De-Stressing Part II: Is this thought helping you?

What do rugby, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Buddha, leeches and Fur Elise, have in common?

Apparently, Sri Lanka.

Over an extended May Day weekend, Adam and I flew a short one hour flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Due to a late evening flight, we spent the night in the town of Mount Lavinia, just outside the city. We awoke early to a repeated short phrase from the song, Fur Elise. You know the one? "do do do do doo do doo do do? Do do do? do do do?" Confused at what this could be and why it wouldn't stop-we went for a walk to the beach. A crowded beach at 7 in the morning, everyone else in Sri Lanka had the same idea. We passed a large rugby team working out, street (beach) dogs, walkers and joggers. To get to the beach, we walked on train tracks. Not quite a Cancun, I'll tell ya. But when leaving in Bangalore, an ocean and any type of beach is a dream.

On our way back, our question was answered. A familiar, do do do do was turning the street corner. An ice cream truck? No, a bakery on wheels- a Sri Lankan rickshaw making its morning rounds. At a lovely breakfast that morning, we heard another truck passing by- this time, it was Santa Claus is Coming to Town. We found out over the weekend, bakeries and sweet shops dominate this small island country.

The next day, Adam and I went southwards and way way upwards to the Sinharaja rainforest in Sri Lanka- A biosphere reserve and a world heritage site by UNESCO. Here we spent three lovely nights amongst amphibians, endemic species of birds, crickets, a few monkeys and dense, tropical vegetation.t We stayed at a newly developed Eco-lodge in chic, train car like chalets, feasting daily on tropical mangosteen, papaya, pineapple, bananas, and coconut dishes.

We spent most of the time outdoors and/or during the calming rains, napping, reading, and me winning repeatedly against Adam in cribbage.

We were the only inhabitants at the lodge and therefore, we had our own personal tour guide in the rainforest. He led us into what he called "a hard core tourist" hike, slowly making our way in our sneakers through slippery streams, rocks, waterfalls. Indeed it was, 10 kilometers later, We hiked up a small mountain of the rainforest, stumbling across a few big spiders, snakes, skeeters, and many many leeches- thus wearing protective "socks." Gorgeous and lush, mind blowing views.

What really got me though was a mind-provoking conversation I had with our young tour guide the next day on a walk through the local village, tea plantation and Buddhist temple. For never receiving any formal education beyond high school and for never travelling outside of Sri Lanka, he was one of the most eloquent, well versed and world people I have ever met.

His wisdom was simple and to the point. (Prepare yourself for another moment of Lori sharing her personal enlightenment teaching- as I tend to do in every post!) We got on the conversation of stress and worries, and the mind/body connection. We talked for over an hour, so I won't bore you with the details, but in his Buddhist, zen-like and simple way he got straight to the point. When an anxious thought, self-doubt, fear or worry comes, ask yourself the question. "Is this thought helping me?" "If not, let it go."

"Easier said then done" I wanted to say to my wise, new Buddhist friend. It is true. It is easier to let let mindless thoughts rack through our brain. But is it worthwhile? Percolating on this, I came to the following analogy. (Probably with help from a scene that takes place in Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, in which to empower herself in her meditation practice, she lets mosquitoes feast on her in India, while she clears her mind and comes to a deep calm).

I may not be that brave. However, it occurred to me that worry is like a mosquito bite. It may bite us and we don't realize it at first. (just a small after thought or a self-doubt that we push away at without much consciousness). But then our immune response to the mosquito bite kicks in. We feel itchy. Or in the case of worry, we engage and latch onto the anxious thought. Our brain kicks in trying to make sense of it. So then, we give in and scratch. The irritation grows and swells. We make the very small initial irritation or worry into something bigger. We feed it and focus only on how much pain it is causing us.

So what is the healing balm needed for our stressful worries? Aside from a strong dose of Benedryl or other forms of self medication? We may need to just, as difficult as it is, literally say to ourselves, "STOP!" "Is this thought helping me?" If not, Let it go...  Even if we can practice taking a pause or a break in the scratching, we can begin to break down old patterns and paths of worry. We can accept them as a part of the human mind and move on. Move on to something worthwhile: writing, singing, having chai with a friend, playing with a pet, whatever.

Don't let the mosquito win.

Adam, stop taking photos- a train could be coming, geez!

Hunky Sri Lankan rugby players

lovely sunset

Life in the rainforest, aahhh.

Is the thought, "I am going to fall" helping me to cross this precipice? If not, let it go and cross over (even if on your hands and knees and in your Sauconys). Poor baby!

Loverly.

De-stressing Part 1: It Happens.

Recently, in my thrice a week yoga class, I asked our wise yoga teacher: what could be the cause of my continuous struggle with digestive issues? (Sharing with him how frustrating it is knowing I follow an organic diet, eat fiber, exercise and do all the things a gal is supposed to do.) I let him know I was thinking of getting a colonoscopy just to check everything out. He frowned at this saying, "I think the problem is psychosomatic."

Great. So you are saying, "I am making up my bloated buddha belly?" After taking a few yogic breaths, I realized what hiswords meant. My belly is aching for a change of life. My belly issues are very real, but the question remains- did these symptoms manifest on their own? Probably not.

Self stress, imagined or created, can greatly impact our bodies and the way they respond to life. If ignored, they began to speak in terms we understand. Headaches, back pain, ulcers, you name it. No one claims that heart disease is something "made up in our heads"- who wants that? But, perhaps at least in some part, we affect our health with our stress. We feel stress, therefore we take comfort in fast food, beer, we feel too busy to work out, and on and on. We literally can work ourselves to death. Japan even has a word for it- karoshi- meaning "death from overwork," heart attack or stroke due to stress.

So as a phrase Indians love to use here, "What to do?" I decided to invite my stomach to join me in exploring the world of aryuveda, perhaps one of the oldest medical systems in the world. I wanted to see how a 5000 year old practice could assist me in finding a bit of peace in my psychosomatic stomach.

I arrived at Soukyas, a international reknowed holistic health treatment center near Bangalore, specializing in aryuvedic, natropathy, homepathic and western medicine applications. Its claim to fame is to have treated Prince Charles wife, Camilla. I stayed for four days and during this time had 30 treatments, a specialized diet and a yoga/meditation/exercise routine.

Upon arrival, I had a consultation with three different doctors who all immediately stated I was vata-pitta type, which means my dosha type- an intriguing aryuvedic way of determing imbalances of the body. If you'd like to read more on this as well as being an excellent book on holistic health, I recommend Dr. Henry Emmons book, "The Chemistry of Joy."

The docs I saw also determined that my digestive issues were more than likely related to stress. What, an American who is stressed? A rarity. But the doctors said, whatever the reason, they approach it with a holistic treatment to assist in resolving the symptoms prevelant- not just focusing on the stomach, but a complete "detox" of all the stressors in my life.

So, I began four days of experiencing a detoxing, new self. The program I followed did not require fasting or eating just celery sticks and lemon water, thank God! My daily schedule was as follows- wake up at 7am to a shot of wheatgrass at my door. Then a brisk walk, followed by 90 minutes of yoga. Off to an organic South Indian breakfast. Followed by several hours of treatments including hot stone massage, shirodhara (ayurvedic oils dripped slowly over the head for approximately 40 minutes- it was divine!). Throughout the day, I was given coconut water, fresh pumpkin juice, herbal waters, etc. Then lunch, then more treatments, then yoga/meditation class, then another Indian meal, then fruits, then 8-10 black raisins soaked in water, and then bed. whew....

The real whammy of a treatment day came when I was informed of being provided me with a- get this-a "hydrotherapy colonic". oookaaay... the name is scary in itself. 35-45 Liters of water pumped to detox and clean out the colon. I will kindly keep this part less detailed for my readers, but lets just say, the Indian doctor at one point in the treatment said sweetly to my embarrased self, "It's okay, 'it' happens." Not knowing her spot on humor in our beloved American phrase $#it happens!

Aside from my colon power-washing experience, the entire four days really did provide me with a time for some detoxifying. Not only my digestive system, but the whole picture: my body, heart,  mind and soul as well. I had some time to reflect and realize- there may be some things in my life that I hold onto a bit too much and need to let go of- no pun intended.

We can't always escape to a holistic health center for four days or even for an hour. But, there are things that can change in life to destress and detoxify. For me, I realized there are certain toxins such as anxiety-toxic self thinking, too much wine, indulging in dark chocolate and salty potato chips, etc. I can detox with meditation and prayer, healthy choices, yoga, etc.

What are the toxins in your life? Caffeine, cigarettes, or other forms of stress? What are the things that we have trouble digesting in this life? What is your detox plan? Yeah so, 'it' happens. I guess the question becomes, do we hold onto it? Or do we find ways to let it go?

Many herbs for ayruvedic treatments.

Making of aryuvedic oil.

Organic farm at Soukyas

Are you an organic cow?

Beauty in mindfulness.

 A view of my morning walk.