africa to empower you to create a life you’re excited to wake up to.We are all capable of creating a bigger experience of health, abundance, and joy in the life we already have. She helps you remember your innate power and step into it fully, every day.
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