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Daily Qigong Tip
Stuck In Traffic -- What To Do?
Being stuck in traffic -- something hard to avoid in our daily lives--is frustrating! Some people go to great lengths to avoid being stuck in traffic. My husband, for example, will take a longer route to avoid traffic jams, as long as he can keep moving.
By changing perspectives--as I tell my husband-- the time can actually be used as a self-rewarding opportunity. I love being stuck in traffic, because I can use the time to rest and refresh myself. Here are some suggestions:
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1. First, change perspectives. For example, if you are late for a meeting and the traffic seems to be getting worse, you might naturally get anxious. You know getting anxious will not help change the situation, but you just cannot help feeling that way.
The reason of you feel anxious is usually related to what is on your mind, “I am late...I hate being late...I want to be there now.”
To feel differently you just need to change what you are thinking. Ask yourself, “How much time do I actually spend working on myself and making myself a healthier and happier person?
If your answer is, “Not much at all,” then the time you are stuck in traffic can be a golden time for you to do some self-care work. Since your options are limited, why not choose something productive instead of being frustrated? By changing perspectives, you have already done yourself a big favor. (We have mentioned in previous issues how anxiety can hurt our inner Qi, therefore it is the first big step to take.)
2. So, what can you do to be productive when stuck in traffic? While staying aware of the traffic and continuing to practice safe driving, you can relax yourself and do some self-checking. Check if your shoulders are held up without you knowing it, check if your body muscles are tightening up without you knowing it.
3. Sometimes adjusting posture can help you feel better. One thing that is always helpful is to imagine having your head gently pulled up. When that happens, your spine is given the room that it needs to be open and smooth, that will greatly help your Qi flow better and make you feel more energetic. If you can make sure that your back muscles are relaxed, that is a plus.
4. Deep breathing is another great thing to do when driving slowly in traffic. One thing can make a difference about deep breathing is how much you are feeling your body when you are doing the deep breathing. The more you are with your body feeling, the more it will do for you.
5. Exercise your fingers can also be very beneficial. Keep your hands on the steering wheel and open up all your fingers and stretch them as far as you can, and then make fists. Repeat until you think you have done it enough.
Hope these are helpful tips for you to take advantage of traffic time. Pass them on to BC (my husband) if you see him zooming around somewhere.
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Be Happy!
Continuation of an unpublished manuscript by Robert Cowling (BC),currently being edited
Chapter Twelve
SMALL STEPS SCALE MOUNTAINS
Big Steps Can Bring Downfalls
From 1980 to 1983 physicians prescribed antibiotics for my viral throat infections. Not willing to admit I needed to make major changes in my life before I could feel better, and growing more desperate, I began reshaping my diet.
I read several books from health food stores. I had noticed that when I was feeling flu-like, which was happening more often, I did not feel bad while I was eating. After I finished a snack or meal I then felt bad again, sometimes much worse. What I ate also affected how I felt, but my changes were unpredictable.
One of the first authors I read was a professor who wrote about fifty-day water fasts, soup being too watery to be nutritionally beneficial, eating as many raw foods as possible and the benefits of enemas. Everything he wrote was radical to me.
This professor was so enthusiastic, his books so full of successful case histories, I wanted to have the great health he wrote about, but how could I fast? I felt better when I was eating. I tried some of his recipes which were different from my normal diet, but not too different. My health improved a little. I took small steps with my diet, but felt unsatisfied with my efforts to feel better.
Moving to San Francisco from St. Louis in April 1983 drained my savings. I felt the pressure to find work, but re-establishing my handyman business in a new city required patience. Repairing homes gave me the freedom I craved. In May I found some work. Before the first job was done, I had a second, then a third job. By sticking to my new diet I felt strong enough to work.
In June I returned to St. Louis for my bankruptcy hearing. My cousin John, an attorney, was kind enough to represent me at no charge, but I was required to appear at the hearing.
My emotions swung wildly and I was unable to maintain my diet while traveling. I returned to San Francisco to find the work I thought was waiting for me had been done my some one else.
Weaker and more desperate, I plunged back into my search for health and work. I read books with other approaches to eating, many of which conflicted with each other. I passed out my Handyman Service flyers and called on property management companies. The work momentum I had created in May was difficult to re-establish, but I did find some small jobs.
Continue here
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