Australian Health Newsletter, Monthly Advice/Information August 2020
Resilience
When I hear the word resilience I think of a phoenix rising from the ashes. Resilience at its core is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. I think we all have that capacity. Its only matter of trusting in the universal energy that protects and guides us. We humans are blessed to have the inner strength to cope with difficult situations.
It was not long back when we were running our first business which was a takeaway and convenience shop in the Logan area. Due to family circumstances we had to leave our jobs and go into business so it became our entire livelihood. The business was going very well and we soon became part of the community. For two years we opened the shop at 6:30 am and finished at 8pm 7 days a week without any holidays. One day when we reached the shop we saw the residents, fire fighters and police out front. Thinking our shop was robbed we approached the police to find out that it had been set on fire in the middle of night. Some teenagers had set fire to the wheelie bins which spread to the rest of the store. Everything was burnt and black including our prised Jade plant. In short that was end of our income.
The residents asked us if we were ok, but surprisingly we had this inner trust that everything will turn out ok. We just accepted what had happened. Our positive attitude changed our luck and soon the community rallied with us to rebuild the store. The landlord constructed a new place as per our design. The community shopped with us to help establish our business. My jade plant that was burnt started giving new leaves and for me it was a symbol of new beginnings. If you are curious I still have that plant.
I believe that everyone’s life will have challenges but it’s how we cope with them that determines our future. We could have cried and felt helpless which would have killed out motivation and hope but instead our ability to accept the situation created a successful future. We still go through small challenges; the current Covid situation for instance. Focussing on the uncertainty of the future can build up stress whereas counting our blessings and being grateful for what we have creates positive vibrations. Sometimes it is hard not to get caught up in the stress of our lives so I always use simple strategies to motivate me such as inspirational movies, songs, gardening and talking to good friends. I also try to ground myself to nature by going on walks. Each one of us will have our own coping mechanism to make us more positive we just have to trust and be patient. Now Healthy team is always happy to help and support our community and would love to hear your strategies.
Swapna
Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Or in having a toughness. Then there is spiritual resilience which is said to be the ability to maintain a positive spirit even in the face of adversity. You can seek strength through a “higher” power in order to get through difficult situations.
But I feel we use the word too loosely sometimes, not only with ourselves but with children. Especially with children. How often do we hear or say, ‘Oh, they’ll get over it. Children are resilient.” But are they? Are we?
There is a difference between being able to recover quickly from difficulties (resilience); and with dealing with those traumas in a deep way (healing). I’ve learnt through my life that having resilience and moving forward was easier as I got older and with the more traumas that I was exposed to. You experience, you push it to the side so that you move forward, you learn lessons, and you grow. But through my studies, I have since learnt that doing this, for the most part, can sometimes unknowingly keep those traumas attached to you. This in turn manifests into what can be quite prominent physical and nervous system setbacks that almost always seem to have no real reason to be so consistent or magnified. If this is the case, you can almost always trace back to an old trauma that has not been properly faced, assessed or dealt with in a deep, healing manner.
If you had asked me about resilience 6 months ago, I would have given a totally different answer. But as someone who is constantly working on them self, who is always trying to learn new ways to help heal others, and training in the old ways of healing; I can tell you now that living a totally ‘resilient’ life may look strong on the surface. It may make you feel more comfortable by helping you to avoid confronting old demons. But it will also build a wall that you may not even know exists, because it can masquerade as a kind of ‘resilience’. It may force your body to hold onto these traumas as attachments. It will cause discord within yourself. The trick here is balance – acknowledge any past traumas where the only option was resilience; but be brave and know when it’s time to dig deeper and seek help.
Dealing with deep trauma is not something to be sneezed at. We need to really make sure that we find the right person that can help us rather than cause more distress. But don’t try and get out of it by trying to find the easy way out either. No journey worth having is going to be smooth sailing.
What’s the worst that could happen if we fight through these traumas; to search and obtain a deep healing and be able to let them go? We may get angry or ugly cry in front of a complete stranger. And what’s the best thing that could happen? You will step fully into your true power like the Warrior you were born to be. To me, THAT is worth the hard work.
Kathy - Kinesiologist, Naturopath, Shaman’s Apprentice
"Resilience refers to our ability to bounce back from life's adversities, either with the help of another or through our own resources. As a Naturopath, there is also the notion of immune resilience - our innate ability to regain health and wellbeing, when we nourish our mind and body with the essential nutrients and rest that it requires, in order to maintain equilibrium. As part of my personalised consultations, I incorporate iridology, and mind and body techniques to aid my clients to facilitate their own healing and regain their wellbeing. This could involve minor dietary changes, herbal and nutritional support, emotional freedom techniques (EFT - Tapping), as well as some lifestyle recommendations to aid their recovery. If you would like to know more, please contact me on 0437 592 181.
"Strength may be seen on the outside, but it is grown from the inside." - Marquita Herald
Wendy Simpson - ATMS accredited Naturopath