The monkey and the security guard

Most people understand that excessive worry about life circumstances (money, safety, opportunity) is not healthful or particularly helpful. But the monkey mind, which seems to have its own agenda, worries anyway. Even armed with the most expert-recommended mindfulness activities, it’s easy to feel powerless to stop it.

Two things to remember:

First, the monkey mind doesn’t like mindfulness activities. They severely limit its monkeying. So it’s very likely that your doubts about these practices are a reflection of their effectiveness rather than their ineffectiveness.

Second, the practice of mindfulness can be tedious at first, but it doesn’t continue that way. Here’s what happens in my experience: Once you engage effectively in your favorite mindfulness activity (conscious breathing, meditation, Forest Bathing, the Linger Method) in a sustained way for long enough (at least several minutes), a soft energy fills the space inside you once occupied by incessant thought / worry.

That energy becomes like an anti-worry security guard. She works for you so you don’t have to work that hard. She doesn’t conquer worry, but she keeps it out for a time while you enjoy your loved ones, build things, create something, or discover a suitable work-around to one of life’s worrisome situations.

If you continue to pay her (gently revisit that mindfulness practice) regularly, she can keep that monkey out for quite some time.

Caffeine debit

Consuming caffeine is like going shopping. You walk away with bags full of some neat stuff (energy, motivation, focus), but none of it was free. Your bank account is lower than it was before.

Later, when it comes time to pay the electricity and mortgage, you might not have what you need in your (Qi) account.

A problem of dryness

For late-fall/early-winter allergy sufferers, or anyone who catches a cold this time of year, the problem can feel very wet. Lots and lots of snot and phlegm.

But, more often than not, upper respiratory issues in this season are a problem of dryness.

The outside environment has turned dry and cold, while inside buildings, central heating dries things out further. In the body, the fluid pathways dry out. Fluids become stickier and can’t move smoothly through the body anymore, and so pockets of accumulation form, especially in the head and chest. From there they pour out or obstruct.

The way to be sure it's a dryness problem is to check lips, skin, and hair. If these areas feel dry, bingo.

Zyrtec, Sudafed, and other similar medications make the problem worse by drying things out more. Don’t do it.

Here's a few dryness-specific remedies we use in our home:

1. Use a humidifier for the season.

2. Do a sinus steam 2-3 times a day (be careful not to lose more fluids in the process through sweating).

3. Poach a pear - sliced down the middle and de-seeded - in a cup of water until soft. Eat the pear and drink the water while warm. Do this 1-2 times a day. Add a couple pieces of rock sugar or a few goji berries to the pot if you’ve been sick for a while (or often).