Transforming anxiety

Anxiety 

How readily would you admit that you experience anxiety on a daily basis? 

Probably not that easily.  Anxiety is perceived as a weakness, a buckling in to pressure, a lack of coping.  Yet most of us carry anxiety with us constantly whether it be consciously and unconsciously and whether it shows up as a mind ' that just doesn't stop' , a gnawing sense of unease ,  insomnia or full blown panic attacks. We are anxious about traffic jams, whether we might have cancer, what our bonus will be, work deadlines and  where to go on holiday. We are anxious about what to eat for dinner, whether we have good enough security systems and if whether we should be looking for another job.  Anxiety can become big toxic mess taking us away from who we authentically are. 

And yet it is a normal natural state that is an important( and often useful)  part of the human experience.  A great deal of energy is depleted in the unconscious attempt to judge, deny, supress and distract ourselves from anxiety, losing the opportunity to channel and transform it into a growth opportunity. 

Robert Gerzon in his book ' Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety'  describes 3 faces of anxiety that I have found to be really helpful in make sensing of and working with anxiety in our current times. 

Natural anxiety: this is the feeling that we experience from the day to day stressors of life. It is relevant to the circumstance and when it is seen for what it is, can be channelled as a force for taking action and making changes. 

The anxiety usually dissipates  once the appropriate action has been taken. 

However, if these feelings are judged, suppressed or denied, the energy of the emotion gets driven deeper into the body and the subconscious mind, feeding toxic anxiety.

Toxic anxiety has no purpose. It is like an energy vampire, draining us of life force energy. It is fed by negative belief systems and feeds destructive behavior patterns and addictions. It creates a breeding ground for chronic illness  and appears as a blaming critic in relationships. It is the lens  through which the world is seen as a dangerous and threatening place. Toxic anxiety if left unchecked, may also manifest along the the spectrum of anxiety disorders. 

Sacred anxiety is a more subtle form of anxiety that may be difficult to recognize. It takes the form of an existential enquiry or dark night of soul, offering the gift of deeper insight and search for greater meaning and purpose. 

Dr Ela's Top Ten Tips to deal with anxiety : 

1. Cultivate the skill of self awareness so you can begin to identify what kind of anxiety you are dealing with and can take appropriate action.  A coach can help with this.

2. Develop the tools  of self calming in time of acute anxiety. Try this breathing technique : Breathe in for a count of 4. Hold the breath( without tensing the body) for a count of 4. Exhale slowly for a count of 4 and hold the breath before taking the next inhale for another count of 4.

This is also called ' tactical breathing' . 

3. Have your thyroid , glucose levels and blood pressure checked. Your anxiety may be related to a medical condition that needs to be addressed. 

4. Don't skip meals. A dip in glucose levels triggers and exacerbates anxiety.

5.  Cut the caffeine. It has been shown that caffeine fuels anxiety.

Limit yourself to 2 cups a day before lunch time. 

6. Try to get at 6 hours of solid sleep. Good sleep is the best antidote for rattiness. 

7. Avoid unnecessary exposure to news channels. When driving rather listen to your favourite music instead of the radio. Constant traffic reports and radio news is a great fodder for anxiety. 

8. Soak in a bath with lavender oil  at the end of the day. 

9.  Take the appropriate supplements that support your health and lifestyle. 

Your natural health practitioner can guide you with this. 

10. Release tension. Find an outlet to let go of tension. Exercise is a great way to channel and release the toxicity of anxiety. 

The Neti Pot

The Humble Neti Pot 

Do you suffer with post nasal drip, allergies and sinusitis? 

The solution may be far simpler than you think.... 

Neti nasal washing has to be one of the favourite and most used item in my medicine cabinet. In fact, it can replace antihistamines , nasal sprays and over the counter sinus medication. 

I ' prescribe' the neti pot to almost all my patients  and most people, once they are over their initial squirm, they  admit that it's effects are almost  miraculous. 

The Neti pot has to be one of Ayurvedas greatest contributions to modern medicine.  Even switched on ENT surgeons are recommending it to their patients. 

So what is it and how does it work? 

Neti pots come in all forms and sizes from a ceramic ' genie ' like pot to simpler plastic version. 

Basically it's designed to get a solution of salt water to flow through one nostril and out the other and in the process it flushes out allergens , irritants 

and viruses that trigger inflammation and mucous buildup in the nasal cavity. 

It also assists in draining the sinuses by creating negative pressure. 

How: 

Make a solution of salt water - 1 teaspoon of salt to half a liter of lukewarm water. 

Fill into neti pot 

With your head over a basin,   And tilting the head forward and down, place spout in one nostril and pour solution in that it pours out of the other side.

If its pouring down the back of the throat, change the angle. 

Repeat on the other side. Blow your nose and breathe! 

In an acute situation, this can be done twice or three times a day. 

The Role of Breathwork in the Corporate Setting

THE ROLE OF BREATHWORK IN THE CORPORATE SETTING

The ability to navigate the challenges that the corporate setting presents requires a ongoing commitment to the cultivation of greater self awareness, life mastery and conscious leadership.

Conscious breathing is a tangible and easily accessible skill that can be applied to manage energy levels, cultivate more emotional intelligence, enhance communication skills, sharpen focus and improve productivity.

It is a simple and effective tool that should form part of the culture of every conscious company and institution.

This article serves as a basic guide to applying breathwork in situations that are encountered in a typical day of a corporate executive/leader.

Situation 1:

Sitting at the desk dealing with emails, designing strategies, planning and executing of tasks, reading documents.

What is required:

A clear focused mind, creativity, lateral thinking processes, logic,concentration.

This can only occur if blood flow to brain is optimized and energy is flowing freely from the lungs and heart to the brain. However, often what occurs is that even though the mind is engaged (narrow external focus) there's a disconnection to the tension that the body might be holding.

The back of the neck, jaw and shoulders are the common areas where unconscious tension becomes locked. Backache is also a common phenomenon due to lack of awareness of the appropriate posture, and as a result the breathing is shallow or erratic.

This is not a high demand, charged experience, and the body and breath should support a state of calm focus.

Breaths to use:

1. Conscious breathing

The neck should be soft and the breaths open and flowing. When the breathing is re-patterned back to its natural state, oxygenation to the tissues is optimized, facilitating maintenance of natural energy levels.

Conscious breathing allows more awareness of posture; the back softensup and the diaphragm moves with less effort. Energy  flows through meridians more easily, supporting and nourishing all the organ and endocrine systems better.

Open flowing breaths reminds the body that 'adrenalized' energy is not required and non essential functions such as digestive processes and immune support can occur according to natural rhythms and cycles.

2. Regular deep sighs - " softening sighs "

Take in a long deep slow breath in through the nose or mouth and sigh it out through the mouth. Let the exhale go quickly, softly and completely.

Practice doing this in between paragraphs/emails. Use the sigh as a way to release tension that may be building up at the back of the neck, the jaw and shoulders and eyes as you look away from the screen. Use the breaths to become more mindful of your posture.

In the one or two seconds that you sigh, you can do all of these activities simultaneously, giving yourself a 'mini break' and sending signals to the brain to get out of 'fight flight mode'.

Situation 2:

Heated exchange with a colleague / Dealing with a difficult client

What is required:

-  The ability to listen to the essence of what is being communicated.

- The ability to respond rather than react.

-  A way to manage anger, frustration, expectation, and taking things personally.

Breaths to use:

In this context, the breath is used as a tool to create a pause before reacting. It can also be used as a "blow off tool" to release frustration.

1. It is helpful to practice the soft sigh as the pause and as a way to find your center.

2. To gain a sense of equilibrium after a heated exchange, take a long deep slow breath in through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth through pursed lips. This a technique is appropriate when it is necessary to gain a sense of control (when you are feeling out of control).

3.  Whereas the above two techniques can be applied in the 'acute' situation,' this technique can be practiced when you have more time and space for yourself. The 'square breath' can be practiced by breathing in and out through the nose: breathing in for a count of 4, holding the breath for a count of 4, exhaling for another count of 4 and holding for a count of 4before the next inhale for a count of 4.

Situation 3

Presentation at a meeting/conference/workshop/seminar/interview

What is required :

To project energy, presence and confidence through posture and eye contact. The ability to project the voice clearly.

Breaths to use:

Often in situations like this, there is a surge of adrenaline and cortisol as the brain perceives and gets primed for a 'high demand situation.'

Use this energy and harness it with the breath.

Bring the awareness to where you are holding tension in the body.

Do a few 'sighs' to relax the shoulders.

Take the shoulders back and down and expand the chest.

Now bring the awareness of your breath to the belly (solar plexus).

This is also your seat of confidence - your power center.

Take in a long deep slow breath filling up all 3 breathing spaces (pelvis, belly and upper chest).

Contract your abdominal muscles as you exhale forcefully through the nose, pumping the exhales.

Situation 4

Sitting in long meetings

What is required:

- Keeping the focus on what is being discussed without getting distracted.

- The ability to see the big picture, to make contributions that are inspired, clear and logical, and to communicate them in a way that is clear and concise.

- It's also important here to be aware of how to use the breath as a listening tool.

Breaths to use:

In this context, simply become aware of how you are breathing as you are listening. Once again, use the conscious open longer breaths as an opportunity to pause, reflect on, and integrate new information, and before presenting your point.

Other opportunities to practice conscious breathing:

Begin to use the “in-between moments” in your day to practice conscious breathing and mindfulness.

For example: when walking between meetings, or when walking to the toilet. (Even peeing is a great opportunity to practice breath awareness!)

As you begin to wake up to the power of conscious breathing and cultivate more mindfulness in your working day, you will notice an improvement in concentration, energy, productivity, communication skills and overall wellbeing.

The ( Unconciously Competant )Constant Gardener

As a student of life, I am constantly examining the wonderful and mysterious phenomenon of the human experience, trying to make sense of the common patterns and threads in an attempt to unravel the mystery. I guess that’s what fuels the passion for my work. Each day I get to witness the stories of so many people seeking a solution, a cure,a method through the futility and in the process, I find my own.

So here’s a universal phenomenon -an experience of feeling of pain angst or dissatisfaction whether it triggered by a major life event or  a more frustrating feeling of being in a “ dark place” that has no identifiable cause.  Somehow we have an overwhelming sense that something needs to change - something has to be different- and we seek ways out of the uncomfortable place whether it is through finding the cure, the fix or the easy way out!

Take this analogy – life is a journey towards “Destination Happiness”   we are all taking our own version of the highway- it’s quick ,fast, and is meant to get us  there in the shortest possible time. Our ownunique version of the highway is created over time- shaped by our beliefs and perceptions and life experiences.

Many of us are simply cruising along on this highway, completely unconscious and unaware that something more exists. We are  UNCONSCIOUSLY INCOMPETENT to the possibility of living an authentic life.

No thought is needed; no effort is required to travel this road.  It is familiar and deeply grooved through years of unconscious walking

Neuro-biologically, this path actually exists as a neural pathway.  An addictive pattern of thought, ideas and behaviours created over time ishardwired into the brain,

Inevitably we arrive at a crossroads, a juncture, a life event or internal experience.  This juncture 

looks different for each of us – for some it may be a serious illness, for others a loss, financial crisis or feeling of a “dark night”.  If we choose to pause at the crossroad and lookcarefully, we will notice a little signboard. 

The arrow points straight ahead- “This way to futility”   Only now do we realise that we’ve been travelling towards a futile destination disguised as “happiness” .

Now finally we have become CONSCIOUSLY INCOMPETENT!

The sign that indicates a turn, a change of direction. The sign promises another place- a peaceful relaxing garden ...a life ofequanimity, joy and wisdom.

The only thing is – the path doesn’t exist yet!  It needs to be created!

So we arrive at a place where a choice is required. Do we carry on walking the same path knowing where it leads to do we choose something different?

We feel an inner trembling ....

The idea of carving a new path is terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

Who knows what dangerous creatures might be lurking? Who knows what else is hiding?  We choose the new path anyway... the path less travelled.

We gather all our resources- guiding lights of like minded souls.Perhaps a bulldozer is required in the form of a physical detoxpocess.  Perhaps it may be as simple as learning to breathe more effectively!   As we gather our equipment and tools, we prepare for a major cleanup!

In real life, this process is sparking up new neural pathways in the brain- literally!

Finally, we begin to journey along the newly created pathway-. It is still fresh and unfamiliar and 

therefore still requires focus, concentration and constant awareness. 

We have now become CONSCIOUSLY COMPETENT at living an authentic life!

The old highway is still there even though the grass has grown over it, and if we lose awareness, we will find ourselves back there again – on the old familiar path to futility.

However, the longer we walk along the path towards the garden, the more we start to enjoy the journey until we realise that the path IS thegarden!  And that in the process of finding the garden, we have been creating it!  

Now we can relax in the present, knowing and understanding that we are constantly is the process of creation and enjoyment of our creations. And that we can enjoy each other’s creations.

This natural relaxed state of being is when we have mastered the art of an authentic life – we have become UNCONSCIOSLY COMPETENT CONSTANT GARDENERS!

The Road less travelled

The Road less travelled

Dear friends
I trust that the arrival of spring has re awakened your zest for life. I certainly feel a sense of renewal on the one hand at the same time feeling resolved with the choices I have made especially with regard to my choice to practice as an integrated doctor.
There are times when its necessary to look back at where you have come to appreciate the sacrifice of walking the road less travelled. I recently filled in at a GP practice where I saw an inconceivable 40 patients in one short day. This re affirmed my choice to sell my GP Practice and work in a more holistic way. For me it was soul destroying to consult with a patient for 10 mins who walked out with nothing but a script in hand.
It was also a humble acceptance for me that my journey as an integrated practitioner has only just begun . At times I feel overwhelmed by all the knowledge yet to be gained and although my medical training has given be a solid basis for the work that I do, I realise that there is so much that I need to unlearn.
So i invite you to journey and discover with me as I grow and mature into the exciting world of the bodymind. Each month I will discussing the integrated approach to conditions that I come across most commonly in my practice in order that you are better equipped to make choices with regards to your health.
This month I will be tackling the cholesterol issue.
Please feel free to contact me with suggestions and feedback.
Namaste
Dr Ela

The Cholesterol Myth

Cholesterol is a natural fat substance that is necessary for the formation of cell membranes and the production of hormones, Vit D and bile salts.
We have been made to believe that a high cholesterol level is the major predictor for cardiovascular disease. Although, it is an important factor to be considered, research is now showing that it needs to be seen in context of a range of other factors.
It is also now being shown that it is the oxidised form of cholesterol(oxy cholesterol) that is dangerous and sticks to the wall of damaged or inflamed blood vessel walls. Oxidation occurs when there is an excess of free radicals in the blood from smoking and ingestion of toxins from the diet and environment.
Other risk factors for Cardiovascular disease that can be influenced
Ø Bad diet
Ø Obesity
Ø Sedentary habits
Ø Type 2 diabetes
Ø Smoking
Ø Stress
Dr Bernard Brom, editor of the SA Society for Integrated Medicine newsletter quotes an article is written by a very well known Integrative Cardiologist in America, Dr Stephen Sinatra and is called “Clearing up the cholesterol confusion”

1. Most cardiologists think that I am nuts and don’t know what I am talking about and that high cholesterol is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

2. I no longer buy into the cholesterol-lowering frenzy that has turned the medical profession into one big vending machine for statins. Eg Lipitor


3. The French had the highest average cholesterol in Europe, but also the lowest incidence of heart disease.

4. On the island of Crete a 10 year study failed to register a single heart attack despite high cholesterol levels.


5. Half of all heart attacks occur in people with ‘normal’ total cholesterol.

6. Arteriosclerosis is due to inflammation of arterial tissue and not high cholesterol. Cholesterol plays a role, but not even a leading role, in the inflammatory response. Cholesterol appears whenever there is arterial destruction due to the inflammation.


7. Hypercholesteremia is not a disease, but a physiological variant in most people.

8. Newer tests will become more important. They examine the various fractions of HDL and LDL, which are a more sensitive index of disease.

His recommendations are as follows:

For high Cholesterol levels he suggests lifestyle modification, weight reduction and lots of fibre. Statins only if there is evidence of arterial disease.Don’t bring the cholesterol levels down too low, as this is associated with cancer, aggression, cerebral haemorrhage, amnesia and could affect the ability to combat infections.


So what should Integrative doctors advice their clients?

Doctors really need to take into account all the risk factors, and cholesterol is only one of them. These include lipoprotein a, homocysteine, fibrinogen, blood pressure, fasting glucose, weight, BMI and lifestyle factors such as stress, family history, age and sex, personality type, exercise and diet. Are clients prepared to change lifestyle or not and how far are they prepared to go. The more risk factors the stricter one should be about lifestyle and diet and the more nutritional supplements required

If you are concerned about your cholesterol level or would like to know more about a more holistic approach to managing the risks of cardiovascular disease, please call me for an appointment.
Namaste
Dr Ela
Woodlands Centre of Wellbeing and Spa
dr.ela@healingatwoodlands.co.za
082 330 6915