In his infinite wisdom, Thich Nhat Hanh often points to noticing the non-toothache. Not the toothache, which is easy to notice, but the non-toothache? This is, of course, speaks to the amount of time we spend being acutely aware of our pain and suffering, even if it is a small irritation, with not so much awareness of when we have no suffering, when everything is going well. Our brains naturally have a negativity bias so this is an unfortunately easy trap to fall into.
     For me, though, noticing the non-toothache has been quite literal. I've been suffering with some significant dental pain for the past few weeks. What first began as a preventative crown replacement has turned into a second crown replacement (the first one had a notch in it that left the underlying tooth very aggravated). And note that a crown isn’t a single crown as they involve temporary ones as well. So within the past month I’ve basically had three with the final one pending. All of this mouth jarring has left my teeth and nerve endings feeling pretty raw with throbbing pain shooting into the whole right side of my mouth and jaw for the past 2 weeks. Gratefully the pain cycles are finally becoming less and less as the irritation and inflammation subsides but there are still moments through the day when I just want to cry.
     I feel pretty fortunate, though, as I'm using this toothache as a real practice. (I’m also feeling fortunate that I have available dental care - millions in this world don’t.) I switched from telling myself that the pain is “MASSIVE!!” to labeling it an unpleasant with varying degrees of unpleasantness. In my sitting meditation I've been able to notice the quiet moments of calm and ease in my mouth, feeling the space between the pulses, and noticing how the relief transfers into the rest of my body. When the river of pulsating begins, I become observant of the sensations, noticing how they ebb and flow inconsistently with intermittent bouts of searing pain. There's a radiation down into the lower teeth centered directly under this one crown tooth. Breathing and not gripping to the pain, calm and ease eventually reappear. Ahh, deep gratitude.
     Noticing the things that are going right, noticing the painless moments, is a wonderful way to approach and experience the day. It provides a lot of appreciation for the simple that we might take for granted, that have always been there but have been lost behind the scenes.
     For this Try It On Tuesday, shine a light on the ease-filled moments and see what you discover. How does your day and perception of life change? I’d love to hear your non-toothache stories so please share.

Peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

If you’re like me, you may find yourself sitting more and more of the day. At my desk, in the car, in a waiting area. Personally, I don’t like sitting for very long and tend to move around a lot. I also know I’m not as ergonomically cognizant as I should be, which sometimes results in reminders that appear as body tweaks - lower back pull, tight shoulders, or hands and fingers flaring with carpel tunnel.

As we sit about the day, busy in our mind, the body can go virtually unrecognized. For today’s Try It On Tuesday, periodically pay attention to your body. Notice its position, the level of ease or comfort you feel in it, or how stable its support. You can set a reminder for the top of each hour to do a check in; noticing sensations or perhaps a slouch, splayed legs, a bent ankle, or tightness in the shoulders. Then, if it feels right, switch this energy by taking a moment to stretch and create space for something new and refreshing. Doing this throughout the day makes nighttime resting easier and releases mental tensions that would otherwise get caught in your physical being.

Mind and body are intimately connected. Ease in one creates ease in the other. Enjoy!!

Peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

     Swoosh, crunch, swoosh, crunch, swoosh, crunch. You walk down the street these days and that's all you hear. It can be deafening! Some support your step with their suppleness and flexibility. Others are left shattered in a pile of 1,000 crumbled pieces.
     Even though they are part of nature’s whole, each leaf has enjoyed its own life cycle. Some have been able to maintain a more enriched state evidenced by their continued flexibility, even at the late stage of finding a resting spot on the ground. Others have dried up long before they were finally released from the tree.
     As we turn to look at our own leaf-ness, what is our state of flexibility or brittleness? What are those things that keep us soft and supple so that we are able to bend when bending is needed or to land without bruising or breaking? If we work with many people, how have we been able to stay flexible in an environment that may drain us of our moisture? Conversely, how are we when we move about our day in an arid way, sucking the moisture out of ideas, people, and even ourselves? For some, arid-ness can be gauged by the speed of reactivity to requests and information, perpetual absenteeism, or being hyper-focused and self-absorbed with complete disregard of the larger circumstance.
     Unlike the leaf that has already fallen, we have the ability to rehydrate when we find we've run dry. We can stop to drink in the wonderful elements of our simple existence and absorb what is needed right now. Purposeful pauses and breathing breaks support a steadiness when harsh winds blow. Opening to the "don't know" mind can offer possibilities not seen before and ease the need for things to be our way. Simply noticing our assumptions, judgments, and aversive view can free us from their brittle consequences. Hydration of body, mind, and spirit can be as simple as that.
     As you move through your fall day today, take inventory of your leaves; those that are flexible and supple and those that are dry and crumbly. Notice your personal weather report and whether you are swooshing or crunching. Generate presence, beginning from your feet.

Sending you lots of peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC

     If you're already challenged by your busy calendar, the holiday season probably won't have it feel any easier. I know for me, even though there's still two more months until year end, I'm already busy fine-tuning things so that it ends successfully. Updating my website, new marketing material, interesting event offerings, as well as my personal calendar are all on my radar.
     Even though I’ve narrowed my work scope over the past eight years, there are always so many new and exciting things to offer that I can become a little scattered at times, like Suki when I throw her two balls at once. Each ball is great and fun but which one to pick up and play with? Whenever I do this to her, I can see the confused and anxious state in her eyes, her decision-making process taking shape in front of me. I wish I could understand how she makes her choice but ultimately, after sniffing and chewing on each, even trying to put both in her mouth at the same time, she somehow decides which one we’ll play with for the next fifteen minutes. I really appreciate her commitment to her decision, too, since she won’t switch balls halfway into our play game, no matter if I start throwing a different ball. She’s dedicated, highly focused, and committed. Once again, I could learn a lot from Suki.
     While I think I’m fairly good at blocking my time to attend to specific activities or subject matters, I often notice a frenetic quality to my attention. Settling into a creative space between scheduled events isn’t always easy, resulting in a sense of disconnect between what I need to be doing and what I’m capable of doing. There’s real training in coming back to knowing what you can and can’t do, letting go of the frustration of what won’t work even though you want it to, and then moving forward with what’s possible.
     So how do we approach all the things we want to accomplish in the time and energy frame we have?
     I find it’s more challenging in this over-stimulated age of electronics and social media to steer clear of the shiny object syndrome. Our attention is constantly being diverted (yes, we do need to train ourselves to stick to task). Combined with less available time due to extended work weeks or family responsibilities, a life that is gravitating towards peace may be the opposite of what we are feeling.
     Take a look at how many things you have on your calendar right now. I’m sure they’re all good and serve a healthy purpose. The question to ask is if they create a sense of balance and joy or has our initial excitement turned to dread or obligation. Book clubs, PTO meetings, photography class,... add in the myriad of work, home, and family stuff... where is the room to breathe, enjoy, and self-nurture?
     None of this is to say not to be involved or to expand your connections. Quite the opposite. Creating depth of attention and truly experiencing our experience so that we don’t surface-skim our showing up is important. Let’s develop our skill of discernment, though, and commit like Suki to that one ball we are playing with so that we can enjoy it fully and not feel the pressure and added weight of everything else that is calling our attention. On a different day when it’s right to play with a different ball, we can do that, but for now let’s hone to come home.
     Need some quick tips on how to do that? Check out these 5 Super Honing Supports

1. Say “No, not now” to say “Yes!”
You aren’t very good when you’re over-extended or exhausted so kindly say “No, Not Now” to the next request that comes your way. Doing this will help you to say “Yes!” to yourself. And not to worry as someone else will pick up the piece you were about to carry.

2. Focus on only one activity per month
Instead of scattering your attention over numerous activities, pick one and delve into that. By engaging in just this, your enjoyment for this activity will grow and you’ll learn more about it that you would have thought possible. Leave the others to have their turn over the coming months.

3. Create daily time just for you
20 minutes minimum is my recommendation; meditation, bath, yoga, walk, napping, knitting… whatever keeps a connection to yourself alive!

4. Plan ahead and prepare meals
Save time, calories, and health. Don’t be caught off-guard with last minute kitchen and nutrition messes. Decide dinner in the morning, double-cook soups and stews for future-freeze, and prepare snacks and salads by cutting 3X the amount of veggies.

5. Purposeful Pauses
Break the flow of constantness with 10+ second breaks throughout the day. Stop, breathe, feel your feet, and notice the physical and mental sensations. By tuning in to the present moment, we can decide more clearly what is needed next.

Love and peace,
Shanti

Shanti Douglas
Mindfulness & Stress Management Coach
Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner
8 limbs Holistic Health, LLC