Photograph thanks to https://unsplash.com/@luddyphoto?utm_source=squarespace&medium=referral
Now is the time to be still and strong in the centre of your being, like a still lake that mirrors back the Beauty of the world, and gives a sense of peace and comfort to all.
Yes, we are being bombarded with a huge amount of information about a threat to our livelihood. Yes, there is a big focus on the fears and threats of a virus, and people are going into panic and acting out insecurities. These catastrophic moments in life, where the world is no longer what we thought it was, are good moments to take stock and practice awareness to rise above the mass malaise. With the intention to rise up and focus us all on some higher perspectives, I offer this blog. I have always turned to writing in challenging times and found that it helps me to connect to a greater wisdom that lives in us all. My recently published book ‘Melting Moments’ was the product of this process that evolved over 12 years. I published this book as a reminder to people to stay connected
to the the silver linings,
to the star that shines brightest in the dark and
to the power of a wise and loving heart.
So it was very interesting that this book ‘Melting Moments’ was in its final days of production when the devestating fires were in full force in Australia. COVID19 has occurred exactly around the time I was planning to release this book in Western Australia. Yet now is the time that it is most critical to stay connected with the loving wisdom in our heart and soul and to share this gift with the world. Now is the time that your loving soulful self is most needed. As they say, prevention is better than cure, and there is currently no cure for this illness, so prevention is mostly certainly THE WAY.
Here is my take on things just now.
Immunity
It has been reported that this virus is most damaging to people who have pre-existing illnesses so now is the time to boost your immune system. Viruses are ever present in life and this virus is no different. I spent many of my nursing days nursing patients with highly contagious illnesses, and was never fearful that I would fall unwell or pass it on to anyone, because I was educated about illness and health. I took care of my immune system and practiced nursing protocols associated with infection control, and fared well. That illness was not passed onto any of my other pages because of what we know about the spread of disease. This virus is now demanding that we all take these precautions in our everyday lives, not just in a hospital setting. When we can put things into perspective and learn what is needed to know to thrive, we do. When we take responsibility for our own health and align ourselves with the body’s wisdom and its ability to heal, we make it through life in good stead.
The fact that this virus has spread world wide gives me the impression that there is a very big message in it for all of humanity. These grand scale changes are always opportunities for learning. Perhaps this will be the beginning of humanity at large having the awareness to self isolate and be mindful to stay at home to recover in times of illness.
Perhaps we will learn to value health in a whole new way.
Perhaps it will teach us to take more care of our bodies, our elderly and vulnerable.
Perhaps we will learn to keep our hearts full and our spirits uplifted to create a better environment for health in our communities.
There are many ways you can keep your immune system strong to combat illness, so now is the time to educate yourself about what constitutes good health.
It DOES NOT entail being fearful or taking on a victim mentality.
It DOES entail loving yourself enough to take good care of your body’s needs. So here are my top 10 immune boosting tips…
Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep.
An average of 8 hours a day is usually enough however everybody is different with their needs
and some times in our life we need more sleep than others. Listen to your body’s needs. Quality sleep is periods of at least 4 hours of unbroken sleep. This is essential for your body to move through all the sleep phases and be able to restore itself.Keep well hydrated with plenty of water, fruits, vegetables, soups, herbal teas. Drinking warm drinks regularly is a very helpful way of flushing viruses out from the mouth and throat so it does not spread to the lungs.
Nourish your body with a balanced diet. A simple whole foods diet, high in brightly coloured vegetables and including herbs and spices is the nourishment your body needs for immunity. Foods that are particularly supportive to boost your immune system are high in …
Vitamin C: Currants, Citrus fruits, Berries, Pineapple, Paw Paw, Broccoli, Parsley, Spinach, Capsicum, Raw cabbage, Guava Zinc foods: Nuts, Egg, Herring, Oysters, Ginger, Sunflower seeds, Pepitas, Wholegrains
Avoid over-indulging in alcohol or putting strain on your liver. Processed foods, sugar, trans fats (eg. deep fried foods) are all compromising to the liver and immune system.
The lymphatic system is a very important part of immunity as it helps to eliminate toxins from the body. Embrace a movement practice every day to support your body’s ability to eliminate toxins and improve circulation and oxygenation to nourish every cell. Try exercises such as walking, swimming, dance, Qi Gong, Tai chi, Yoga or any other movement practice that gives you a sense of wellbeing.
Practice relaxation such as meditation or breathing practices. This will help your body move out of the active fight/flight type of nervous system function and into a rest, digest and restore nervous system function which powers our organs for health and healing. If the body is placed under too much stress, it is not able to fight illness so effectively.
Be sure to engage in pleasurable and joyful activities such as spending time with hobbies, in nature and connecting with the people who make you feel loved. The endorphins and wellbeing body chemicals we get from these activities are helpful for the immune system.
Negativity and attacking thoughts such as self criticism, guilt, fear, shame and anxiety have been scientifically proven to undermine the immune system. A focus on loving and caring for yourself and your body is a lot more effective in supporting your immune system than what you might have imagined. It will also be helpful to others when you give them this same loving respect. Expressing your gratitudes, showing appreciation to yourself and others and counting the blessings in your life are uplifting practices.
Support your body’s energetics and bioresonance by having time in nature. Walk bare foot on the earth, swim in a river or the ocean and get outside and breath the fresh air in a leafy space. There is a huge amount of electromagnetic activity in our ethers at the moment and there is a trend, and for many a need, to spend more time in front of a screen. This has an impact on the electrical energy and our nervous system function and the ion balance in the body. These electrically charged particles can be rebalanced with these three practices. Currently some people are needing large scale energetic balances to cope with the electromagnetic resonances, so if you feel you just can’t get on top of re-balancing your energy levels and connecting with a centred state of being, then a Kinesiology balance could be ideal for you. Feel free to get in touch if you have any queries about this.
Gut health is super important for immunity. Your gut microbiome is upset with a high sugar and low fibre diet. It is also affected by physical stresses such as parasites, bacteria, viruses, heavy metals and pesticide residual on your food. Mental and emotional stress can also upset your gut health. Symptoms of bloating, foul flatulence, constipation and diarrhoea can be indicators that your gut health needs support and the foods that can help the microbiome are sprouts such as alfalfa, mung bean and lentil sprouts, organic kale and leafy vegetables, apples with the skin on, figs, bananas and dates.
Social distancing
A catch phrase at the moment which is important to be taken literally. Let’s also look at the metaphor. I believe that at this time in life, the element of social distancing is important with respect to not getting caught up with the fear and drama that is being touted and enacted. I am distancing myself from that kind of mindset, while still being mindful to practice due diligence with sanitation. I have decided to continue practicing as a health practitioner at this time as I think it is crucial that people have access to a service that is going to support all aspects of health. We are more than just a body susceptible to a virus. There is so much more to health and immunity than we realise and each client I have seen these past 2 weeks has had unique needs for boosting their health and releasing stress. Kinesiology is the only modality that I know that can be so exact in giving people the resources they need to recover from illness, setbacks and mental, emotional and energetic dysfunctions.
Is the social distancing concept an invitation to distance our mindset from social media negativity and instead focus on maintaining a connection with faith, love, and the goodness that life has to offer?
There are still loved ones in our life who we can talk to and joke with (even if it is at a distance or over the phone). We can still be mindful to choose what we are feeding our bodies, minds and hearts with. We have so much to give to self and others when we stay connected with this kind of wisdom.
Self Isolation
Another common phrase at the moment, and gratitude to all those people who are doing this with the intent to keep us all safe and prevent this virus from spreading. Currently there is a big picture on a global scale which is encouraging us to taking time out to reset and restore. In some cultures, a vision quest is practiced to support this process. There have been times when I have taken leave from my life and gone on a vision quest, sitting quietly in nature, and it has been immensely helpful. It gave me the space to unravel many elements of stress and pain and allow myself to be restored and re-focused in a new way. My book ‘Melting Moments’ covers this story in the way I wanted it to be shared.
Perhaps these times of winding back productivity with cancellations of events and closing of some businesses is an opportunity for humanity at large to learn to be more balanced in life. In life we always have the two elements of yin and yang, feminine and masculine, dark and light, rest and activity.
I wonder if we have had too much emphasis on the masculine qualities of activity and productivity and these latest events are a divine invitation to have more time with rest, calm and connection with intuition.
I have been feeling this personally in my own body since the end of last year and decided this year I would make changes to create more space and restoration time for for myself. So I was very interest to witness a global movement in this way. It really does make me believe that when we change from within, our world changes around us.
Self Centre
This is a theme I am seeing at the moment in my Kinesiology consultations. When we get a shake up in life like this, it is an opportunity to rebuild and re-pattern ourselves in a way that serves us better. This is another topic discussed in my book ‘Melting Moments’. Here are some quotes from my book which capture this.
‘A crisis event often explodes the illusions that anchor our lives.’
—Robert Veninga
‘As with an old house, in order to renovate and redecorate the place, you first have to tear it up. Then you put it back together.’
—Chin-Ning Chu
In light of current events I will not be having a face to face book launch event in WA in person. I have decided to tear down my technology prejudices and discomforts and re-decorate my online presence. I will be kicking off my online book launch this week. Stay tuned to our Soul Nurturing Facebook and Instagram pages to watch some gems from this book be revealed.
Sending blessings of restoration and vibrant health.
xo Simone