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Practicing non-attachment can mean less stress
November 12, 2011
Hailey Cunningham
In my experience, we spend a lot of energy focusing on what we don’t have enough of.“I need more love, I need more money, I need more time ... .” These are constant tapes playing in all of our minds from time to time.
At what point do we say, “I am enough, I have enough.” Why are we so attached to having more?
While training to be a yoga instructor in Los Angeles, I learned a great deal about the philosophy of yoga. In the yoga sutras of Patanjali, “Abhyasa vairagyabhyam tat nirodhah” is the practice of non-attachment. Can you imagine if we weren’t attached to items such as our phones, computers and, dare I say, our loved ones?
For me, I get attached to an idea of how something is going to look, mostly with planning. If there is a glitch in my plans, the controlling woman in me acts as if it is Armageddon. Thank goodness my family is patient! Can you imagine the peace that would come from not caring if someone was late to your dinner party? Or ate the last piece of pie or drank the last Diet Coke? What if it didn’t matter that someone broke into your car stealing your stereo? What if occurrences like these just blew away instantly like the wind? I know what you’re thinking: YEAH RIGHT!
I’m not writing this to get all hippie-like on you. I’m simply bringing up the fact that we don’t ever take a load off. The daily stresses of work, school, family, friends, significant others (or lack thereof), pets, bills and health really take a toll on your body in more ways that just feeling STRESSED OUT.
When your body is feeling stress, it is living in the “fight or flight” mode. This releases a stress hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol is designed to give you a boost of energy to make it through the catastrophe at hand (originally designed for scenarios like “Tiny mother lifts car off of trapped baby,” NOT “Busy mother of two just found out there will be one more for dinner”). The more Cortisol your body releases, the more fat it wants to store. Your body is trying to protect you and make sure you have enough energy to lift ALL the cars off ALL of the babies ALL DAY! When we let stress run our lives, we are only slowing the metabolism and creating a lose-lose situation with our health and weight loss goals.
The solution? Pick one activity that YOU love to do, and do it. When is the last time you actually did something just for you? Take a deep breath, start an exercise program (cardio exercise releases endorphins and oxygen into the body, acting as an anti-depressant). Take a walk. Several of my clients have shared that more so than the physical results, they have received from Get in Shape for Women, they FEEL better! And that is what is most important. How do you feel? When I feel out of whack, I get a massage or try some stress relief acupuncture. Sometimes I just get adjusted at the chiropractor. See below for some local recommendations.
Most of all, LET GO OF THAT WHICH YOU CANNOT CONTROL. Like Patanjali says, practice non-attachment in your daily lives, no incense or Enya required (though I highly recommend soothing music and aromatherapy). I promise this doesn’t automatically turn you into a yogi, and no, you don’t have to tell your friends and family you’re doing it.
If for no other reason at all, save your metabolism from the sluggishness that Cortisol brings and decrease the stress in your life! You are ENOUGH! And you have ENOUGH!
Namaste. (I had to!)
Here are a couple of tried and true stress reduction recommendations from yours truly:
Massage: Janice Kampe at All about You, Lees Summit, 816-591-6402. She gives incredible Swedish and hot stone massages. I got one yesterday, and I must say it was bliss.
Acupuncture/ Chiropractic: Dr. Charles M. Vifquain at Body Dynamic, 816-524-7000. He is a holistic doctor and is truly incredible.
Hailey Cunningham is manager of Get in Shape for Women, 407 S.W. Ward Road in Lees Summit.
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