Mental Health in SARSCoV2 Land

Mental health is such a loaded term. We all have met "crazy" people. They are the smelly person on the subway, loudly declaring we must repent to Jesus, or the relative that has zero ability to respect boundaries. The mother or father whose anxiety 'takes over the room' and so on. Psychological suffering is a daily experience for millions of Americans. Whether it be diagnosed in the DSM-V or just generally agreed that Grandfather is "depressed," the impact is profound and ripples through the fabric of our communities. We feel this acutely with the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. Feelings of confusion, unease, abandonment, anger and loneliness are common. Our fears can rule us to the point of paralysis. Even in 'well-adjusted' individuals, getting support, navigating daily interactions and finding meaning in these times is difficult. Without great witnessing and care, the undercurrents of death and loss are constantly pulling us. The backlog of emotions and reality of all this threaten our ability to cope. Psychic bandwidth becomes overloaded and the small irritant becomes the trigger for a meltdown. The proverbial straw has truly humbled us camels. I know when I thrash myself awake at 3am with the thought of one particular body in one particular broken refrigerator truck in Brooklyn, it's time for some consistent gentle intensive care.

Today I meditated. Progressively more frequent 20 minutes breath-counting, witnessing myself with a gentle set of phrases and finally a slight quieting of the 'feral-monkey-on-crack' brain. Then a willingness to sanely look at my day. What does self-care look like? Not the insane 40-item to-do list that I then shame myself for not accomplishing. Nope. The what qigong exercise is appropriate moment? A clear sky and a jump-rope are my companions. Not to mention the grateful dogs. No news, or Facebook or frantic research trying to order my Universe. Let things fall apart. As Aron Wright sings, "so we saved a few things that were spared." My own personal Build it Better. Pet the cat, go to a disconnected Zoom meeting, get a witness and give my self a physical 'atta-boy.' As one of my Programs talks about... Taking custody of that part of me that needs holding and kindness. The part of me that feels every death like the first one. So today I won't try to figure it out. I won't put one foot on yesterday and one on tomorrow. I'll breath deep, cry, pray and be of Service. To all, especially me. 

Hugs!

Resiliency and Acupuncture

According to engineers, resilience is the property of a material to absorb energy when it is deformed elastically and then, upon unloading to have this energy recovered. This recovered energy is stored elastically. Put another way, applying a stress or load to these types of material can actually produce energy. The primary concern here seems to be assessing, (and developing), materials strength, adaptability and applications. This is important since there is crossover when the concept is applied in a psychological and humanistic approach. While a utilitarian focus might assign these same criteria, this will not give an accurate description of a ‘resilient’ person or system.

Psychological resilience, is the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and catastrophe. It’s described as the dynamic process where individuals exhibit positive adjustments to that adversity. Certain factors are known to influence one’s resiliency. These have been studied extensively by researchers to both predict outcomes and provide resources to individuals who are likely to encounter these stressors. Some groups including the US Army have established programs addressing this. One called “Warrior Resiliency Program” has devoted helpful resources to veterans. While civilians are unlikely to encounter these scenarios, repeated ‘low grade’ stressors cause many of the same effects to a lesser degree. Often ineffective coping mechanisms are employed to “deal with” these stressors. Often these strategies contribute to chronic illness, or undesirable outcomes. If one examines the types of illnesses and discomfort we experience, it’s clear that lifestyle and personal choice can be directly linked to them.

It could be argued that like materials, people can benefit from stressors. Just as the energy in certain metals and organic materials can be retrieved after applying pressure, people can perform better with pressure applied. We can think of this as “rebound” or bounce-back. By definition, resiliency will not develop without these pressures. The trick is to provide us with tools that can support us during what I’ll call “the crucible stage.” This is where acupuncture comes in. The Chinese characters for resilience are hui fu li (恢復力). The best translation is ‘to restore strength’.

Acupuncture doesn’t remove either the stressor or the experience, but instead provides a clear ground to support the client when adversity strikes. It gently holds the client while they generate workable solutions to the situation. It allows the person to draw strength from their own being and simultaneously builds the individual. While many people know acupuncture can be employed for pain and physical discomfort in backaches, it can also tap our nascent and hidden strengths. In the workplace, it can be the key to resiliency in those situations where we need to find ourselves, and still allow us to effectively interact with the outside. If we are body and spirit-centered, we connect with others. When this happens, the whole system benefits along with the individual. 

Springtime Comes Early In NYC

Springtime in Chinese Medicine is the time associated with the wood element. Think bamboo. One species grows 3 feet per day in tropical settings. The key is the rhizome (roots) system. Without the proper foundation this growth is not sustainable. Here in NYC the trees are budding, just aching to bust out. Wood is generated by water, which the Kidneys are responsible for. So the Kidneys must be strong and rooted. The Ba Duan Jin, (Eight Silken Brocade), and other qigong exercises help with this consolidation and flow. If you want spring to be a healthy growth period find a routine to do your exercises and stick with them. You can then outlay that energy effectively. When the Elements are balanced and each generate and control their counterparts, the Cycle is maintained. This model developed thousands of years ago and still applies even in our modern experiment of life. 

Ba Duan Jin Wintertime

Note to Self:
Wear gloves in Central Park during qigong!

Okay, so hood and baclava on. Now let's see....
Oops, hands getting cold. Ohhh...gloves are not optional in 36 degree weather!
Why's that I ask...? Well, let's see, how about something your average (no such thing) 4 year old knows, "It get's too cold and you don't want to finish ba duan jin, regardless of it's 2000 year lineage. You're just hoping to avoid the pertussis that's floating around. Maybe I can get some qi going from breakfast and tea!

YIH

Qi Gardener Debut

December 1st seems an auspicious day. Wait a moment, my ba duan jin,... where can I do it in pouring rain and 30mph wind?! Hmmm.... must be one of those days they talked about hibernating. Naah! We've got incandescent lighting and Goretex. Okay, so here goes....

Anyway, wanted to offer some thoughts for this near-year-end.

It's pretty fall-like out there so keep the hoods or hats on and think about the root vegetable soups. Skip the dairy and keep the passages clear.

Check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_81RvGc3fo&feature=related

YIH