3 Ways to Cultivate a Peaceful Spirit in Times of Trouble


Some of you might be aware that these past few days have been pretty rough for Texas. From what I can understand, they've been rough for the entire central United States, from the Rio Grande Valley, which is where I'm from up through Chicago. There have been frigid temperatures and power outages across the state and country and, from a Texas perspective, this is particularly bad since most homes and people in Texas are not equipped to deal with weather this cold. We aren't prepared to drive in it and we aren't prepared to live through it when our power goes out.

I'm living in Central Texas right now, and I woke up on Sunday morning to more snow than I've seen in my entire life. I also woke up to frozen pipes, a phenomenon I was previously unfamiliar with. My friends and family have been struggling with similar issues, from power outages to food and water shortages. 

I don't want to minimize the struggles of literally millions of people and I'm not going to pretend the suggestions I have here will fix this problem. I've been trying really hard to cultivate a peaceful spirit over these past few days, and, I'll be honest. It hasn't been easy. I've had a lot of frustrated, angry, and resentful moments. Everyone going through this difficult time has the right to feel those feelings. They should not be minimized and they should not be pushed aside.

But, if you are also looking for ways to feel peaceful in the midst of all this, these are three things I've been trying to do, and while they haven't fixed the situation, they have helped.

1. Pray or Meditate.

Whether you're religious or not, there is something extremely powerful about resting in silence and focusing on intentionality. When I start to feel overwhelmed, I try to slow my breathing like I've been learning in yoga (which I'll touch on in point 2) and I repeat a little mantra to myself. I learned mine from a YouTube video and it goes a little like this:

Inhale: Nothing can separate me...
Exhale: ...from the love of my God.

The sky is the limit when it comes to a mantra. These are a few others I've seen and heard, but feel free to get creative and find something that works for you! This one's from one of YouTuber Yoga with Adriene's videos:

Inhale: The universe is for me...
Exhale: ...and so is everything else.

And this is a classic from Jane the Virgin, which is probably my favorite Netflix show of all time. I think this one to myself sometimes too.

Inhale: Inhala...
Exhale: ...exhala.

Whatever it is you need to think to yourself, when you start to feel really frustrated and your head is spinning and you need it to stop, suck in a deep breath, and let it go. Rest in a peaceful place in a comfortable position and explore your thoughts. Talk to God. Talk to yourself. And just rest. This is so crucial. When the world is spinning, you deserve this.

2. Exercise (maybe try a little yoga).

Exercise in general is amazing for stress relief, but lately I have become a huge fan of yoga. I mentioned Yoga with Adriene's YouTube channel earlier, and it has been such a godsend in a crazy, turbulent time. Some of her videos are pretty intense, and they can definitely get your heart racing, but some of them are also pretty relaxing. She has videos ranging from five minutes long to an entire hour, so whether you have a ton of time or hardly any, there's a video for you.

I've been trying to do yoga every morning and evening for the past few weeks, and it has drastically improved my mental health. I tend to be a pretty highly strung individual, and so yoga has been a fantastic way to release a lot of the tension I build up throughout the day. I am also pretty high energy, as in I have a need to constantly be moving and doing things, and due to the sun setting super early and my weekends being a little crazy, I haven't been able to run in a while. With this crazy weather, that's especially the case. I have cabin fever like you wouldn't believe! So even though yoga is not the same as a good run by the lake, it still uses a lot of muscle groups and gets the job done.

Some of my favorite videos from Yoga with Adriene's channel are these:


Some of these are pretty intense workouts (especially the Weight Loss ones), whereas the ones dealing with stress, depression, and winding down are intensely therapeutic. I also want to briefly talk about the "Weight Loss" videos. I know sometimes weight loss can be a kind of sensitive topic for a lot of people, and I just want to drive home that exercise is about loving your body, not punishing it. I was nervous to try the weight loss videos because I thought that said something about my own self-image. But Yoga with Adriene is nothing but love and positive energy.

And if yoga's not your thing, that's okay. The big takeaway here is that getting up and getting moving will make you feel better. A lot of times when we think of exercise, we think of running or lifting weights but anything that gets your blood pumping is exercise. That could be yoga, or walking, or cleaning, or dancing or whatever you want it to be.


3. Get busy.

Sometimes, when things get tough, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to take our minds off it. What are some of the things you've been meaning to get done but haven't been able to because of work or general busy-ness? Maybe it's time to dig out that book you've been trying to get through and bundle up in some dark clothing by a sunny window (if your power's out). Or maybe it's time to get creative in the kitchen with whatever you have available in your pantry and fridge. Maybe it's time to call your parents or grandparents or whoever it is you've been meaning to talk to. Practice your Spanish, write your great American novel, paint a picture.

This is a crazy difficult time, and I know silver linings can only get us so far. But you're looking for a few ways to help you feel a little better, these have been semi-working for me. There are still moments when I get overwhelmed and upset, but these have made everything a little more enjoyable and I hope they can do the same for you.

What have you been doing to stay peaceful when the world around you feels like it's going up in flames?

Stay warm, stay strong, and, as always, stay lavender!

- Theresa

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