MORE SATURDAY BLOG

I have been missing in action since the death of our daughter, Judy Lynn Hallin Erdahl, (BILL please set link to Judy’s full name to: https://mobile.twitter.com/jerdh/with_replies) in the summer of 2019 followed by the crisis that fall of necrotizing fasciitis for my husband Bill, (BILL: please set link to ”husband Bill” to: https://rachellneumann.com/index_files/GFM-donation-site.html) and then his broken shoulder in 2021.

This blog post is the first in three years! I admit that I have been frozen in the place of caregiving and trauma for far too long. Now, it’s time to heal, time to move on, time for clarity, time for the power of healing.

What we all have gone through in the last three years has not been easy, and I’m willing to tell my story, to share some thoughts and feelings that may bring healing for all of us. 

We all have trauma embedded in our cells, not only from the last three years, but also from past lifetimes. This is especially true for those of us who have lived with a lifetime of trauma. Trauma memories affect the ability of the nervous system to feel safe. Even more so when the mind/body is faced with irrationality, as we have been faced with in recent years. The irrational mind/body feels a need to stay on guard and does not feel safe. INSERT #1 Blog 2023 #2 PHOTO HERE Safety is necessary for the nervous system and body to rest, repair, and live a graceful and resourceful life. If I’m always waiting for the next shoe to drop, or the next horrible crisis, then my immune system will take a back seat to my ability to fight or run away from the perceived threat. Now, in 2023 it seems that the whole world has been suffering from a lack of rational, common sense, and what’s normal! What are we to do to mitigate the mental and emotional pressure of the ‘fight, flight and freeze’ response?

First of all, it is very helpful to understand your personal cellular mineral pattern, especially in challenging times. For example, the stress that we are experiencing will require more magnesium. In stressful conditions the burn rate of magnesium will increase over the usual amount of four times your body weight. If you usually have low potassium and low sodium on your tissue mineral analysis, keep up those high potassium foods and supplements in order to support your adrenals and your stress level.

INSERT #1 Blog 2023 #3 PHOTO HERE Avoid quick energy foods that are only sugar! We need good fats. One of the best snacks a friend brought me as a care package was an almond butter and banana sandwich! Oh my, nothing had ever tasted so good! All of me was nourished and I was so grateful!

Keep up those Epsom Salts baths, even if you have to talk yourself into making time for your own care! When I was rushing to the ICU to see my husband each day, I still made time for self-care with a good, long soak in Epsom Salts.

INSERT #1 Blog 2023 #4 PHOTO HERE Prepare yourself for rest and recuperation. I used a full spectrum CBD at night and herbal formulas along with meditation and deep breathing exercises until I fell asleep. I often needed to use EFT, or the Tapas Acupuncture technique to calm the worry center of my mind. Worry is simply asking the mind to give you answers that it does not have! We know this, but we persist anyway.

Remember to use ‘possibility questions’ to clear worry thoughts like ‘what else is possible?’ Or, how does this get any better? And my favorite is ‘I wonder - how soon - I will have - a more - positive, beneficial, resourceful response? Roll your eyes in a complete circle in both directions and breathe out forcefully! Repeat and tap with the statements until negative worry thoughts resolve into oblivion and deep rem sleep.

Avoid the news. Now is not the time to obsess on what’s wrong in the world. If you can’t change it, acknowledge it and turn the concern into prayer. Then leave it. There will be time to ruminate later if you should choose to do so! (I hope that you don’t.)

INSERT #1 Blog 2023 #5 PHOTO HERE Stay true to what you know is true! Do not back down, give up or give in. Listen to your higher self which is a part of The Divine Will. The world may not be normal but you can remain balanced. You can stay fully present within The Divine Will.

In this world of crisis management, I think we all can benefit from following the above guidelines. Should you feel the need for a check up or a check in, please let me know by email. We can all benefit from a stress clean up. (BILL: please set link to the words ”by email” in second sentence above to rln@yourpathwaytoepowerment.com with Subject line of: Contacting Rachel L. Neumann)