Miscellaneous
We all have different stress responses. Some people respond with aggression and want to fight. Some were to retreat and run away and hide, and others freeze up and avoid the discussion and topic completely.Avoiding confrontation is one thing if you are actively diffusing the situation, but consistently avoiding leads to resentment.Running away can leave us storing pent up emotions that are like acid on the soul.Aggression leads to guilt after regretting the action taken or the words spoken.We can all learn from our own actions and certainly we might need training to improve and practice to perfect it. Without that initial awareness, we might never actually improve.Use techniques you have to handle stressful situations. Yoga, meditation, breathing exercise, travel, reading, eating, drinking, smoking.Think of all the things that you already do to relieve stress and think about the things you could improve upon. This alone should convince you of your potential to improve and change the impact you have on the world.Fighting or fleeing are signs of hope…that something can change. Freezing is hopelessnessVisualize and feel your response…we just need to fine tune our skills. We already have access to everything, we need to be present, patient, and prepared so when the opportunity presents itself, we are ready.Mindfulness Assignment for the week:First thing in the morning…Take 4 deep breaths. With each inhale become present about what you are aware of in this breath. Take each breath in slowly, with a 4 second count in, 4 second hold,4 second exhale and 4 second hold and repeat 4 times.What are WAYS I can improve my response to stress? Find a way to share these gifts with someone this week.Recognizing your gifts, interests, and talents and find 2 ways that you can improve on them…maybe that means googling it to see what more you can learn or places you can share your insights and talents.My intention is to give you mind-shifting strategies that make you feel like your mind is a Zen escape room— a mental sanctuary— so that when things get challenging in the world, you always have a safe space to go, even if it’s just one breath at a time. The visualization and breathing techniques here will help you change your emotional state when life feels stressful and allow you to respond more to the circumstances in life rather than react to them. This connection that we make together has the power to change things. I'm setting the intention that this becomes a global energy. I've been working on a global movement for self-improvement, and I hope to inspire and empower you to do the same.JOIN the Spoken Word Yoga Community. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates for new offerings. FOLLOW @spokenwordyoga on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok for Positive Affirmations and information on yoga retreats and global events to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul.SUBSCRIBE to Spoken Word Yoga YouTube channel and stream the ZEN DEN SANCTUARY episodes. New episodes every Tuesday, 6:30pm EDT. Bring your favorite candle and a positive intention and be prepared to soothe your soul as we enjoy a mindful escape in the Zen Den Sanctuary. No physical Yoga, simply Zen relaxation with our deeply connected community sharing space together virtually.