A tale of stress and peace

For the first time in my life I spilled my drink on myself!

No big deal you would say, it happens! Yes, it does, not to me though! This made me stop and think why did I do this?

I have become clumsy, forgetting my stuff, dropping my items, bumping into things, missing my bus stop, or even taking the wrong direction.

I was 4 or 5 weeks into my fellowship, my subconscious was manifesting how anxious I felt starting a new adventure in a new country, alone, away from my comfort zone. I haven’t found a rhythm to my new life yet, I haven’t even found a place where to stay yet.

Being in a foreign country, without our family, our cultural references, our favorite places, our local food, or a network of close friends, we lack the feeling of being psychologically and emotionally grounded. This can lead to stress and even anxiety.

I decided to take matters into my own hands, recreate my own routine. So I (re)started sport and meditation. A week afterward all signs of clumsiness had magically disappeared.

Hiking:

Washington is a beautiful state with lots and lots of great hiking trails. I joined a hiking challenge, made a vision board, and started enjoying nature.

Hiking in nature is so powerful for our health and well-being, research suggests, it oxygenates your heart, keeps your mind sharper, your body calmer, your creativity more alive, and your relationships happier.

I did 8 hikes up to now, from parks to mountains, through rain or snow, even in the wilderness. It just feels great.

Meditation:

Meditation is more than a stress-reduction technique. It’s a way of developing a different relationship with our experiences of stress and affect and thinking that helps with all aspects of life. Since I am a mindfulness and meditation facilitator, it was easy for me to just fall back into my previous routine of regular meditation which gives me so much inner peace. You will be surprised how many benefits you will get from as low as 5 minutes of meditation per day.

If you are new and want to try it, here is a website to help you start: Peace Revolution, it’s a free 42 days program of guided meditation in three languages: English, French and Spanish.