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[post_content] => In this video, Dr. Peter Borten explains why he's seen neck pain become so prevalent in the last decade, and shares some really effective and easy ways you can treat (and avoid) your own neck pain at home.
Do you have tips for combatting neck pain? Please share with us in the comments below!
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About ten years ago I wrote a series on longevity. Since then, my thinking has changed a little and the world has changed a lot, so I decided it’s time to revisit the topic. Most importantly, I’ve wanted to get our community to focus on reasons to live rather than the fear of dying. My recommendations so far have been: (1) Love life and live for the present (2) Work, stretch, and relax all parts of yourself (3) Dance with consciousness (4) Reduce media consumption (5) Pay attention to your breathing (6) Eat less (7) Prioritize community and service (8) Exchange love and touch (9) Optimize your sleep (10) Laugh more (11) Keep your heart open. You can read each of these articles on our site.
This week we’ll look at some Daoist perspectives on longevity. Longevity and immortality are goals mentioned frequently in early works of Daoism (Taoism). I have translations of old texts that detail methods for avoiding an early death: withholding ejaculation; drinking elixirs made from special herbs, metals, and animal parts; performing certain rituals at auspicious times; and wearing magical amulets. I’m not entirely convinced that these approaches prevent death, but I do have great reverence for the way of life Daoism prescribes, the essence of which is beautifully conveyed in the ancient books Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), Yi Jing (I Ching), and Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tzu). I recommend everyone has a copy of at least the first of these.
#12: Simplify.
One of the virtues mentioned in Dao De Jing is jian which means simplicity or frugality. It’s pretty much the antithesis of the trend among modern humans to be perpetually busy and acquire ever more stuff, more complexity, and more information. We tend to believe we need to do more and accumulate more in order to be safe, knowledgeable, in control, approved of, and happy. I would guess that most of us also have a hidden belief that our acquisitions will tether us to life and protect us from death. In practice, however, the more we subtract from our physical and psychic hoard, the freer we are, and the less encumbered our lifeforce is.
Frugality isn’t just a matter of being economical with money. It means not seeking to acquire what we already have or don’t need. It means curtailing useless expenditures of energy. It means not generating needless complications. It means keeping life simple by knowing what matters most and consistently prioritizing that above all else. It means utilizing the currents of life to get where we want to go. Dao, like water, takes the simplest path – the path of least resistance. Speaking of which . . .
#13: Go with the Flow / Don’t Resist.
I could write a whole book on this concept, but in the spirit of simplicity I’ll keep it brief. Going with the flow could be seen as an extension of simplicity, but it’s worth exploring this idea separately because it’s just so important. The nature of life is to change and flow, yet one of our primal impulses is to resist, to say, “No” to everything that makes us uncomfortable. It’s natural to do this, but it almost never improves our circumstances or experiences.
If we momentarily resist something and then relax and accept it, we get right back into the flow. But when resistance is held in a prolonged way – like longstanding grievances, fears, ongoing stresses, etc. – it becomes pathological. Resistance eventually leads to stagnation, and stagnation – whether physical or psychological – squelches the flow of life and feels bad. It can make us sick in all sorts of ways. Sadly, we tend to resist feeling the discomfort that stagnation causes, which of course leads to more resistance and more stagnation.
The solution is to stop resisting. Feel willing what’s happening in your body – including the felt experience that arises whenever you resist something. Get to know this feeling and see how readily you can relinquish it. It’s also worthwhile to dive into the feeling and see what it can teach you about yourself. What happens when you “turn toward it” and let yourself be curious about it? We have a workbook called Freedom to help you through this process.
#14: Be One with Nature.
The natural world birthed the human species and all other lifeforms that share the planet with us. It provides for all our needs. Everything – even the “manmade” stuff – is supplied by Nature. And yet, it’s easy as a modern human to live in a way that’s utterly disconnected from it.
When we’re disconnected from Nature we lose something – a source of calibration and wisdom. It’s like a nutrient deficiency that hasn't yet been defined by science. When we reconnect with Nature there are measurable positive impacts on our physical, psychological, and spiritual health. Cultivating reverence for Nature and our place in it can profoundly change our lives. It slows us down. It helps us pay attention to the details. It gives us perspective. It reminds us to be fascinated. It’s a wonderful, perennial teacher.
If we endeavor to live a longer, richer life, we might start by asking, what is this life thing? What are its patterns and cycles? How and why does it start and end? What are its limitations? What feeds it and stifles it? It’s fine to consider the ideas of doctors, scientists, philosophers, preachers, and spiritual gurus. But we’ll only get a narrow slice of the truth if this conversation is limited to what other humans think about humanity. It’s like trying to fathom Pakistani culture without actually visiting Pakistan.
When we enter direct conversation with the natural world and life itself, we find there’s no end to what we can learn and how we can grow. The deepest revelations can’t be conveyed through an intermediary.
We belong to Nature, not the other way around. Remembering our place in the natural world gives us a sense of wholeness and belonging; of being fully alive; of being part of something infinite and undying; of being supported and guided. It also prompts us to recognize that the way we treat our world has a direct impact on the whole system – ourselves included – and this makes the longevity conversation more holistic. Instead of asking, “How can I get more life?” we find ourselves asking, “How can I honor my species … and all species … and this magnificent planet … and the Source of everything?”
Be well,
Peter
[post_title] => What Can an Ancient Culture Teach Us About Living Longer and Happier?
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Almost every year I witness the same tragedy in Boulder. The daffodils emerge, the trees put forth tender leaves and delicate flowers, and my heart swells with the natural resurrection of life. Then we get a snowstorm and all the new growth dies. So much for spring.
But wait! As the snow melts, I’m reminded that these plants are hardier than I thought. The flowers return, more leaves grow, and it turns out they’re all the tougher for the hardship.
It’s tempting to hope for a life without hardship. But it’s neither realistic nor good for us. We’re better served by resilience. Resilience isn’t just the ability to withstand hardship, it’s the ability to utilize hardship as a means for growth. Let’s look into why we need it and how to build it.
Modern humans were already epidemically stressed. Now we’re pandemically stressed. Even if you’re healthy, you’re not scared of coronavirus, you don’t feel especially affected by what’s going on, it’s still likely that you’re going through a heightened state of nervous system arousal to adapt to these unique circumstances. And of course, if you are worried about your health or finances or loved ones or the overall state of the world, then you’re in an even more heightened state of arousal.
We can attribute today’s common usage of the word “stress” to an endocrinologist named Hans Selye who first described how organisms respond to chronic stress in what he dubbed the General Adaptation Syndrome. Most of us are going through this syndrome right now.
Here’s how it works. When we first encounter a stressor, we enter the “alarm phase.” The system is temporarily shocked, our body produces stress hormones, the nervous system gets more vigilant, and our fundamental homeostasis is compromised. Next, if the stressor persists, we enter the “resistance phase” in which the body/mind makes adaptations to manage the ongoing burden. We may feel like we’re getting used to it, but we’re actually chronically hyper-aroused and this demands a lot of energy. Eventually, if the stress continues, we enter the third phase: “exhaustion” – we just can’t maintain the constant adaptation and things start to collapse (we get sick, fatigued, anxious, depressed, etc.).
We’re probably hanging out in that resistance phase, but may get repeatedly re-alarmed when we hear more bad news. Some of us are already in exhaustion. What can we do?
In his popular 1994 book, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, neuroendocrinologist Robert Sapolsky explains why it’s different for animals than it is for humans. They’re exposed to episodic stress – like the appearance of a predator. They react, the stressor goes away, and they return to a relaxed state and replenish from the toll of the stress. In contrast, the chronic stress we experience is taxing without any breaks.
As I see it, true resilience doesn’t just mean being able to stay in the resistance phase for a long time without getting exhausted. That might be evidence of resilience, but it could just be the sign of a strong constitution. Indeed, one definition of resilience is simply “toughness.” But the definition I find more compelling is this: “the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape.” I interpret “into shape” to mean the restoration of a state of fundamental wellbeing (not a state of active resistance).
To me, resilience entails returning to balance or freedom not just after, but throughout, an experience of hardship. I like the word freedom because it implies that we’re not fighting, not pushing back. Instead, at least for a moment, we’re liberated from our stress. In my opinion the single most powerful way to achieve this kind of resilience is through a daily meditation practice.
A few years ago, the American Psychological Association released a guidance document on the mental health impacts of climate change. It’s impressively holistic in its scope. One section offers great suggestions for building resilience, and I think they apply well to the current pandemic. Although these strategies we’re meant to be introduced by counselors, I believe you can apply them on your own (and reach out to us if you need further guidance).
- Build belief in your own resilience. Be compassionate with yourself. Notice all the challenging times you’ve already managed.
- Foster optimism. Actively reframe your circumstances. Stick to the facts. Choose to be an optimist – it’s a simple habit of thinking and habits can be changed.
- Cultivate active coping and self-regulation. Pay attention to your thoughts and behaviors. Look for solutions and help – there are so many good resources available to you.
- Find a source of personal meaning. Do you believe in a higher power? A personal mission? A mandate to serve the world and share your gifts? What’s the most important thing to you? Prioritize that.
- Boost personal preparedness. Managing crises holistically isn’t a matter of either wearing a mask or believing we’ll all get through this. Hedge your bets. Build resilience, stay positive, and also do some common sense things to enable you to better weather the unexpected.
- Support social networks. We need connection to other humans, not just for the psychological support, but the material support (e.g., toilet paper) too!
- Connect with parents, family, and other role models. While we generally recognize the powerful stabilizing force the family structure can provide for children, it can be equally valuable for adults. If family isn’t available or doesn’t function that way for you, make your own family and find other role models.
- Maintain connections to one’s culture. This is especially important for refugees and new immigrants, but it can also be a valuable constant – and source of stories of resilience – for everyone.
I’d like to close with two more. First, mindfulness practices build resilience, specifically in that “springing back into shape” way. Mindfulness puts us firmly in the here-and-now – the truth – over and over and over and over throughout every day. Second, finding ways to serve also “springs us back” because it’s our nature to love, to care, and to offer oneself to the greater Whole to which we all belong. We’re naturally oriented in this way when we feel free. Therefore, even if you don’t feel altogether free, acting as if you’re free – by finding ways to help others rather than being hyperfocused on your own survival – will facilitate that freedom.
So much love,
Peter
[post_title] => How to Be Resilient
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Do you have tips for combatting neck pain? Please share with us in the comments below!
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