Thursday, October 26, 2006
Living healthier can have far reaching effects
I found myself hurrying to an appointment recently and stuck in slow moving traffic on Route 32. I soon felt irritated with the driver in front of me who seemed to be going well below the speed limit and the car behind hugging my bumper. I know after years of challenging myself with overfilled schedules (which I take complete credit for creating), that when there is little room for the unanticipated moments of life, stress is the outcome. The best definition of stress I’ve heard is “being here and wanting to be there”. It’s easy to see how the everyday kind of stress I was experiencing leads to a less than compassionate response to people, situations, and those who are driving these slow moving cars, not to mention towards ourselves.
People in Italy do not seem to live like this. I had the good fortune of visiting Italy this summer and aside from the drivers, the people seemed to understand the great value of taking time to thoroughly enjoy the pleasure of eating, visiting with family and working at a leisurely pace, even closing the stores and banks for a few hours in the afternoon when it wasn’t particularly hot. None of the stores were open in the evening. What a contrast to our culture where you can go grocery shopping in the middle of the night or as a friend of mine does work out at the gym at 4 a.m. When I heard the story of a man who had a heart attack washing his car at 2 a.m. I realized how we can too easily loose perspective, not let anything go, say yes to too much. There is a book titled “If Only There Were Seven of Me”. In reality those of us who are challenged in this way would probably find a way to do eight times more.
The effect of this kind of stress-filled living has a deeper than personal impact.
Our world today seems filled with turmoil, violence and uncertainty. Our planet is changing, and with more knowledge about the rapid progression of global warming, may be heading towards an irreversible crisis. War and violence between nations and within nations is causing untold suffering to scores of innocent people. Most people are living at a frenetic pace and aggression and unhappiness are surfacing in all aspects of our culture.
Our children are unfortunately learning from our example; filling every waking moment with activity. We may wonder why children in America are in record numbers taking anti-depressants and being treated for attention deficit and hyperactivity.
Many scholars and spiritual teachers have explored the connection between our personal, interior life and the reflection it creates in the world around us. When we are in discord within ourselves it is reflected in disharmony in our families, workplaces, neighborhoods, cities, country, world and our planet. Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and author said, "There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence and this is overdoing and overwork. The frenzy of overdoing neutralizes our work for peace and harmony”.
We have become restless and uncomfortable unless our bodies and minds are moving, and our health and wellbeing are suffering. It is believed that at least 80% of illness today is stress related. Interestingly, the Chinese symbol for busyness is translated as “heart killer”. We might consider this on a physical as well as emotional level.
How are we contributing to this personal and global crisis, and what small steps can we each take to begin transforming our usual way of being? If we each ask the question what can I do to contribute to a kinder and more compassionate way of living each day, we may personally and collectively begin to turn things around.
The changes we choose to incorporate into our life will be different for everyone.
The physical body might be the starting place. We may choose to become more aware and mindful of what and how much we are eating and drinking, and if we are giving our bodies enough rest and exercise. We may find that our mind, emotions or spiritual life need attention first. The beginning point is not especially important. One thing will lead to another and one change to another. Choosing to live more mindfully will soon affect how we treat others and the earth itself.
There are many wonderful programs and teachers available to help us to begin a course of transformation and change if needed. Meditation, yoga, tai chi, spiritual direction or counseling may be very useful. For some people doing less, saying no to adding more activities, spending more time in nature, gardening for the simple pleasure of it, reading or just sitting quietly and doing nothing at all may be helpful ways to reconnect with life. In the words of the poet Roethke, “I recover my tenderness by long looking. By midnight I love everything alive”.
Science has proven again and again the interconnectedness of life in our own bodies and in the world of which we are all a part. When we to begin to live more consciously we will affect our health and the well being of our world.
As with any deep wound, true healing begins from the inside out. To heal our world, we must heal ourselves.
Amy Dunion, a registered nurse and massage therapist, is Coordinator of The William W. Backus Hospital’s Center for Healthcare Integration.This column, which runs in the Norwich Bulletin newspaper on Tuesdays, should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Ms. Dunion and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org
People in Italy do not seem to live like this. I had the good fortune of visiting Italy this summer and aside from the drivers, the people seemed to understand the great value of taking time to thoroughly enjoy the pleasure of eating, visiting with family and working at a leisurely pace, even closing the stores and banks for a few hours in the afternoon when it wasn’t particularly hot. None of the stores were open in the evening. What a contrast to our culture where you can go grocery shopping in the middle of the night or as a friend of mine does work out at the gym at 4 a.m. When I heard the story of a man who had a heart attack washing his car at 2 a.m. I realized how we can too easily loose perspective, not let anything go, say yes to too much. There is a book titled “If Only There Were Seven of Me”. In reality those of us who are challenged in this way would probably find a way to do eight times more.
The effect of this kind of stress-filled living has a deeper than personal impact.
Our world today seems filled with turmoil, violence and uncertainty. Our planet is changing, and with more knowledge about the rapid progression of global warming, may be heading towards an irreversible crisis. War and violence between nations and within nations is causing untold suffering to scores of innocent people. Most people are living at a frenetic pace and aggression and unhappiness are surfacing in all aspects of our culture.
Our children are unfortunately learning from our example; filling every waking moment with activity. We may wonder why children in America are in record numbers taking anti-depressants and being treated for attention deficit and hyperactivity.
Many scholars and spiritual teachers have explored the connection between our personal, interior life and the reflection it creates in the world around us. When we are in discord within ourselves it is reflected in disharmony in our families, workplaces, neighborhoods, cities, country, world and our planet. Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and author said, "There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence and this is overdoing and overwork. The frenzy of overdoing neutralizes our work for peace and harmony”.
We have become restless and uncomfortable unless our bodies and minds are moving, and our health and wellbeing are suffering. It is believed that at least 80% of illness today is stress related. Interestingly, the Chinese symbol for busyness is translated as “heart killer”. We might consider this on a physical as well as emotional level.
How are we contributing to this personal and global crisis, and what small steps can we each take to begin transforming our usual way of being? If we each ask the question what can I do to contribute to a kinder and more compassionate way of living each day, we may personally and collectively begin to turn things around.
The changes we choose to incorporate into our life will be different for everyone.
The physical body might be the starting place. We may choose to become more aware and mindful of what and how much we are eating and drinking, and if we are giving our bodies enough rest and exercise. We may find that our mind, emotions or spiritual life need attention first. The beginning point is not especially important. One thing will lead to another and one change to another. Choosing to live more mindfully will soon affect how we treat others and the earth itself.
There are many wonderful programs and teachers available to help us to begin a course of transformation and change if needed. Meditation, yoga, tai chi, spiritual direction or counseling may be very useful. For some people doing less, saying no to adding more activities, spending more time in nature, gardening for the simple pleasure of it, reading or just sitting quietly and doing nothing at all may be helpful ways to reconnect with life. In the words of the poet Roethke, “I recover my tenderness by long looking. By midnight I love everything alive”.
Science has proven again and again the interconnectedness of life in our own bodies and in the world of which we are all a part. When we to begin to live more consciously we will affect our health and the well being of our world.
As with any deep wound, true healing begins from the inside out. To heal our world, we must heal ourselves.
Amy Dunion, a registered nurse and massage therapist, is Coordinator of The William W. Backus Hospital’s Center for Healthcare Integration.This column, which runs in the Norwich Bulletin newspaper on Tuesdays, should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Ms. Dunion and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org
# posted by ----------------- @ 12:18 PM 
