“Fear is The Basic Immobilizer” and other inspiring things I learned at Pearls of Wisdom.  By Joanna O’Neal

Last week I represented Bodhi at the Pearls Of Wisdom event hosted by Anne Groth of the Dollarhide Financial Group.  Pearls of Wisdom is a free, yet priceless, quarterly event for women that showcases inspiring women who teach and transform those around them.  The featured guest, Dr. Gladys McGarey, the Mother of Holistic Medicine, along with Dr. Mary Delaney, PHD, a licensed psychologist, shared with us their pearls of wisdom about fear, gratitude and breath.

The importance of correct and focused breathing cannot be minimized, suggested Dr. Delaney.  Most people, in fact, do not breathe correctly or fully into the diaphragm.  The signs of oxygen deprivation can be seen in a person who begins proper breathing technique and then starts to yawn or feels lightheaded.  Most people don’t breathe well. Many are shallow breathers. This seems to be more the case with our increasingly sedentary life styles and when we are chronically stressed. This leads to less oxygen transfer in the lungs with devastating consequences for our brain function.  Unlike muscles, your brain cannot store energy. It needs a steady flow of nutrients and oxygen to function normally. Oxygen deficiency can decrease your alertness, memory and judgment.

The word “breath” translates to “spirit” in ancient Greek.  The Greeks must have known that by breathing we were literally allowing spirit to flow through us.  Dr. Delaney shared that the single most important activity we could do for our health (mental, emotional, physical) every day was to spend ten minutes breathing correctly; in through the nose, pulling the air deep into our diaphragm so that our stomach is slightly distended and out through the mouth or nose, pulling our stomach muscles in to expel completely.  At some point this daily breathing exercise may transform into daily meditation where we let go of the racing thoughts, the “to do” list and as much mental noise as possible, and just breath.

Taking effective breathing to the level of preventative health care is to do it in conjunction with a hand mudra. Mudras are made by manipulating the fingers of our hands. By using the “Apan Vayu Mudra”, one can mitigate heart disease, and is highly effective even in case of heart attack.  For more information about this mudra and how to use it please see full article here.  Dr. Delaney challenged all of us to spend ten minutes each day to mindfully breathe and let spirit in.

A question was posed to the panel as to what is the biggest threat to people achieving health in their life, whether it be physical, psycho-emotional or financial health.  “Fear is the basic immobilizer”, answered Dr. McGarey.  Fear is what keeps us from our hopes and dreams and most importantly, the actions that will heal us.  Fear for many people may be about giving up or letting go.  Fear may be about the unknown, even if it may be good for us.   For example, if we are in an unhealthy relationship with food or with another person or with a drug (all can be highly addictive), we may find comfort in the known.  Moving away from the known, even for the hope or promise of a happier, healthier unknown can strike immense levels of fear and anxiety.  One can focus on the impending sense of loss we may feel once we move forward.  Sometimes, actually every time, it is easier not to do something that it is to do something; easy to do, easy not to do.

Dr. McGarey suggests that we try to “move through fear into love”.  This profound prescription sounds easy and daunting at the same time.   But her suggestion is simply to take action by focusing on love; love for oneself or love for one another.  She says her “starting point is gratitude” and that by letting the mind settle on appreciation and thankfulness, we can access a path through the fear towards healthy action.  Dr. Delaney suggests that if we are scared about something the first step in diminishing the paralysis is to share it with someone we trust.  “If you can speak it, then you can take the next step”, she assured. As long as the fear is unspoken and unacknowledged it holds much greater power over us.  By voicing our fears, out loud to another, we are better equipped to see, acknowledge, release and take action.

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