Calm My Worried Heart

Worry is the mental plague of these times: the climate crisis; societal violence; financial insecurity; political divisions; the persistence of Covid; and of course, all of our own personal family stuff.....there is so much uncertainty and so much that is out of our control that it is hard not to feel anxious to one degree or another. 

Anxiety is, literally, the fear of actual or imagined future threats and it can have very debilitating physical effects. We may not even know that we're feeling anxious, because it can present as a vague sense of uneasiness or dread and we may not be able to name its source. There can be alarming physical symptoms as well: a racing heart, muscular tension, profuse sweating, etc.

Fortunately, because there is a direct body-mind causal connection to the symptoms of anxiety, there is much that we can do to alleviate the symptoms and ease our worries.  It is not as simple as just saying "relax, don't worry", because anxiety has its roots in the autonomic nervous system. It is an ancient, natural response to a perceived threat and it can't just be talked away. We have to find ways to calm the nervous system's exaggerated response. 

 Some of the most effective natural remedies are surprisingly easy: 

• Exercise- Exercise isn’t just good for your physical health; it’s also beneficial for your mental health. While the connection isn’t well understood, studies do show that exercise can help to alleviate symptoms of anxiety. Getting active helps to take your mind off of the issues bothering you. It also triggers your body to release endorphins, which are natural feel-good hormones.
• Deep breathing exercises: Rapid, shallow breathing is a common symptom of anxiety. Breathing in this manner can increase your heart rate, make you feel dizzy, and may even increase the risk of a panic attack. Deep breathing involves taking deliberately deep and measured breaths to restore normal breathing patterns, which can help to reduce anxiety. 
• Meditation:  Meditation involves the practice of mindfulness. You focus on removing chaotic thoughts from your mind and replacing them with calm. Research indicates that meditation can help to relieve anxiety symptoms, helping you to feel more at ease.
• Aromatherapy: Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils to improve health and overall well-being. Many scents can help to boost your mood, help you relax, and reduce anxiety. There are a few ways you can use essential oils. You can use a diffuser, place a few drops on a lava bead bracelet, or mix your favorite scent in a carrier oil to place on your wrist or neck. Scents to use for anxiety include: Lavender; ylang ylang; grapefruit; clary sage; bergamot.
  
• Herbal Remedies: Several different herbs and herbal supplements may help alleviate anxiety symptoms, helping you to relax and feel calmer. Some of the more well-known varieties include: Lavender, lemon balm, passionflower and chamomile. Studies show that chamomile can help with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. While many of the studies on herbal supplements for anxiety are limited, the results are promising.You can find many of these (and other) supplements in capsule (pill) form. Many people also drink herbal teas to help them relax. 
• CBD Oil: Several studies have shown that CBD can help with many ailments, such as pain, inflammation, insomnia and anxiety. While research is still in the early stages, studies show that it may have a lot of potential as an alternative anxiety treatment. You can find CBD products in many mainstream stores. There are many options, including:
• CBD oil tinctures (liquid drops)
• CBD gummies
• CBD chocolate and candies
• CBD topicals (creams or lotions)

* https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/natural-remedies-for-anxiety

Because anxiety is, literally, fear of the future unknown, the most important thing we can remember is to stay in the present moment. I use the following"mantra": "In this moment, all is well, thank you God". 

I like to follow Paul's advice in Philippians 4: 6-8:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things".

 

Healing Waters

 This morning, I am especially thankful for the gift of water. We were born in water, our bodies are made up of watery fluids, we are refreshed by rainfall and the oceans, rivers and streams near our homes. Without it, we could not survive.

I've been meditating on the blessing of water the past few days, having spent a relaxing, yet energizing long weekend in the Thousand Islands. Watching the sunlight sparkle on a large expanse of water is hypnotizing and uplifting; being close to a river, ocean or waterfall elevates one's spirit in a way that is indescribable. Water is healing to the body, mind and spirit; an essential element that, here in the Northeast, where we have abundant rainfall and clean drinking water, is often taken for granted.

I read an article in the paper this morning about the survivors of the wildfires in Maui, who are unable to drink the public water supply because it has become so toxic due to all the pollutants that the fires generated. They can't even bathe or shower because the water releases toxic gases. It is hard to imagine having to endure such devastation and loss and then to be cut off from water, the very essence of life.

I am very thankful to be here, able to drink clean water and hike near rushing streams and waterfalls as we did yesterday, yet my heart aches for all those who don't have this simple gift of life: those in Maui; people in the Sudan and other dry land areas, who have been struggling to get clean water; those experiencing extreme heat waves and water use restrictions.

Today, I say a prayer for all those who struggle to find clean water, for those in inner cities who have no access to the restorative healing power of nature's most beautiful sources of water and I ask for God's help to do whatever I can to protect this precious resource. 

 When I am feeling down about the state of the world, climate change or the divisions that politics create, I am thankful that I can go to the water and find peace.

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

-Wendell Berry, "The Peace of Wild Things"

Tiny Messengers

 I am silently sitting on my deck, watching the birds and asking the Spirit if there is a message today. I close my eyes and hear the whir of tiny wings close to my ear. I turn to the sound and see that our tiny daily visitor, who I have named Humphrey Hummingbird, has come for a visit.  With delicate furiously flapping wings, he circles the bright orange firecracker plant, stopping to sip at each tubular flower and then pausing to face me as if to say "good morning to you!". 

  He flies off to a nearby tree branch and, as I follow him with my eyes and scan the yard, I realize that the birds seem to be the message today... I watch the tiny sparrows and chickadees at the feeder, each taking its turn and excitedly eating the birdseed as the hummingbird moves on to another flower. The birdsong is amazing this morning: the voice of each individual bird joining the others to form a symphony, the music of which cascades through our small forest.

 Jesus said that God cares for the sparrow and the lilies of the field- he loves his creation and I am part of that beautiful world. Does he love me more because I am human? I think not, because he is "in and through all things and in him all things hold together " (Colossians 1:17.) We are also assured that "in him we live and move and have our being" ( Acts 1:17), so we are therefore immersed in God...He/She is closer than our breath. In fact, our breath is the very thing that connects us intimately to God...breath is Spirit (the Hebrew word for breath and spirit is the same: "Ruach"). 

He/She is here, everywhere and I am filled with the Spirit of God...this and every moment, is holy. What a wonderful way to start the day!

 

* photo by Scott Prince

The Garden is Good Therapy

 In the spring and summer months, the garden is the first place I go every morning.The energy there is soothing and refreshing and no matter what mood I wake up in, the garden restores my soul. If I wake up sleepy and foggy headed, it is uplifting and refreshing to be among the flowers and green, growing things. If I am sad, I find the beauty of small things brings me joy: a butterfly or hummingbird; a flower bud on a plant that had seemed to be stubbornly barren; the wash of color in the early morning light. If I am angry about something, I attack the black spot and rust on leaves or the weeds that are trying to take control.

 The therapeutic value of a garden has scientific backing: there are micro-organisms in the soil that are beneficial to our physical and mental health. Christopher Lowry, a researcher at the University of Bristol in the UK, discovered that a micro-organism in soil, known as Mycobacterium vaccae, can boost our immune systems and relieve anxiety and depression. Children raised on farms, with plenty of dirt to play in, have healthier immune systems and are less prone to illness than their city raised counterparts.

I'm happy that science affirms what I already know: that working in the garden makes me feel good.  Aside from the physical benefits, tending to plants and flowers is spiritually renewing: it connects us to God in a way that is intimate and real.  It brings us peace in a world often gone amok.

 Praise for the morning!

Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from Heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass...

 

Cat Stevens, "Morning Has Broken"