Simpler Days

  

I'm sitting here, alone with my thoughts, trying to think of something clever to write about. I would like to engage my audience with excitement, thrill, or even drama... but my mind keeps taking me to several months ago when life just seemed a little simpler. It's kind of strange to think of a time that was busy and somewhat chaotic as simple. I guess taking for granted being in a full room of people, huddling close together for a group picture, shaking hands and learning new people’s names, feels "simple" to me right now.

In December 2019, I was part of a remarkable group of individuals who came together to spread awareness of suicide prevention in the military community. This campaign took place in Tampa Bay over the course of one month. We met with leading professionals in the industry who shed tears and moved mountains to share their stories. As diverse as our group was, we all shared the same intention; give veterans HOPE. Our campaign, Victoryfor22 was to gather donations for the 100% volunteer-based non-profit organization called HOOAH (Helping Out Our Nations Heroes). The donations would go directly to help 22 individual veterans receive traditional therapy as well as holistic therapy through yoga, ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy), equine therapy, iRest (Integrative Restoration), and more. Our goal was to save the lives of 22 veterans and change the statistic for at least one day.

ART is a form of psychotherapy with roots in existing evidence-based therapies but shown to achieve benefits much more rapidly, many times within 5 sessions. ART seeks to quickly move a person past the place in which they are stuck, in traumatic based memories. The therapist will guide you while asking you to think about or visualize the painful event (one event at a time). Rapid eye movement aids in changing the way we perceive our trauma and difficult life experiences. In doing so, thoughts of the trauma will no longer trigger strong emotions or physical reactions.

Now you may be thinking, okay, sounds interesting,  but what could iRest be? Integrative Restoration if you ask me, is pure magic. I've even seen it put a 6'1”, 300-pound firefighter and retired marine completely OUT in a room of 10+ people. iRest/Yoga Nidra is a research-based transformative practice of deep relaxation and meditation. Richard Miller, Ph.D. developed the regimen back in 2006, at Walter Reed Army Hospital. iRest supports active duty, veterans, and families of service members in over 30 VA or Military settings across the United States.

Just the same as with the above mentioned holistic approached therapies, equine therapy establishes the same impressive results leading to a calmer, more hopeful, and balanced person. Animals and horses, in particular, have the capacity to provide metaphoric experiences in order to promote emotional growth. As my veteran says, "There's just something really humbling about being around a 1,000+ pound animal. It puts you back in your place!"

I can spend hours writing about the benefits of holistic therapies such as these, but what's tugging at me to write this blog is also a reminder to not lose sight of what makes you, YOU.

When I was doing the work for the Victoryfor22 campaign, I was truly alive. In my imaginary checklist of things that make me feel ME, every component of the work was fulfilling. I made a lifelong friend along the way, I learned so many new things, and it brought everything full circle for me. Being in quarantine has me reminiscing on those simpler days. As much as I look forward to my next opportunity for growth and purpose, I also acknowledge that this experience combined with quarantine has set the groundwork for something even bigger. I hope you find that underneath these mundane days of quarantine, a stronger, wiser person is waiting to emerge and create astonishing new things. Namaste.

Written by: Brie Entralgo

Alone Together

We arrived at the park, pleased to see it was not only open but that the few people that were there were respecting social distancing and no group was any larger than three family members. Off in the distance, there was a mother and her two children sitting on a blanket in the grass. Her kids were making bird calling sounds at my kids and mine quickly obliged. My youngest, who is 4, not entirely understanding what's going on in the world right now, began to run toward them. I was able to stop her and explain again, why we are unable to play with others until this yucky virus goes away.  Having nurtured emotional intelligence in my children, even being told in the middle of an open field not to interact with children her age, after not seeing other kids for weeks, yielded calm, critical thinking, problem-solving and true resilience.

Observing this experience nudged these questions in my mind:

• The question is not how we survive, it is how are we spending every day thriving?
• How do we make these moments, these days, the most beautiful and special, not only of our children's lives but of ours as well?
• With massage studios, hair and nail salons, restaurants, all closed, and human connections at a distance, the question is what is true self-care?
• How comfortable are we within our homes, and within our minds?

We spend our lives looking outside for experiences to fill us up.

This is our opportunity to shift, to truly understand the real meaning to live our lives and to discover or pursue our true purpose.

Legacies are not how we are remembered after we're dead, they are made in every moment of every day, right here and now.

Like everyone, when this all began that first week or two was mostly taken over with questions and an almost crippling anxiety over the unknown.

"How will we survive?"
"Will we run out of food?"
"How will I juggle homeschool and work?"
"How will my kids adjust?"
"Will my husband and I argue more without our outlets?"
"What if we lose our home?"
And the list goes went and on and on and on, until I finally exhausted myself back to my heart.

After being reminded we can't play with other kids right now, my children quickly and effortlessly drove their attention back to the park; the birds that were grabbing their lunches of fish out of the ocean, and all of the beautiful statues and stones with hundreds of names adorned upon them.

The questions poured in. My son asked me, "Where does it say Eric?" (his Dad's name.) I was given the opportunity then, to explain further how his father was very blessed to survive three deployments. All of the names we were reading were of brave men and women who risked their lives serving our country, and that sadly they did not survive. The wheels were turning. It was a beautiful moment of gratitude for a young child. As a parent of young children, I have yet to even skim the surface of these hard questions. I began to think about my best friend, who's daughter lost her father. I began to lose myself in thought again as I stared at inquisitive little faces.

Sometimes life gets so heavy, our instincts tell us to just abandon ship. Fight or flight. Get to safety. With COVID-19 being at the center of our own little universe here on earth, we begin to wonder, where is safe? Is safe a place? Or is it actually a mindset? Maybe it's more about being safe with the people you love.

Over the last 6 years, I've developed tools for myself, tools that help me lead with emotional intelligence, stay grounded, work from purpose, and live with pure joy.  

The first tool I used to shift was to "sit with myself."
It's the most powerful tool of presence I've got in my arsenal of tools: refocusing my mind.
In my attempt to run away from the present moment, I had to ask, why?
Is it simply a desire to return to a comfort zone that never served us well in the first place?
Or is it something more?
Are there triggers happening now that the pace has slowed and that distractions are limited?
Experiences that are allowing emotions we have suppressed, consciously and unconsciously, from our past to surface.

As we continue on this path, whatever that means for each of us, I invite you to not run from these moments, to sit in yourself, to pick the parts you love the most and do them more, to dig into the parts that make your skin crawl and ask why, to let your soul speak to you, and, most importantly, I invite you to discover the courage within that allows you to listen. 

Remember, the entire earth right now is ALONE TOGETHER.