Annabel Edelman
During this uncertain season, it is sometimes difficult to not only process the vastly different landscape, but also find a new “normal”. So much of what we usually do not think twice about is either not happening all or very different. Stress and even fear are all around us and perhaps within us. COVID19 has cast a grey cloud over a time of year when everything in Nature turns toward the Sun to wake up and grow big and beautiful. We should be enjoying this time rather than being socially distant hermits.
It is still possible to enjoy Spring, however. I cannot emphasize enough the healing powers of spending time in nature. Though some days are a chilly 40 degrees farenheit, the temperature is rising overall and the occasional sunshine feels like a warm embrace. If you are nervous wear a face mask but for your own sake make some time to go outside every day. If it is raining or snowing, use an umbrella or jacket as needed. April in the Berkshires! Take a day off if you must.
I find walking to be an effective form of meditation without being boring. Having my body occupied in a steady gentle way such as this calms me. It is fun to be outside in the company of friends, as I discussed previously, and the outdoors can also be used as a solitary vehicle for stress management.
At least 2 or 3 times weekly, set out by yourself and alone for a meditation walk. Try to focus on your physical presence, rather than the thoughts within your mind. We are too often cooped up these days; even those of us who make it outdoors for fun may be stuck in our own heads more than usual.
As soon as you step out the door, close your eyes and breathe deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Picture yourself blowing up a balloon, and in so doing, blow your thoughts, feelings, and as much of the tension and anxiety and negativity as you can, into this balloon, until it is huge and full. Envision this negativity as a specific color of your choosing as you blow up your mental Stress Balloon.
Once your Stress Balloon is full, picture yourself holding it with both hands and releasing it into the sky. Take a moment to watch it drift up and up, borne on the breeze, away far away until it is a pin prick and then gone. Open your eyes now, and turn around slowly and fully 360 degrees. Continue to breathe in through your nose out through your mouth as much as possible. Feel the Earth our mother so heavy beneath your feet, the sky so wide above and the road or sidewalk or path stretching before you and onward past the horizon.
You need not walk all the way to the horizon, but take at least 15 minutes each day to stroll in solitude. Notice how much lighter you are without that balloon full of sorrow. Each day, send a little more or a lot more of your stress up up and away, an army of balloons returning to the Universe for recycling. We tilt closer to the Sun each day and with this comes the promise, whispered softly inside our hearts, that things are settling and regenerating inch by inch. Catch some tan (just a little) if it will help remind you that we are headed for warmer and brighter times. Enjoy the fresh air and the many fine birds and bugs you may encounter in your travels. Do not ever stop breathing,
If you find yourself wanting a little more of a challenge, try hula hooping. This is the perfect time to learn a new skill, and you can bring it with you as you walk. More fun and invigorating than simply adding ankle weights or taking a new route, you will also end up with excellent abs.
Reference Citation
Bigham, E. PhD, McDannell L., Luciano, I., Salgado-Lopez, G. (2017). Effect of a Brief Guided Imagery on Stress. Biofeedback, Volume 42 , pp. 28-34 . Retrieved from https://www.aapb.org/files/publications/biofeedback/2014/biof-42-01-28-35.pdf
Brymer, E. , Nguyen, J. (2018, October). Nature-Based Guided Imagery as an Intervention for State Anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 9, 1858. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01858
