Resources for Deep Resilience and Calm

*Originally published March 2020

These last few weeks have been a swirl of uncertainty, decision making, and fear for so many folks, so I just wanted to reach out and offer you a few resources I thought you might find helpful. I hope you enjoy

Support Resilient Immunity

While the world battles COVID-19, you may be wondering if there’s a way to use natural medicine to support yourself at this time.

The first thing to say is that because this virus is completely new, there is zero research done on natural remedies to specifically prevent or treat COVID-19. We can use traditional theory to understand the energetics of this bug, how it affects us, what might prevent us from getting sick, or what might protect us. But we can’t know for sure. What we do know for sure is basic medical protocol. The advice you’ve most likely heard at this point regarding washing your hands and maintaining the protocols set forth by your local health authorities is extremely important to follow. This will slow the spread of the virus and prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed.

That being said, there are MANY ways you can fortify your immunity and remain resilient. Below you’ll find a few easy to implement suggestions to support your immunity today:

SUPPORT YOUR DIGESTION – Did you know that 70-80% of your immune system is inside your digestive system? That’s right – your gut microbiome is incredibly important for all kinds of functions in your body, and right now you want to keep it in tip top shape. That means eating lots of healthy whole vegetables and fermented foods. Don’t worry if you can’’t get to the store to purchase probiotics. Make your own instead with this sauerkraut recipe.

COMMIT TO SLEEP – Sleep is an important part of overall health. When you’re not getting enough quality sleep your body becomes stressed leading to inflammation and a weakening of the immune system. If you’re experiencing trouble sleeping check out Tips for Insomnia and watch the video Herbs to Improve your Sleep Naturally.

MOVE YOUR LYMPH – Your lymphatic system and lymph fluid helps to transport wastes and toxins out of your tissues and your body. To support your immune system you need to support your lymphatic system. Use the self massage instructions here to get your lymph flowing.

EAT GARLIC AND GINGER – There are many herbal allies I could have mentioned for this post, but I wanted to suggest something that you could easily find in your kitchen, or in grocery stores, as I know supplement aisles may be depleted right now. The great news is that these two foods are some the best and well researched herbs we have to support the immune system. Finely chop raw garlic and add it to salad dressings, or steamed greens, and try out the ginger tea below:

Digestive Ginger Tea

Bring 2 cups of water to boil
Add 1/2 inch piece of chopped ginger root, 2-3 cloves, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder.
Reduce heat, cover with lid, and simmer 10 min.
Strain and drink after or with meals

REACH FOR VITAMIN C – This vitamin is incredibly safe and has shown some very promising results for cold and flu prevention. Supplement with up to 2000 mg a day or be sure to eat plenty of oranges, strawberries, bell peppers, grapefruit, rose hips, and broccoli.

USE HEALING HERBS – There are so many herbs you can use to support your immunity, calm your nervous system, and build resilience. Adaptogen herbs are especially helpful when adapting to stress and overwhelm. Watch the video about Adaptogen Herbs for Stress here.

Echinacea is a wonderful herb to activate immune cells and support overall immune system function. Take 2-5 droppers of the tincture every few hours if you’re feeling run down. Echinacea is considered energetically cold, so if you tend toward feeling cold take it with the ginger tea I suggested above. If you have an autoimmune condition, you may want to check with your physician and watch for any flareups related to this herb.

Astragalus is a traditional Chinese Medicine herb that is used to strengthen and build Qi. It is best used as a preventative and not traditionally used if you already have an infection or are feeling sick. To use astragalus, try the Chinese Medicine immune soup below.

I usually recommend variations of this soup to patients who tend to get sick easily. Sometimes I add miso paste to this recipe at the end, but in the spring it’s best to decrease salty foods. In the spring, focus on adding pungent foods like ginger, garlic, or black pepper.

Chinese Medicine Immunity Soup

Saute garlic, ginger and onion.
Add chopped carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and chopped kale
Add 6 cups of vegetable stock
Add 2 pieces of astragalus root and simmer 30 min.
(Optional) Add tamari, rice wine vinegar, fried cubes of tofu, soba noodles, or sesame seeds.
Remove the astragalus and serve

For more information on building your immune system watch the video Building Immune Strength here

The Healing Potential of Stopping and Resting in the Unknown

Looking at this shared cultural moment through the lens of Chinese Medicine and the five elements, you could say we’re deep in the healing potential of the Water element. The water element exposes our existential fear of the unknown and asks us – what is absolutely essential? What is really true for me beyond the “doing” and busyness?

These are big questions, and they’re not always easy to answer.

In this dark void phase of the cycle there is potent potential. In order to fully access this potential, we need to slow down and then stop. Our culture is not used to pausing or stopping. We live within a context that values action, results, and speed. Oftentimes, we’re rewarded for pushing forward at all costs. But on a very deep level this causes depletion; of our own vital Qi, and the resources of the planet.

Ultimately, the water element requires us to turn inward, stop the forward driving momentum, and pay attention. When we stop and examine our lives we may discover our vitality is being drained in all kinds of unnecessary ways. This vitality is the deep life force of Kidney Qi that is depleted when our adrenals are pumping out stress hormones. It is the vitality stored in the marrow of our bones. We can restore this vital energy by stopping, pausing, and resting in the unknown.

As the world slows down, is there a way you can stop, and let go, to support your deep Kidney Qi? This moment too will pass. Spring and summer will burst forth, and the buzz of the world will continue on. Right now though, is there a way to stop pushing forward and rest in the utter darkness? The foundational practice of the water element is pausing with trust, not fear. This is not to say, suffering ceases to exist in the outer world. Instead this exercise is a journey inward.

Think about all of the activities and roles you’re engaged in. Can you approach this time of forced slowness as a time to re-orient to what is most important? Without neglecting the difficulty and pain this situation has caused, what would it be like to suspend the need to do and fix, and instead just be? What remains beyond roles and responsibility? Try this meditation on nourishing Kidney Qi to learn more.

Stabilize and Calm your Nervous System

This has been a challenging few weeks for many of us. When stress and anxiety is chronic and long term it can affect all kinds of systems including the immune system.

Meditation can help to reset the nervous system and bring you back to a baseline “rest and digest” response. Plus, learning to be with “what is”, is a powerful technique to practice when facing so much uncertainty.

If you’ve been wanting to establish or deepen a meditation practice, NOW is the time. Sit down on your cushion and follow your breath. Observe how the breath comes and goes just like a bubble on a fast moving stream. Impermanent. Here one moment. Gone the next. Notice how endings become beginnings.

If you haven’t already joined, you may enjoy a “Month of Mindfulness” which is a free course I created that provides some guided audio meditations and journal prompts to help you start or deepen your meditation practice. Even just 10 minutes a day can make a difference.

A few more guided meditations to check out:

Yoga Practice Suggestions to Build Resilience

The power of your movement and yoga practice can also help you remain resilient in the face of change. Especially helpful for immune strength are supported backbends (like this supported bridge), twists (like this child’s pose with a twist), and supported shoulder stand.

Here are a few other yoga practices for you:

Connect with a Deeper Rhythm

Noticing the steady rhythm of seasonal cycles can keep us grounded and connected.

The days are getting longer and the natural world is waking from her deep winter slumber. Rest assured, summer is on its way and with it will come warm evenings, and more opportunities to enjoy this beautiful planet we call home.

The Peace of Wild Things ~ Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

As we all navigate this complex and strange time, I do hope you have the opportunity to take refuge in the ‘peace of wild things’ however that’s possible for you. If you have the chance to access the gifts of mother earth at this time, she can provide a place of refuge and can help absorb some of the extra buzz and anxiety surrounding the current situation. I’ve been finding walks in the forest particularly helpful