Tension built up over time will eventually result in a release of energy. Instead of facing massive damage like the Nepal earthquake, humans have some say over how we manage tension as it occurs in our body.
The 21st century lifestyle is furiously promoted by economists and marketers alike. Our modern mantra is more convenience and less effort. The urban lifestyle requires us to use our mind instead of our body, creating the need for gyms and yoga studios and exercise businesses.
Prolonged sitting plus unresolved emotional stress builds muscle tension over time and eventually something has got to give. Painful muscle spasms can be triggered by the slightest bend or twist. Unrelieved, pressure builds causing soft discs between the vertebrae to bulge and protrude, pressing against the spinal nerve and creating sciatica as pain shoots down the leg.
Regular release is the key to prevention. Releasing tension is done physically by gentle stretching to open hips and shoulders. Psychological tension is released by scheduling a time-out or meditating to give the mind a rest. Emotional release is triggered by acknowledging and releasing ancient and current pain in laughter or tears and both can be equally effective.
Our Hong Kong lifestyle is the 21st century lifestyle on speed.
Making healthy choices today can add to our stress as we try to sift through promotions and opinions to find facts and then embark on the adventure to locate prescribed products and services in our urban jungle. Only 13 years ago when it was super un-cool, no one who wasn’t authentically interested ever considered entering the healthy living marketplace. It was easy to separate truth from marketing and trust the information available. Today’s healthy living trend mixes corporate interests with social media, offering volumes of conflicting information about what is good for us and what is bad for us along with a variety of untested quick-fix solutions.
In the early days of HK heartbeat, it was not easy to find local practitioners or teachers who offered anything beyond modern chemical or surgical solutions. Our network now offers an abundance of integrated natural options for healing, like yoga, pilates, osteopathy, mindfulness, chiropractic, bodywork, kinesiology and energy healing in addition to local Traditional Chinese Medicine. We are running out of excuses for not living a whole and conscious healthy life.
Healing our world begins with healing ourselves and the answer lies beyond access to information. I have been rudely reminded of this simple truth again. Long computer hours added up and I forgot to take care of myself. Leaning over to get laundry soap, I felt the twinge and within an hour I was flat on my back where I stayed for much of the following 2 weeks. It was an overdue unscheduled time-out and I used the time for deep emotional release, reflecting on how I was taking this beautiful body for granted. Aging serves as the perfect reminder of the vital importance of daily self care.
Being well is much easier than getting well.
During my healing crisis, I have been missing the social connections of our vibrant local community. I am happy to see the calendar filling up with interesting events, like The Wellness 360 Fair, offering insights and information that can help us with healing the mind and the body and the spirit which can lead to healing our families and our communities and our planet.
As I return to vertical life, I am learning to take it easy, go slowly and be gentle with myself. This is a new discipline for me.
We can apply these same principles to healing our world — faster is not always better.
What are you ready to heal?
Naturally,
Founder & Publisher
www.heartbeat.com.hk
natural life in the fast lane
Everything is connected.
Listen to your own heartbeat.
“The new electronic independence re-creates the world in the image of a global village.” Marshall McLuhan
