It's been a very cold, Winter. And now transitioning into Spring you can add fluctuating weather patterns to the mix.
Yesterday morning, I bundled up in layers of wool before I left home. By noon I was removing those layers as I sweated beneath a warm sun in a clear blue sky. Now today it's pouring rain. I hear snow is forecast for tomorrow.
This is spring. Beautiful, blessed spring--bringing motion and change to shake us out of our Winter lethargy.
If you're feeling the Late Winter/Early Spring Weather Blues this post is dedicated to you.
First of all, it's a good idea to stay warm and cozy. Those two go hand in hand. The cozy part is every bit as important as the the warm part of the equation. Warm foods, warm drinks, warm clothes, warm environments, warm lighting, warm friends, warm laughter, warm thoughts which warm the cockles of your heart...the sun will tease us from time to time, but we are still experiencing the cold and wet of early Spring.
Secondly, I urge you to get away from any device which feels cold to you right now. And by that, I mean devices which feed you any news or entertainment based in fear and which does not warm the cockles of your heart. If you're reading or watching anything which causes you to feel fear, depression, disgust or cold fury, put it down and walk away. Preferably allowing your feet to take you outdoors.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: Fear, Winter/Cold and the Element of Water
In the psychology of the body, based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fear is associated with the Bladder and the Kidneys, which are allied with the Element of Water. Using Traditional Chinese Medicine as a guide to understanding the Element of Water; Water relates to Winter and to Cold.
So being in this season which is moving between Winter and Spring, you want to pay attention to balancing the extremes which cause you discomfort. Too much Water feeds the Wood Element (which is associated with Anger), and too much Water dowses the Fire Element (which is associated with healthy expressions of both Joy and Sadness). Using that way of relating to emotions, you can see how too much Fear feeds Anger and how too much Fear leads to Depression and mood swings.
Fear in its healthy state motivates you to activity (Fight or Flight), but an overabundance of fear can be paralyzing. So if inclement weather is keeping you indoors and inactive, you may be spending more time reading things, or watching things which cause you fear. Inactivity can lead to a build up of undischarged Fear emotion. Too much fear in your tissues can lead to weakness and collapse.
Recognizing The Fear Peddlers
It's this simple, Fear Peddlers are people who stand to profit by scaring you. Either they want to sell you something, or they want to control you. And fear keeps us divided, feeling isolated and alone. You know when someone is telling you a story which causes you fear. Start paying attention, and just notice how many fear messages you see on social media or in the news.
There is another type of Fear peddler, the kind who means well. This type feel they need to educate you/warn you about how scary the situation really is. For those of us who are bighearted activist types, we often get subjected to the Well Meaning Fear Peddlers, and we spread it around among our tribe like a virus. But make no mistake it is still fear. It is still a type of manipulation.
When your emotions are healthy and balanced, you have more clarity around your emotional perceptions.
Balancing Fear
Your body naturally knows how to balance fear, if you allow it to do its job. When you experience fear, true fear, your body wants to take some action. If you are startled, you jump, or you run, or you move in some way, which uses up the adrenaline suddenly coursing through your body. In our society we often suppress our natural instincts. If you get a shot of adrenaline because you've just narrowly missed an accident, do you stop the car and get out and move around in order to discharge that chemical in your body? Most of us keep driving. The adrenaline may have been used up in avoiding the accident, or maybe not.
Also we have a lot of manufactured fears. We may not have to avoid death or injury every day, but we have many learned fears. Whether real or imagined, fear can still contribute to adrenal fatigue.
Some good ways to balance fear, is first to understand what causes you fear. To get to know what motivates your perception and your response.
A BodyTalk session can help identify fears and phobias and their root causes while allowing you to release that fear, restoring you to a state of balance and clarity.
Another thing, since fear and stress go hand in hand, physical activity is a real good way to balance fear. Anything from strenuous out door activity to creative endeavors such as moving a paintbrush around a canvas, or a pen on paper. Engage with the activity. Be very present with it, so you train yourself away from the habit of allowing your mind to manufacture and/or dwell on fears.
Here's one you probably haven't thought of. Since your body is an emotion processor, a balance of energies also helps keep your fear level healthy, rather than extreme. Bladder and Kidneys help process fear in the body to move it through. This keeps the emotional energy from taking up residence in your tissues causing stuck energy or repeating patterns which may lead to illness or personal problems later on.
BodyTalk sessions can balance organ energies like Bladder and Kidneys to keep them fully functioning physiologically, energetically, and as emotional processors.
You are an holistic, integrated Being. Body, Mind, and Spirit all flow together as One. An imbalance anywhere within the Body/Mind complex eventually will affect your whole Being on some level, whether you experience other symptoms or not. BodyTalk does not aim to treat symptoms. It aims to restore balance to your whole Being.
I hope this article gave you some new ways to relate to the season, to the emotion of fear, to the body, and to Your Self.
Enjoy the fluid motion of this season as we move out of Winter and into Spring.
You are Loved
