Seeing the wood through the trees and Movement is Medicine
Seeing the wood through the trees
I’d like to tell you about this aerial photograph (below) of a nature reserve where I used to work. The photo perfectly illustrates a struggle common to us all, including me. That of being overwhelmed by our own emotions. Sometimes it seems impossible to find the space to process our feelings; to find a balance between wanting to feel calm and needing to find a way through.
Like other biological systems and individuals, we humans are resilient and adaptable. Though we can easily forget this and become lost in the woods of our negative emotions. My aim is to provide the space to help you rediscover your natural resilience.
Returning to situations and experiences is part of the therapeutic process. Another part is connecting this past to the present. When looking at a tree, the past and present are visible by it's shape and colour. However, our past and present may not be so easily found - often least of all by ourselves.
Emotionally intense situations can seem less overwhelming when you can distance yourself from them. This gives you the space to see the bigger picture - to see the wood through the trees. To create such space with our thoughts and feelings, it sometimes only takes someone else being with you.
Movement is medicine
Do you exercise regularly? Perhaps exhausting yourself is not quite your language, but even gentle of breathing and stretching can do. I find swimming or just going for a walk good remedies for a busy mind.
Throughout prehistory, we humans have exercised our bodies more than our brains…nowadays it is the other way round. Compared with our prehistoric ancestors, we all think more and exercise less. Here are some thoughts on the value of movement.
Our thoughts and emotions move each other. In our natural world, motion is inevitable: plants grow towards the light, temperature changes create wind, water moves in sea, air and land. In our internal world of emotions, motion is also inevitable; our brain processes our physical and emotional experiences, reacts with different chemicals and influences (sometimes overruling) thoughts about our next move.
Our next move could be anything from a calm to stress response. As you may have experienced, exercise gives your brain a break from such responses. From thinking of the past or future, exercise enables focus on the present.
Sensing our heart beating, muscles working and regular breathing re-establishes communication between the body and the brain. The brain then responds by sending chemical messages to take the edge off our negative thoughts and emotions. Such natural chemicals, such as dopamine and serotonin, move us towards feelings of pleasure, calm and focus. Movement becomes both physical and emotional medicine.
