As we move into the colourful season of Autumn, this is the right time to strengthen your defences and protect yourself by reinforcing your shield.
According to Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a protective force known as the Wei Qi (could be called the immune system too.) The yang energy flows on the outer layers of muscle and skin and controls the opening and closing of the pores that regulate temperature and sweating, this is the shield that helps you to protect yourself.
Protect yourself and strengthen your field to shield you from external pathogens and internal pathogens.
Obvious external pathogens are colds, flu’s and viruses but it may surprise you to know that internal pathogens are things like negative emotions and unhealthy thought patterns, we’re talking FAGS! fear, anger, guilt and shame. Banish those yucky emotions.
Since Autumn is a time of letting go and Mother Earth, is shedding layers and dying off, it’s actually quite normal to experience sadness and grief, weepy and low at this time of year.
As we say goodbye to the summer joys and all it’s warmth and prepare for the cold dark winter days ahead it can feel like grieving.
Other internal pathogens are poor attachments in the form of bad habits or addictions that can return with a vengeance as we reach for unhealthy comforts. When you lose your drive and feel rudderless this is also a call to action to strengthen and protect yourself.
So how do we combat this and strengthen our immunity? Luckily there are many ways, heres’ a few.
Keep Warm. A simple common sense approach to the changing seasons, such as protecting your body – especially neck/throat area – from wind and cold will help you. Plainly put, you’ve got to start wearing those extra layers even if that big yellow thing is still shining in the sky!
Disicipline. Find whatever way works for you but knuckle down and do some regular exercise, whether it’s jogging, an aerobic class, yoga or Qigong get into something that you can practice for a short time each day, ideally working up a sweat. By the way don’t wash the sweat off for at least 1/2 an hour because when you allow it to soak into the pores you strengthen your Wei Qi and that’s your shield.
Nourishment. Ideally eat food that’s in season and nutrient rich with a variety of fruit, veg, nuts and seeds – the gut biome likes that! If you don’t know how to get your act together on the food front contact a good nutritionist
Stress Free. Reduce stress by practising relaxation techniques or listen to any of the programmes such as Yoga Nidra available in the shop here at thestresshacker.com .
Sleep Well. Aim for seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. Get into a routine, avoid visual stimulus for at least a couple of hours before you turn in. Clear your mind by writing a list of everything you have to do tomorrow and rise early to address your list.
Boundaries. Look at your boundaries make a note of who pushes them, or where and when your own boundaries weaken and you reach for your ‘fix’. Make a conscious decision to address them by writing out the ways you can deal with your boundary pushers for example learning assertive skills. Make an alternative plan to avoid the people, situations, times and triggers that make you want to use your comforters, consider other ways to handle this.
Know Yourself Better. In order to establish good clear boundaries, it’s important to know yourself. One simple way to do this is to journal daily. Just write a couple of pages either last thing at night or first thing in the morning before you get up. No rules, just write whatever comes out… over time you’ll see a pattern emerge. Noticing this can help you start addressing the things that get in the way of you feeling strong and you’ll be able to help yourself.
Finally, if you struggle with any of the above enlist some experts and get a wellbeing team behind you. Go and see a homeopath, get some acupuncture to boost your immune system and clear stagnation. Find a life-coach or therapist to work through your mental and emotional blocks and lastly set clear goals and then practice being present i.e meditation and mindfulness.
If you’re looking for a yoga and Qigong class, drop me a line meaI look forward to hearing your thoughts on taking steps to protect yourself.
