by Olivia Ruffin, MS, LPC
As the excitement and cheer of the holidays come to a close, friends and family go back to their homes, and it’s time to get back to reality, it can be difficult to find balance in our ordinary schedules. In addition, for those who experience loss, negative experiences, or struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) the winter months can present as a physical and emotional challenge. So as not to get stuck in the “New Year, New Me” wave, here are some tips that can help increase self-care through the winter months and support new experiences, self-compassion, and inner peace.
Live-in alignment with the seasons
“Slow down and enjoy life. It is not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” Eddie Cantor
Winter is a time for hibernation and to slow down and reflect. It can be difficult with our ever-growing “to-do” list and social pressures to resist the urge to take on new projects. It can be hard to shift our focus from a doing state to one of rest and reflection. The key is to give yourself permission to slow down. A few steps you can take is to practice saying “no”, especially to events and activities that you find draining. I like to support my clients in developing a sense of serenity by practicing mindfulness.
Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment on purpose, which creates an opportunity to experience happiness and joy. The practice of mindfulness can include guided meditation, practicing gratitude, observing the activity around you on a nature walk, or singing your heart out in the shower. One of my favorite activities to do with clients is to create a gratitude jar; as they accumulate the collection, they are reminded that even on our toughest days, there is still goodness in our world. Developing your own brand of mindfulness is what makes the experience fulfilling and unique.
Maintain a healthy seasonal diet
“In Chinese Medicine, the season of winter is thought to be the most yin of seasons: dark, cold, and slow; a time of conserving energy, rest and stillness, with our qi moving deeper inward to help keep us warm.”-- Jayne Whitman
Chinese medicine teaches us to live in harmony with the seasons. The best method to keep our bodies in balance in winter is to have a mainly warm diet with foods available in the session. To find out what your body needs, stay up to date with your doctor's visits and maybe consider working with a nutritionist. If you struggle to be creative in the kitchen, working with a nutritionist can be a great support to increase confidence and knowledge about foods that bring you joy and keep you satisfied. Sometimes the best medicine starts with what's on the plate.
Revisit a hobby
Hobbies have great benefits for your mental health, whether it’s creative, athletic, academic, by yourself, or with others. Hobbies help us to slow down and unwind. Hobbies also help us to reduce stress, increase mood, and boost creativity. Revisit the joy of reading or try listening to an audiobook and allow yourself to be swept away by the story. Maybe you'd enjoy learning a new skill like crafting, cooking, or learning to play a musical instrument. These are all methods to not only practice mindfulness but bring back simple joys. Does a hobby come to mind? Don't be shy. Now could be the time to enjoy it again.
Stay connected
Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean the fun has to stop there! Staying connected to others is a great way to beat the loneliness of winter. If you are feeling healthy and confident, maybe get back to in-person activities like attending faith-based events, meeting a friend for coffee or dinner dates, or finding friends through new experiences on Eventbrite or Meetup. These are all methods to keep and find meaningful connections.
Intuitive movement
“Intuitive movement is the practice of connecting and listening to your body to figure out how it feels and what type of movement it needs that day.”-- Rachel Harley
I support my clients with the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skill of opposite action. We all have that nagging feeling, “I should get up and move,” but what you might not know is that “should statements” motivate us with guilt or shame. While that can sometimes get us started, rarely is that movement or change enjoyable or sustainable. Learning to settle into your body and asking yourself what movement would be fulfilling for you right now could be the key to unlocking sustainability and creativity. From yoga to dancing to playing with your kids in the snow, noticing if it feels good to move your body differently is what counts!
Although the winter months can be cold and gloomy, that doesn't mean your self-care routine needs to suffer. By living in alignment with the season and slowing down, staying warm, and reflecting through mindful engagement, you can increase joy and connection even in the middle of winter. If this sounds like a new resolution you can get behind and you need support to get started, then I might be the therapist for you! Let's get connected!
Olivia Ruffin, MS, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor that works with teens and adults. She specializes in working with individuals with anxiety, depression, and life transitions to cultivate joy and develop helpful and relevant strategies to empower clients with concrete tools for lasting change. To connect with Olivia, please call 267-434-1030. Learn more here.
Showing posts with label chinese medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chinese medicine. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Intentional Self-care for the Winter Doldrums
Monday, December 18, 2017
Never Too Old
You
are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. –
C.S. Lewis
As a practitioner of QiGong, an ancient Chinese health care system
that integrates flowing movements, postures, breathing and focused intention, I
would like to share the following: I am now 71 years of age. Yikes. Practicing this
modality I believe has helped me to stay young at heart, physically and
mentally. QiGong is recommended by the Harvard Medical School as well
many physicians, and Dr. Oz. Its great appeal is that EVERY one can benefit,
regardless of ability, age, belief system or circumstances. Western
scientific research confirms that those who maintain a consistent practice of
Qigong find that it helps one regain a youthful vitality, maintain health even
into old age as well as to speed recovery from illness. The
following link from Daisy Lee addresses this with a story about her teacher
Master Duan, who at the time of the story was nearing 100 yrs. of age:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtUHbZFu-BI&list=PL3DEE46AAE854A904. Enjoy Daisy Lee, and have fun and flow to glowing
health this New Year. Let the Qi flow to good health and happiness.
Karen
Steinbrecher teaches Qigong at The Resiliency Center on Tuesday afternoons and
Thursday evenings. Learn more by emailing her at karensteinbrecher@msn.com.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
An Invitation to Dance QiGong
By Karen Steinbrecher
“Dear ones, let’s anoint this earth with dance!” From a year with Hafiz, translated by Daniel
Ladinsky.
I write this on a cold February morning with a vision in my
mind’s eye of spring. My vision is of
green, seeds sprouting, with green shoots emanating from the wood, for this is
the time of the Wood element in Traditional Chinese Medicine. We have
transitioned to the Wood element. Let us celebrate! Practicing Qigong enables you to let go of
the increasing pressures, the fast pace of life, and bring you back, in touch
with yourself.
We, you and I, are the Earth, and we are Heaven, we are the
Universe. When we practice the healing
dance of Qigong, we work (Gong) to balance Yin (Earth) with Yang (Heaven) as we
align body, mind and spirit. This is the essence of Qigong: a total absorption of the senses and spirit.
With this absorption comes a rebalancing.
Research indicates that regular Qigong practice can help eliminate some
types of chronic pain, reduce the need for medication, shorten postoperative
recovery time, let go of stress.
Qigong reminds us to be like a baby, soft and pliable; it
returns us to our essential nature; to this simplicity; to that soul we long to
embrace. Think “green” with joy this spring and let go of stress as we dance
Qigong. I begin our classes with these
words “ We are the Universe, the Universe is in us, let us merge
for peace and love and healing, together.” Here at the Resiliency Center are several
excellent therapists who practice various types of support and can provide the
help you also may need to return to balance.
Qigong practice is led by Karen Steinbrecher karensteinbrecher@msn.com
on Thursdays @ 2P.M. and 6:15 P.M. for 55 minutes. The cost is $10.00.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Celebrate the Joys of Summer with Qigong
by
Karen Steinbrecher
Now
is a time of Light, Joy, Elation and Happiness.
Find the magic within as you practice and dance QiGong. This is a time
to fully express the new ideas and goals, the seeds we planted at the start of
the year. Summer is the season of the heart according to Traditional Chinese
Medicine. This is the season to step
into your joy. An important teaching of Chinese medicine is that there is a
seamless continuum between the body and the environment around us. In Five Phase Theory we have entered the
cycle of summer, the time, cycle, greatest Yang, and this season is also called
‘Fire.’ All cycles are manifestations of the movement of Yin and Yang, and the
seasons are no different. The time of Yin in autumn and winter is a time of
resting while both spring and summer are Yang seasons. Yang represents growth,
expansion and outward movement. Spring begins this movement of growth, and summer
takes over to allow growth to expand to its fullest. During summer we stay
healthy trying to mimic this Fire/Yang movement of nature, yet we want to be
mindful, to not overdo things. Both too little and too much divert us from
harmony. Thus with QiGong practice we work to balance the Yin and Yang.
Fire
stands for heat and the color red. In the body Fire is the Heart, representing
a Yang organ and the Small Intestine represents the Yin organs. Stepping into
your joy means that it is okay to take a moment away from your busy schedule.
Remind yourself that no matter what is going on, it is always possible to feel
peace in your heart. It is good to
nourish your being, your spirit, to be kind to yourself. Remember also to
nourish yourself with foods. That is the
Yin organ, the small intestine. This is
the organ where the most extensive process of digestion and absorption of foods
and nutrient take place.
With
Qigong we dance/practice movements to nourish our being with compassion towards
joy and happiness. Some of the many
movements connecting the Heart meridian
are the “Coming and going of the waves,
Letting up a balloon, the Swan spreads it wings, Turning your body to view a
distant Full Moon and the Lotus is
Rising from the Water.” “Turning the Ball of Light” connects the Small
Intestine meridian. These flowing and peaceful stretching movements with the breath
work feel so good. For example, the Lotus flower symbolizes Harmony and Love,
Peace and Compassion and more. When we practice the Lotus movements, we
envision rising up through the muck and the mud to become a flower resonating
with purification and growth and happiness. This is a favorite movement with my
classes.
Come
join us to return to your Heart during these Lotus days of summer with Qigong
on Thursdays at 2 P.M. and at 6:15 P.M.
The
class lasts for 1 hour with a charge of $10.00
With
Qi Blessings and Gratitude,
Karen
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Celebrate the Joys of Summer with Qigong
by Karen Steinbrecher
Summer is the season of the heart according to Traditional
Chinese Medicine. This is the season to
step into your joy. An important
teaching of Chinese medicine is that there is a seamless continuum between the
body and the environment around us. In
Five Phase Theory we have entered the cycle of summer, the time, cycle, of
greatest Yang, and this season is also called ‘Fire’. All cycles are manifestations of the movement
of Yin and Yang, and the seasons are no different. The time of Yin in autumn and winter is a
time of resting while both spring and summer are Yang seasons. Yang represents growth, expansion and outward
movement. Spring begins this movement of
growth, and summer takes over to allow growth to expand to its fullest. During summer we stay healthy trying to mimic
this Fire/Yang movement of nature, yet we want to be mindful, to not overdo
things. Both too little and too much
divert us from harmony. Thus with Qigong
practice we work to balance the Yin and Yang.
Fire stands for heat and the color red. In the body Fire is the Heart, representing a
Yang organ and the Small Intestine represents the Yin organs. This is the season to step into your
joy. This means that it is okay to take
a moment away from your busy schedule.
Remind yourself that no matter what is going on, it is always possible
to feel peace in your heart. It is good
to nourish your being, your spirit, to be kind to yourself.
Remember also to nourish yourself with foods. That is the Yin organ, the small
intestine. This is the organ where the
most extensive process of digestion and absorption of foods and nutrients take
place.
With Qigong we dance/practice movements to nourish our being
with compassion towards joy and happiness. Some of the many movements connecting the Heart meridian are the “Coming and going of the waves, Letting
up a balloon, the Swan spreads it wings, Twisting your Body to view a distant Full Moon and the Lotus is Rising from the
Water.”
“Turning the Ball of Light” connects the Small Intestine
meridian. These flowing and peaceful
stretching movements with the breathwork feel so good. For example, the Lotus flower symbolizes
Harmony and Love and Peace and Compassion and more. When we practice the Lotus movements, we
envision rising up through the muck and the mud to become a flower resonating
with purification and growth and happiness.
This is a favorite movement with my classes.
Come join us to return to your Heart during these Lotus days
of summer with Qigong on Thursdays at 2 P.M. and at 6:15 P.M.
The class lasts for 1 hour with a charge of $10.00
There will be No Class on Thursday July 18th, 25th
and August 1st. I offer a
free Qigong in Ambler
Borough Park
With Qi Blessings and Gratitude,
Karen
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Dancing Qigong This Spring
by Karen Steinbrecher
We dance and practice Qigong to lead us back to balance. As we flow from winter into the green of Spring,
seeds are sprouting to new life. We practice and dance movements that align our
bodies to the organs. In TCM ( Traditional Chinese Medicine) that represent the
Wood element Spring. When we practice
Qigong we work upon aligning body, mind and spirit, to balance Yin (Earth) and
Yang (Heaven).
The organs associated with the Wood element are the Liver (the
Yin organ), and the Gall Bladder (the Yang organ). Here, at the Resiliency Center
We dance and practice various movements that align with the
above-mentioned organs. For example, we
practice “Turning a Wheel of Light” for the Liver and for the Gall Bladder meridian,
we dance “Bird’s Flight” as well as other flowing and stretching movements.
To experience the healing power of QiGong, you need to have
in your mind a clear vision of what is happening to you. In classical Chinese this would be called a
vision of Heaven (Yang) and Earth (Yin).
In many ways, it is the same portrait of the cosmos as revealed by contemporary scientists. Following this
thought on the balance of Yin and Yang- Heaven and Earth- the Qigong movement
and breathing exercises help us to
return this energy to alignment.
When this balance is achieved, stress is reduced, and this helps us to
increase the effectiveness of our immune system to ward off illness. Research indicates that regular Qigong
practice can help eliminate some types of chronic pain, reduce the need for
medication, shorten postoperative recovery time, and even help to control
diabetes.
Practicing Qigong can bring you back in touch with yourself;
it enables you to let go of the increasing pressures and fast pace of
life. Think “green” this Spring and let
go of stress as you dance QiGong. Here at the Resiliency Center
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