Okay, now you’ll know the truth: I write about what interests me. I organize meetings around what interests me. I look for speakers that present subjects that….well, interest me.
So what interests me right now? Stress. The kind of stress that we run into in our lives where you HAVE to go through it, no ifs, ands or buts. You know the kind when your forced into a job change, a family member has an unexpected medical event or you lose a loved one. What I have found is that it pretty much guarantees you’ll be eating meals off schedule,being awake at abnormal times for you, struggling to find any way to cram in exercise .It is well-known that stress can temporarily worsen most neurological symptoms. Once the stress is eased and the person returns to a more “routine” life, the symptoms usually revert back to where they were before the stress occurred.
Twice lately, I have found myself in a stressful situation in which it was crucial that I be responsible and attentive since lives that were important to me hung in the balance. That means I needed to be able to function at peak levels, a challenge on any normal day.
I know many of you have been in this same situation. What did you do? How did you manage to work in the exercise, to get enough rest as you worked through whatever the situation was? One thing that I think will help in this latest situation is that there are many other people who know my situation and who are there to help me as needed as I care for my loved one.
Our group meets again on the first Wednesday of December, the second. Stress will not be the topic but one of the possible antidotes is. Ann Duvall (her bio) , will be talking about and illustrating Qigong. From her website:
Through the integration of posture, body movements, breathing, and focused intention, this mind-body practice enhances vitality and calmness to reduce stress.
Studies have shown benefits from the practice of qigong similar to tai chi and yoga. What a wonderful new tool to carry into the holiday season or what other stresses await us. Mark the date and time – December 2nd, from 1pm – 2:30 pm.