As always, it is important to build a healthy daily routine into your way of life. Here are some concrete examples indicated below:
- Get some exercise - doing some physical movement, yoga, taichi, qigong, jumping jacks, jumping rope, dancing, shadow boxing or hit a punching bag. Find a deck of cards, and play a game of solitaire, or practice card tricks, and picture yourself entertaining your peers with them. Awaken flexibility into your routine. Follow your routine in a way that is playful, light-hearted, with a healthy sense of detachment. Keep an open, passive attitude toward life without taking yourself too seriously. Do everyday tasks with your non-dominant hand (like opening doors with the opposite hand than you normally would). This helps cultivate plasticity of the mind, and relaxes the grip of rigid, fixed ideas that lead to blockages in overall well being.
- Get plenty of rest. Indulge in a hot saltwater bath to relax, and soothe any sore muscles you might have. A hot shower, mixed with flashes of cold water helps keep your energy flowing. Take naps, and get a good night sleep. Unplug from your gadgets at least 20 minutes before you go to bed. Listen to nature sounds, or classical music if that helps you settle into sleep mode.
- Like Lao Tzu said, "nature is the best physician." Get outside everyday if you can, and breathe some fresh air. Observe the animals do their thing without interference. Soak up the vitamin d from the sun. Watch the clouds, and sit under a tree. There is much wisdom to learn from them.
- Develop an everyday meditation/mindfulness practice. The ancients said, and they were right, to start our day in this way. It will help set the stage for your day ahead. It is also good to do this before bed. If it follows your agreements with your family, or the people you live with, you can light a candle, incense, sage, or spray essential oils as an accompaniment to your daily ritual. You know the drill, be mindful of fire safety, and remember to extinguish anything that has been lit. If you have an animal feather or some other natural fan, you can use that to fan your accompaniment to cleanse the energies of your environment.
- Set aside a block of time to do your work, and access an independent work space to do that. Take breaks to eat a healthy snack/meal, drink lots of water, do a load of laundry, watch good TV, listen to music, or some other form of entertainment for downtime. Spend quiet time in your room, or a quiet area and read for awhile. Stay connected with your family, friends, and peers. Know when to speak, and when to listen to each other.
- Stay connected with your fellow humans. Be gentle on yourselves, and kind to others. Remember to have empathy for each other – especially those you don't like, or don't agree with. We all need to look out for one another. We don't all have to have the same perspective or like each other. Part of what makes us human is that we have our differences too. It is important to celebrate our diversity, but remember our unity. We are all Earthlings, and we are all part of Mother Earth. We are also part of Father Sky. Try to look at other students, and people from far away as part of one, big extended family.
- Make sure you make time for creative outlets such as, playing music, journaling, writing poetry, performing art, arts and crafts, sketching, painting, etc. Technology has made this a lot easier for you to learn new skills so that you can feel more safe, and comfortable getting out of your fear zones that hold you back from trying something new. Write letters/postcards to friends & family members, and mail them.
- Keep Working On Love – Instead of going AWOL, consider shifting to KWOL. Be curious about what you feel in your gut. Take this as an invitation to be curious about what the base emotions that sit in your gut might have to say to you.
- When in the sphere of primal emotions such as, anger, fear, anxiety, or any other negative/racing thought-emotional reaction patterns, remember to breathe 3 conscious breaths, hit the pause button, and reflect on how you might respond differently, and in a more respectful way. It's OK to walk away!
Chakra balancing meditation resource:
Chakras are energy centers located within your body, and our planet. A daily mindfulness practice & chakra meditation is a practical way to nurture wellness.
Refer to the chart below to understand where your chakras are located, and how they manifest in your body. This chart can help you focus on developing your own daily mindfulness/meditation ritual. Before long, you will be able to close your eyes, and visualize your chakras as you do this meditation.
If you look at the chart, you can take your right hand, place it where your root chakra is (red), and move your hand circularly counterclockwise to unwind your chakra. Squeeze like you're going to the bathroom to release energetically. Then, you can circularly move your hand clockwise 10 times. Do this for every chakra area. Congratulations, you have just balanced your chakras!
Another way to feed your chakras, is to mindfully eat foods that correspond to their colors. For example, eating your greens is good fuel for your heart chakra because it is green. And like Mom says, "you gotta eat your greens." Eating for the chakras allows us to add a garden variety of color to our diet.
Remember eating, and drinking mindfully means drinking
your food, and chewing your drink. It's good for digestion, and you'll feel better by savoring what you take in.
Check Out A Multimedia Chakra (And Additional) Meditation Demonstrations By Clicking On The Link Below:
classroommothershipearth.com/meditation/