Evolution Medicine: Meditations for mind, body and spirit - by Sonya Lazarevic MD

Dear Listeners,

It is often I find myself suggesting to someone I am speaking with, that they try to mix things up a bit for themselves. If life can be viewed as a grand experiment, one that allows us to test things out and in the process learn about ourselves… life can become a process of self-actualization.

Every action can yield an outcome which helps us know ourselves better. This may seem overly simple, I believe the profound lies in the mundane.

I'm going to back up a little bit though. Mixing things up means doing something different, shifting a routine. Switching things up can highlight subtle patterns below our day-to-day awareness. Why would that be important? Because sometimes it is hard to understand the decisions we make. A multitude of internal beliefs, values and memories shape our actions and reactions without our (conscious) knowing. Anytime you switch up a pattern, you get to see what it was connected or attached to. Here I refer to a mental, emotional or a behavioral habit. There are many methods of self reflection (including therapy), this passage focuses on how an action (and the feedback it yields) can provide insight into a pattern and thus yield an opening for opportunity:.

Below are a few random examples, I suggest beginning small.

* Move your shoes (the ones you take off when you enter your home) to a different place near your entrance. Move your toiletries from one side of the sink to another.

* Add a small step to your morning (or evening) routine; for example, when you wake up stand by an open window in the morning to experience the sun on your face before you start your day

* Call someone you’ve been meaning to reach out to, just to say hello

* Make a meal with a vegetable you never cooked before

* Go to a friend's house, walk through their yard or a nearby wooded area and identify plants never seen before.

Shaking up a pattern can be challenging, I remember I had a patient once look at me with surprise when I suggested he move his shoes in the entrance of his home. Pick something that can can take you a tiny bit out of your comfort zone.

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I’m going to give a small example of my own.

I did something different (for me) this weekend, I found myself in a in a field identifying wild edible plants and herbs. A friend suggested I use an app to familiarize myself with an area, I thought little of it and downloaded it.

What came of this experiment was a total surprise. A field of all-green-weeds became an expanse of hidden treasures (amongst some weeds) including wild Rose, St. John's Wort, TONs of burdock, common sorrel, vervain, buttercup, stinging nettle, I could go on.… I was excited as if I discovered something, when in fact I was learning to see.

A field of ‘green stuff’ became a timetable of history (Romans chomped on sorrel), nutritious food (oxalic acid, calcium, protein, fiber, how nettle compares to wheat) and healing properties (anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-histaminic). The latter anchored my understanding of food as medicine in a tangible way. I realized it’s easier to learn plants in their habitat (a challenge) which informs my studies of essential oils. The pattern for me here was regarding my studying habits of the past, what I thought was the right way versus one that works for my brain/learning system.

Feel free to share this with anyone you think this might help. I hope you had a peaceful Memorial Day weekend.

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Dear Listeners,

A recent conversation with a friend who was feeling low about humanity’s direction got me thinking. He noticed our society devolving and was wondering how to keep hope alive. He was concerned why people’s ability to function appeared to decline, why a segment of the population seemed to have difficulty holding a job, and why communication seemed to become progressively difficult (can you get someone on the phone?). While his work focuses on violence, that also appeared to increased nationally and internationally, while the spin of social media tightens and culture arguments heat up further… he noticed how mental health needs rise.

How to navigate all this?

I understand the feeling of overwhelm regarding the ‘state of the world’ and/or the helplessness regarding changing it. Yes, it is hard for one person to stop a war…. but what if you looked in another direction? What if you, the reader, stopped warring within. Or warring with family, neighbors or friends. To begin to change the world, consider how a small change can initiate with you and then impact all you touch. Individually. The power of that change- in your state of being- is immense. It shouldn’t be underestimated. The feeling of helplessness is understandable, it is hard for one person to stop a war thousands of miles away, but it is directly accessible to stop one within.

Another way to consider this; how can any of us ‘be in it but not of it.’ Meaning, how to live in this world, in this radically changing time and stay solid within. I think that is the goal in this timeframe- to make the best of life’s circumstances. To create harmony in our inner world.

You can begin this process by attending to any aspects of living (a brief list assembled below to get your mind curious) pick one;

* create peace in mind, and peace in emotions

* take care of the physical body (rest, nutrition, exercise, medical, etc…)

* identify philosophical/spiritual inspiration (to make sense of the world or life’s experiences)

* cultivate interesting/rewarding work

* maintaining connection with others

* explore devotion in something greater than yourself

* ensure time for fun/recreation

Today’s meditation intends to help you cultivate an inner stillness mentally and emotionally. Practice it every so often, maybe a few time a week. You may consider rotating some of the meditations I’ve posted.

I suggest you become mentally flexible and find multiple ways to settle your thoughts, which might include engaging the senses to focus the mind (such as the mindfulness of hearing), versus the practice of visualization to focus the mind.

I’d like to share my excitement: this pod has had 2,300 meditation downloads thus far! While my pod is tiny, I’m very excited these meditations have made this reach and hope the numbers will continue to grow exponentially spreading opportunities for peace during these trying times. I appreciate every referral and like.

Take care of yourself~

Another day in grand central terminal, abuzz with the hustle and bustle of the city. Practice at home, practice at the stop light, practice as you wait for the train. Every moment is an opportunity for change.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit evolutionmedicine.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Listeners,

Already an interesting year, the fiery start of April generates a feeling the summer will fly by- in a blink. Did it seem as if time stood still during the peak of the pandemic and may be making up for lost momentum? In the rush though, a turbulence is added- aspects of global living are atypical, one might even call it unhinged. The weather is even behaving oddly, while our (American) economy heaves, wars throb. Somehow, amidst all this life goes on, how to do this? I’m going to share a few thoughts which I hope drop some light into the foggy mess this world is generating.

Since I last wrote, conversations continue to pop up on how people struggle with balancing the (outer) world’s issues while managing their inner one. Personal lives seem filled quickly with feelings like stress, anger, grief or anxiety while the world rocks and rolls with unsettling social, economic, philosophical and ethical topics.

It doesn’t seem to stop. Concerned it will pick up speed, I’m thinking how to navigate these times which are really challenging for one mind to digest. We have our limits. My appoach is to ‘curate’ what goes in and find ways to quiet the brain waves as much as possible. One way, mentioned in a previous post, is to take in the outer world in measured doses (by modulating frequency and/or volume). Another way (think of this as a layered approach) is to develop a means of observing surroundings with clarity (objectively) and identify your locus of influence .

Our internal world (in my opinion) is the area we carry the greatest degree of choice and impact. This effect rests on the degree we are willing (and able) to take action towards cultivating inner calm. I believe this is within reach, no matter the circumstance. No matter the circumstance. If someone is greatly limited, say due to illness, a small action can still be meaningful. For people who disagree or disbelieve I’d suggest exploring how others who faced hardship found solace, possibly via the stories of historical figures who faced terrible odds. If anything, it is a recurring pattern reflecting an impressive strength we humans have, which might look like ‘faith’ and ‘perseverance’. A recent example I came across was in the movie Summer of Soul, where journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault describes finding peace listening to a Nina Simone album while her neighbors upstairs (in a college she was symbolically desegregating) stomped on her ceiling to harass her. This is a great example of how a small action can cultivate calm amidst a storm.

If it’s difficult to calm the mind/body so concentration can arise with some ease in meditation, try some of the following approaches;

* identify a specific space to sit, not associated with anything but meditation (eg: not work, eating, sleeping, etc), so the intention is clear

* if it is challenging to concentrate, repeat a word-phrase, prayer or mantra in the mind or even aloud. This helps the mind become familiar with a single focus, you can use the word “HA” from today’s meditation to start

* if the mind and emotions remain unsettled, engage the body- enliven your posture (erect but not stiff), activate the gaze (eyes open, softly focused -can be more grounding for the brain), draw an awareness to the breath. if sitting is uncomfortable, stand (and lean against a wall for support- if needed)

* once this practice is established and more easeful, begin to surrender (let go) of the brain/ego to this process so you can gain an awareness independent of thoughts

Feel free to share this with anyone you think this might help. Have a peaceful holiday

Become the change you wish to see in the new world. SL

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit evolutionmedicine.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Listeners,

If you consider life to embody general categories of living, it would break down into work, relationship, recreation and devotion. In adult living, recreation can get quickly overlooked secondary to bills, career path or family, and then confused for other categories. If you happen to have struck the blend of work becoming fun, take a moment and pat yourself on the back for that accomplishment. Good for you.

However, many experience work as just that- ‘work.’ It can be consuming and not necessarily all paid (eg: parenting, care-taking), sometimes work sucks all the air out of the room, or was central to living/getting by. As a result recreation can get crowded out, or ignored resulting in its atrophied state. If this is you, then read on.

Here in the North East we are we are finally getting a little bit of snow, months ago I decided to do some skiing and bought a pass (thus forcing myself because I don’t want to throw money away). It’s been several years since I skied in Vermont. I roped my enthusiastic father into my plan (to keep me motivated), fortunately the timing worked and we were able to take advantage of recent snow fall. You can read in this paragraph how many steps were taken to ensure this manifested. Thats how little recreation is part of my routine.

Anyway, what unfolded was complete absorption on staying within my skill level and brushing up on (lets loosely call it) ‘technique.’ To make up a formula for enjoyment, it seems to be the following;

fun activity + minimal effort + ‘just enough’ challenge = moments of ‘flow’ (thus smiles and clear mind)

I forgot how tricky Vermont skiing can be, particularly when the base is not so great. Conversations with any willing participants included a not-so-expert analysis on temperature, cloudiness (vs sun), wind, days since last snowfall and volume of skiers on conditions. Engrossed in these factors I realized the lightness in the escape from worries of daily living. It is certainly a luxury and expense to ski, but if you think about it, a person can dive into any hobby and yield a similar ‘lose yourself’ experience. It is funny consider a bigger decision of the day to be- which trail to take! Gardening and hiking appears to have a similar effect for patients and friends, and helps reduce their stress, worries and uplifts mood. I’d suggest thinking about recreation as similar to play, something unrelated to work, with unstructured time and spontaneity. Think 5 year olds with blocks, dolls and cars. Play tends to disappear for adults after school, when life ramps up its complexity. Over-work and stress can wear on the body, mind and soul, recreation expands all of that. It is part of your soul-food.

Below is a photo atop a trail, honestly one of the best things about skiing, is the view. The stories on the lifts are always a treat; the nursing student attending school in FL returned home for relief from the heat and local politics, the 20-something couple milking their Ikon pass, heading to Canada for more fun, the 60 year old guy skiing his heart out and delaying his return home to family because he can’t bear not skiing, and the 30 something software guy with fiberoptic connection out for lunch hour runs to ‘wipe the slate clean’ after a challenging morning at work. It is inspiring to watch advanced skiers find pleasure in their dance like movements though the black diamond moguls.

I’m grateful the Mountain makes itself available for us to play, I encourage each of you to find time to play, because it feeds other aspects of life. And of course, writing this I also reminding myself of this importance :)

I just got a new mic and am figuring my way around audio recording, bear with me as recordings change hopefully for the better, enjoy the meditation inspired by some recent readings.

Feel free to share this with anyone you think this might help. As always, take care of yourself, become the change you wish to see in the world. SL

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit evolutionmedicine.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Listeners,

Generative AI is here and will only advance... so what kind of relationship do you want to have with it? While it offers promises in terms of advancing bioscience, it’s lack of social, ethical or other guardrails is troubling. My suspicion is that tech is unlikely to step in and slow down this train. Unfortunately ‘unplugging it’ wont work, the cat is out of the bag. It’s late to close the stable door, the horse bolted. Turning the clock back is a bit of a fantasy.

The Wall Street Journal’s article titled “ChatGPT Heralds an Intellectual Revolution” by Henry Kissenger (former secretary of state, national security advisor), Eric Schmidt (Google) and Daniel Huttenlocher (MIT) is one of the more comprehensive discussions of the impact of AI on our culture and humanity I’ve come across. If you encounter a paywall see if a friend or a student can access a copy, this is a good read… though disturbing. It outlines how this technology may pose challenges to the qualities I tend to track in my work (and is the reason I bring it up here): mental health, consciousness, reality testing and our self-understanding as human beings.

I agree with the WSJ that this marks (my words) the beginning of a tectonic shift in cultures, globally. The article compares the introduction of generative AI to the age of Enlightenment/introduction of the printing press which ushered a rapid dissemination of ideas and knowledge “with each step testable and teachable.” AI-enabled systems work from the opposite direction. It goes on to say, “Sophisticated AI methods produce results without explaining why or how the process works.” The authors describe this technology as one which lacks transparency, is coupled with an authoritative tone, appears without opinion or an author… Yet it demonstrates automation bias (perceived perfection in responses yield over confidence in it’s results) and hallucinations (“strings together phrases whch look real to the human but have no basis in fact.”) History tends to repeat itself- we may wish to proceed with caution….

“The ar­rival of an un­know­able and ap­par­ently om­ni­scient in­stru­ment, ca­pa­ble of al­ter­ing re­al­ity, may trig­ger a resur­gence in mys­tic re­li­gios­ity. The po­ten­tial for group obe­di­ence to an au­thor­ity whose rea­son­ing is largely in­ac­ces­si­ble to its sub­jects has been seen from time to time in the his­tory of man, per­haps most dra­mat­i­cally and re­cently in the 20th-cen­tury sub­ju­ga­tion of whole masses of hu­man­ity un­der the slo­gan of ide­olo­gies on both sides of the po­lit­i­cal spec­trum. A third way of know­ing the world may emerge, one that is nei­ther hu­man rea­son nor faith. What be­comes of democ­racy in such a world?”

As a result of this article, I’ve organized a response to navigating this new world. The points below are not in a particular order and were quickly created, thus may be refined later. Each bullet can be a course of its own, unique disciplines have evolved to address each one. It serves as a organizing feature (for me) as to how I might approach this terrain. Rather than freak out, my desire is to understand what a given situation is asking of me and identify optional approaches… so, lets read on:

* Know yourself thoroughly. Once a clear and accurate relationship with the self is developed, expand from there to others. Self-observe mental habits, emotional defaults, physical traits (in other words- strengths and weaknesses).

* Become an authority on yourself. Meaning, ‘learn your method’ of reasoning, intuition, motivation, creativity. Practice it, exercise it, jot it down, test it out so you know when its present, absent or someplace in between.

* Practice navigating from free will. What does that mean? How to make decisions in the absence of a pull from one direction or another.

* Use technology as a tool. Define its relationship (it organizes work but, for example, pen and paper is better to express creativity). Once the relationship becomes imbalanced (due to over-dependence, time consumption, skewed thoughts or emotions), find ways to step away.

* Exercise discernment when identifying an illusion versus a reality. Current media is a way to practice, read different sources on the same topic, you might be surprised.

* Develop faith that makes sense, personally. Is that communing with nature, sitting in silent contemplation, or embodying compassion towards self or other?

* Quiet the mind. Practice meditation or mind-body practices which help unify the mind-body-spirit, listen to prior meditations or todays, find teachers who you enjoy their philosophy, their tone of voice, go on silent walks, gaze at the stars at night, sit and breathe (or practice pranayama).

While there are many positives this technology offers (research in biology, protein structure, etc.), I would like people to have tools to navigate this new landscape. My clinical practice reminds me how current technology can disturb sleep, worsen mood, distance relationships, reduce exercise (to name a few ways) and have other deleterious effects.

I’m all for using technology, however in the absence of wisdom, it’s concerning. A goal, in my opinion, is to remain steady and balanced in our ‘inner world’ because we still have our lives to live and fulfill. Listen to this meditation to help aid developing that stillness within.

Please feel free to share this with anyone you think this might help. As always, take care of yourself, become the change you wish to see in the world. SL

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit evolutionmedicine.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Listeners,

The last time I watched the Grammy’s was years ago. Suspending any discussion on the politics and pharmaceutical advertising, this one seemed to rise a little above the anticipated fluff I’ll admit I expected. It delivered a few meaningful messages worthy of digging out, because when times are stressful I find it important to search for inspiration to keep on.

Artists, in my opinion, play an important as metabolizers culture events and personal experiences. When they touch upon something relatable, they can help us reflect on our habitual perspectives and invite us to stretch our minds and hearts.

A few artists who won awards shared words of hope, reminders of love and revealed personal stories to not give up. Lizzo shared her camaraderie with Adele and the importance of being true to yourself no matter what, Kendrick Lamar appreciated being welcome and noted how he finally found imperfection, Mary J Blige sang about self love, Bonnie Raitt shared her humility and Madonna let us know our actions matter.

Mary J Blige’s ‘Good Morning Gorgeous’ lyrics were particularly striking. Her voice painted a story of her pain in mis-treating herself, self-loathing, self-doubt and thinking she was not good enough. Her story convincingly turned a corner into self love. Singing with her heart and soul, somehow this felt like her testimony to her journey and arrival. Here is a link to a live performance of this song with her simple and meaningful lyrics.

After her performance I listened to her other songs, and found some interviews which revealed her experience which this song was about. A long term marriage of hers fell apart when her husband was clear he didn’t want to be together anymore. In the process of waking up, she noticed how often she wasn’t treated well and accepted it. A recent interview with the Breakfast Club revealed her mature neutrality towards the ex (not minimizing his actions yet not blaming him for all her pain), and her focus on her deficit of self love and low self perception. This was the part of her being she could have a meaningful impact on. In other words, true self love changes all relationships, but first it changes your relationship with yourself. This song was a symbol of her coming around, finding loving herself, appreciating herself, being kind to herself and her gratitude about this..

This story, of being caught in a dynamic in which one person is unkind or mean and the other gets taken advantage of or is abused, it played out over and over. I think there are so many precious aspects of this she describes (and talks about), and her lyrics spell her eventual return to love.

The sun has been busy this week: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/LLBlVYNx

Thank you for listening. This post is public, please share it with anyone you think it might help.

SL

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit evolutionmedicine.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Listeners,

Recently, I’ve noticed people asking the question regarding their right to feel feelings (thinking they do not have the right). While I’ve been contemplating this, in parallel, a swarm of discussions have populated the airspace on chatGPT and its AI analogues… my uneducated guess is that this technology will grow and more people will entertain it. A question that caught my attention in the AI discussion included: What does it mean to be human? What defines being human? I think all these questions are related.

I’m going to suggest a defining characteristic of being human (there are many, I’d like to focus on one here) is that humans experience and express emotions. I am referring to the complex and unique neuro-endocrine-physiologic-energetic expression and experience of emotions seen in us. I am not referring to something out of the movie “Her”, in which AI mimics human traits convincingly. Though this now appears possible to chatGPT if it develops with unbridled permutations, this may eventually impact how we define relationships. Making this distinction is important to me because some time down the line it may become tempting to give this up. Give what up? Feeling feelings, being human. Yep, I said it.

The emotional aspect of our human design can be glorious and/or distressing depending on the situation. It can also become quite painful if we become enslaved by it (for example, in addiction). For those whose feelings are going through a significant phase (having strong feelings) it becomes quite a dilemma to consider there is not a right to feel them. To deny something happening in the present moment, which is difficult to pretend otherwise, is debating if it’s okay to be oneself. In a way it is also asking if its okay to be human.

Often enough (making a generalization here), a person may think they do not have a right to a feeling in the context of a internal conflict, be it driven by guilt, shame, anger or another reason (such as self doubt, feeling less than, etc)…. My suggestion is that feelings are part of us, our lived experience, being human. They may not make sense or can be a surprise/unexpected… no matter what, one has the right to experience them.

A path towards turning this around can be to (note, these are not simple steps but takes practice, persistence, some guidance can help): 1) acknowledge the honest experience, 2) glean why/how this relationship to self formed… and follow that with 3) a mind-quieting practice (to slow internal reactions, refine clarity), patient self-observation and with a little courage try to do life differently. Someone as your neutral wise counsel- will help assist your process towards whole-ness.

Just remember, there are many methods to reduce growing pains when breaking patterns (being creative, meaningful actions, prayer, meditation, mantra, etc to name a few). Attached is a meditation to help quiet the mind and expand your awareness.

Please share this post to anyone who can use a lift.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit evolutionmedicine.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Listener,

its been an interesting few weeks since I last posted, the new year came and went, the post-holiday come-down unfolded and football stepped in front and center. While sports is not typically font and center for me, the Damar Hamlin story was particularly moving. ‘Human stories’ tend to catch my interest, particularly when it illustrates hope or human advances in unexpected places. An article in the New York Times comes to mind as an example... Im including the link below (the paper doesn’t seem to allow a free reading) and will share snippets which stood out to me as important.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/sports/damar-hamlin-collapse-nfl.html

It is great Damar Hamlin had a positive outcome from this incident, it will be interesting to check in a year or two from not to see how this experience shapes his life, but thats his individual story…

It was interesting to notice how one person, an event, mobilized a community of people around commonalities; for example, fans who support opposing teams or simply different ones- unified. then players from different organizations NBA, NHL stepped in and become one in the world of sports;

"We join the sports world in keeping Damar Hamlin and his family, friends and teammates in our thoughts", the Bruins said on twitter.

The football player JJ Watt suggested we reframe our priorities- a game is just a game, health comes first;

JJ Watt the defensive end for the Arizona cardinal said on Twitter that after Hamlin’s collapse the game was "not important."

Robert Griffin, a former NFL player suggested we circumvent drama and choose an uplifting position;

Griffin Asked his followers not to share the video of the moment of Hamlin's collision and collapse. Instead Griffin asked others to share a photo in which a group of players knelt on the field to pray for Hamlin.

This next movement struck me as one of the most powerful aspects of this event- fans from opposing sides came together as one to express their care via a peaceful action - prayer. I'm not reading this as an expression of religion, but more so a practice of concentrated compassion, maybe even call it reaction in spirit, and curiously prayer is an ancient approach to healing (if we put our anthropological hats on);

Some fans stepped away from social media to pray for the player. A group of several fans in Bills and Bengals gear gathered outside the hospital where Hamlin was being treated to pray for him, a moment that was captured by a photojournalist at The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Stories like this give me some hope, we still have it in us to care and connect. There were different ways the fans and public could have responded, they chose to unify and share compassion, both strengths in our humanity.

Thank you for listening. This post is public, please share it with anyone it might uplift.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit evolutionmedicine.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Listener,

It’s a good time to wake up.

You might be wondering what you are waking up to…. but that is where clearing the mind and steadying emotions can allow wisdom and discernment to tease truth from fiction. These days that can be a tricky task with distractions and distortions blazing around us like a wild fire…. Our internal distortions are more accessible for change, I’m going to suggest it’s a good way to gain clarity regarding your world. Ask yourself, what are your biases, default habits, processes and/or assumptions?

These questions and can take time to unpack, even decades! Don’t be dismayed, break it down into moments, days, or weeks… this is part of a path of getting to know yourself- well. These times seem to asks us to step up in some way, as much as we possibly can. It is challenging out there. If you have a hard time answering this question, keep it open ended, write about it in your journal from time to time, place a note on your bathroom mirror… contemplate it.

A recent conference I attended in Las Vegas led me to today’s topic. It’s been years since I’d been there. A previous trip allowed time to roam off the strip and see the city’s surrounding desert. This trip’s flight was a refresher of Nevada’s gorgeous muted colors and dramatic contours. The strip was another universe. Human made, with painted skies and filtered air, our schedule was so busy it was challenging to step outside over 3+days. How did we get accustomed to this?

Attending lectures on preventive medicine, reversing disease worsened if not triggered by lifestyle was a stark contrast to the casino and restaurant halls selling sex, drugs, alcohol and gambling. It was THE STRANGEST place to learn this subject matter and maybe was some kind of cosmic humor. It caused me to think about transitioning from sleep to becoming awake.

The scenes of Vegas ranged from infrequent tourists dabbling, to bachelors/bachelorettes blowing-out for the weekend, regulars repeating and struggling souls never leaving. Though being asleep (drunk and/or numb) might have associations with addiction, I suggest slumber can affect anyone. How can you know? Self observe.

Do you tend to feel one way most of the time in the absence of other feelings? Do you tend to default to certain thought patterns over others? Do you repeatedly reach for one thing… if you didn’t what would you experience (in thoughts or feelings)? Do you engage objects or behaviors that quickly alter mental/emotional states (into intensity or absence of feelings )? Consider entertainment, technology, food, people or habits (an incomplete list) as potential sources.

How to break this pattern? Essentially try something which can help you gain perspective on habitual thoughts so you may self-observe with more space. You may try to spend time in nature- routinely, shut off your devices for longer than used to, leave your phone at home, jog and only listen to your breath, listen to a talk by a wise person and adapt one insight, hold a friends hand, each week/month give yourself a small goal (floss at night, make your bed in the morning, don’t linger when you wake, tackle your hardest task first thing). And of course, try meditation, yoga, taichi, something along thoes lines. When lost in thought- do something, or practice non-doing- start the laundry, pick up sticks on the driveway, walk the dog, breathe….

Once you do that, over and over. Over and over, you notice patterns such as; over-achieving vs under, thoughts of undeserving vs entitlement, oversensitive vs insensitive, over vs undergiving, doubt, shame, guilt, anger, fantasy traps, wishful thinking, illusions or taking sides. And of course there is self-judgement.

These are all traps, they all have ways out. Exits are possible via consistency, willingness and courage to notice, patience and tolerance towards whats discovered. Suport is helpful. Let it be, just notice it, let it unfold. Be curious.

Today’s meditation was inspired by the world cup, congrats to Argentina. France you did an amazing job. It was inspiring to watch the players focus and the passion of the fans.

Thank you for participating. This post is public, please share it with anyone you think it might help. Have a peaceful holiday.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit evolutionmedicine.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Listeners

Recently I attended a training in Pennsylvania on essential oils. It was texturally robust; the surroundings offered open rolling hills, colors of sunrise and sunset, a late fall palate, the scent of tilled soil, cows and horses, and farm dogs barking in the distance. It was truly relaxing. The oils are a novel experience for me, we shall see where this leads! It seems to offer an additional language to use in the context of health and care. I’ve intentionally separated those words, because when put together they generate a phrase connoting a wholly different meaning. My emphasis hopes to capture the gestalt of it all, the vastness and depth of healing and caring for one’s self. Scent is a curious and powerful sense organ… so much to reveal there. I’m excited to see where this venture leads and am already experiencing enlivened conversations with people regarding issues they struggle with.

Last minute my teacher and I requested to tour the host’s Mennonite farm, which was as rich as our kitchen table “lab.” The mother and father of of eight greeted us warmly and welcomed us into their work spaces to witness how their crops were prepared, carriages repaired and animals raised. They used a few pieces of agricultural machinery, everything else was powered by horses, this lifestyle generated questions they were happy to answer. The peacefulness on this farm was profound.

Unfamiliar with Mennonites yet raised with agricultural relatives, it was a welcome visit to childhood memories of simpler living. Compare this to the anemic track many of us subscribe to with machines and technology governing our institutions or urban ideals… this lifestyle was from a century ago yet just down the road. The horse stable was the best part. The energy was a single note; quiet and calm, almost absent of sound…. Velvety rich, yet simple, pure, paced… I didn’t want to leave. One of the sons gave me a little ride in a carriage with their pony, it was a ride about timing.

The mother was interested in our studies and decided to pop by for a visit after dinner with her eldest daughter. With a gentle curiosity so refreshing in our hardened world, she inquired about our work in medicine and wondered why oils? It was a wonderful question that generated loooong answers. She told stories about a relative who uses oils and her own experiences at home. Her words were full of intention, focus and meaning. She listened with absorption. This is not intended to idealize a woman who is Mennonite, to me this experience was about a surprise interaction with a person from a starkly different background that revealed the finer aspects of humanness. It felt hopeful. I’m sure we could have found our differences if we wanted to…. but that didn't seem the point. It was as if we were being neighborly, a mutual openness to understand one another allowed this exchange to occur.

Why do I share this story? In light of the conflict we sometimes experience amongst each other, consider the positive qualities that remains undiscovered. See if you can slow down a little, just enough to pay notice to others you interact with. A precious exchange can lay hidden even in the shortest two-sentence interaction. Consider this story a small example of how the experience/skill/perspective gained from a contemplative or meditative practice may be applied to daily living, revealing a richness in the mundane.

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