Have you ever had one of those cycles when you just want flow to arrive so you can feel (semi) normal again?
I just had one of those.
The last half of my cycle was wonky. Crazy BBT temperatures, delayed ovulation, spotting, cramping…. Ick.
My emotions were all over the place, stimulated by the stress of a busy holiday week that came to an end with a visit from Aunt Flow.
And while she brought pain physically, at least my emotions leveled out.
Whew. There is something magical about the days to follow flow: a hormonal re-set. I could think clearly again 🙂
Which naturally lead to the question… Why? Why were things so off this cycle?
It didn’t take too much evaluation to recognize the powerful one word answer to that question.
Stress.
Finding Calm in the Storm
Yes. Stress.
My body was taking it out on me. A consistent reminder as my uterus convulsed and a pain wrapped around my pelvis and lower back like barbed wire.
On pain days like these I try to distract myself. Movies, books, baths, sleep.
Along the way I picked up the wise words of Dr. Wayne Dyer in his book Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life.
I happened to open to the chapter Living Calmly and was met with a wise reminder…
You will know that circumstances don’t determine your state of mind, for that power rests with you. When you maintain a peaceful inner posture, even in the midst of chaos, you change your life… The solution for a life of unrest is choosing stillness.
– Dr. Wayne Dyer
When I read those words I was craving calm in my quivering body.
So I stopped. Closed my eyes and took some long, deep breaths.
Regardless of the pain, I have the ability to remain centered and calm.
Like an eye of the storm.
It worked.
Once I calmed the center, the rest of my body calmed down too.
Your Breath is a Healing Force
The way that you breathe influences all processes in your body, including the calming of your nervous system.
Conscious breathing allows your body to more easily cope with stress, anxiety and pain.
When you learn how to control your breath then you learn to adapt to chaotic environments. Even when this is your outer shell wrapped with endometriosis.
I first became aware of the impact of my breath during yoga practice. It was here that I first heard the Sanskrit word, prana, which translates to “life force” or “life energy”.
The practice of pranayama is to observe, control and direct your breath to different parts of your body.
Have you tried this?
While conscious breathing is very helpful when pain strikes, this is not the only time that it should be implemented.
Consistently practicing conscious breathing is preventative medicine and very healing for your body, mind and soul.
The breath connects all three 🙂
On the Positive Side?
I recognize just how important of a factor that stress plays in healing. It truly throws everything out of whack.
It’s not something that is going to go away. We live in stressful times.
But as things seem to be falling apart around in a whirling wave of chaotic energy, we can remain the eye of the storm. Calm. Centered.
The key is within you. Your breath. Your life force.
Tap into that and you tap into the calm. That glorious place that is already healed and whole and waiting for you…
To help you learn how to do conscious breathing, I put together a Guided Breather. It includes five guided breathing exercises aimed at bringing a moment of peace to your day.
Download your copy of the Guided Breather here.
Much Love,
