holistic-culture

Feelings v Logic - Which one takes the cake?

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 03:59:03 GMT

“ Have you done your personality test? Which one are you? Logic or feeling? I’m Logic based.”

This was the start of an impeccable conversation with one of my clients this week. The well-established personality test, notably the famous “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator”, also known as MBTI. The 4 personality pairs are distinguished between:

Direct & receive energy through:

Extroversion OR
Introversion

Take information in with:

Sensing OR
Intuition

Come to conclusions with

Thinking OR
Feeling

Approach the outside world with

Judging OR
Perceiving

Personality Types?

The Test specifies that outside of the masks worn, you will usually sway to one side more than the other. Some people may sway quite distinctly & heavily, while others may often swing from side to side depending on a ton of variables.

As I write this to you now, I find this model can be quite reductive, in labelling yourself as a thinker or feeler. Often the limit of our own mind is the labels we attach ourselves to, which can often lead to a deeper and more confusing rabbit hole.

Is the label a part of your ego, trying to feel safe by attaching it’s behaviors into a box that it can resonate with…What if the over-labelling, over-identifying was a symptom of a deeper issue related to one’s lack of truly understanding themselves, that maybe a quiz may be able to point them to who they are…..costs & benefits are always present.

Here I present an alternative model, one that is an integrative & spectrum-based philosophy I have come across….

When I was younger, I was classed as an ENFP, however, as I have matured, I am now classed as an INTP. But, I wouldn’t base my personality on the reductive term, I’m more more than 4 letters placed next to each other, as most people truly are - a swaying spectrum across opposing fields of classification.

Thinking Or Feeling

The muscle you use is the muscle you strengthen - particularly in the brain…

However, we spend so much time in the head, we think of these processes as happening in the space between our ears… but often these Thinking/Feeling experiences take over our entire body….

Something to consider:

Am I a thinker, that wishes to be more in tune with the language of my feelings?

Am I a Feeler, that wishes to be more in tune with logic & reasoning?

Am I a predominant Thinker/Feeler that doesn’t feel the need to improve the opposing one that I’m not dominant in?

But you could also argue:

If I am a thinker, and don’t need to develop my sense of feeling, what is the quality of my thinking?

If I am a feeler, and don’t feel the need to develop my sense of thinking, what is the quality of my ability to feel & integrate?

These questions, are worthwhile to ponder on and consider..

If I am both, and feel that I could improve on one more than the other, what would it be?

Practical Tools to Use

Feeling

If you want to really delve deep into the world of understanding your ability to feel, consider the following questions as a reflective tool:

What are my beliefs around emotions/feeling?
Does the beliefs I hold around emotions serve my to my highest potential?
Do I intimately understand the language of my body?
How tuned into sensing the sensations around my body am I?
Do I actively sit with how specific foods affect my digestion? Can I notice when I am bloated, when my No. 2’s are abnormal, when I am de-hydrated?
Do I have common symptoms like foggy head, cramping, lethargy and can understand how & why it is happening?
Do I let my emotions control all of my decision making?
Am I a victim to the sensations I feel?
Can I differentiate between using my Intuition, and feeling an emotion?
Do you listen to your emotions as mirrors to reflect & look at, or as a decision making tool?
DO I know how to action ‘giving space’ as a behavior during the day? Without the hippy fluff, what does that look like?
Am I unaware of what I am feeling?
Do I feel numb to my emotional body?
Is there a story beneath this emotion, that I can look at to understand this situation?
What is this emotion highlighting?
What learning can I take from this emotion/sensation?
What is this trigger highlighting in me? How may I attempt to find freedom through fully understanding?

The story we tell ourselves about a certain situation sets the foundation of how you expect the world to be. Often we experience varying emotion when an event exceeds or subceeds our expectation of the world around us.

So, what story do you tell yourself about ‘HOW THE WORLD “SHOULD” BE?’ Is this story harmful to yourself & those around you? If so, your narrative sucks, and you can change it - whether you think you can or can’t.

If the story you tell yourself about the world sucks, and you feel complacent, distrusting, pessimistic, angry at people you have never met, then frankly, you have every right to be….

Thinking

The world financial system was invented by the 13 families who have it built on the backs of slavery, in one form or another. But you knowing this, should be enough for you to find freedom through being in the system, but not of it. I can’t tell you how to do that. But the negative stories you tell yourself about how bad the world is, don’t serve you - and you’re exactly where ‘they’ want you to be.

Afraid.

Scared.

Ashamed.

Defeated.

Dead inside.

Available to be taken advantage of. Demand more from the story you tell yourself & flick the perspective into one that is hopeful, admirable, noble, heart-centered, and make the most out of the hand you're dealt. Because guess what, everyone is dealt a bad hand at some point, and only some choose to get in the ring and fight for it while most sit on the sideline hoping someone else will fight in their stead.

If you want to improve on your thinking, consider the following questions for reflection (actually answer the ones that you need to):

Are my thoughts predominantly around: myself, other people, or ideas/perspectives?
Does this thought about ‘xyz’ person/situation ultimately serve me to show up in a healthy way?
How distracted can I be? Do I have mental strategies to re-focus & re-align my decision making?
If I were to do a thinking stocktake, how would I rate the quality of thoughts I act on?
How well can I move beyond the ‘f*****’ thoughts that I have?
Am I resilient to the Inner Critic?
What is my relationship with my Inner critic?
How can I create a positive relationship with the Inner critic?
How can I create more resilience?
What frames of reality can I remind myself, so that when in lulls and downward spirals, I can spur myself back into action, momentum, and an upward spiral?
Can I use this negative thought to inspire myself into action?
What fuel do I have that I can use?
What are my pain points/ where do I judge myself the most? Is it a fair assessment?
If it’s fair, what actions/plans can I implement to improve?
Where do I neglect responsibility & who do I outsource the blame of why I am not where I wish to be?
What is imbalance in my life? Is that intended or a by-product unconsciously?
Where do I need to create more balance (does not mean work life balance)?

Bonus questions for increased inspiration/perspective:

If everything was to go perfectly, what would be different to my current situation?
If I couldn’t fail, what would that look like?
If you don’t know what you want, write down the worst case scenario of what you don’t want, and then start doing the opposite.
If I had an unshakeable self-belief, how would I act differently & what would I do differently? (Do that)
What reminders help me frame reality in a way that supports me to know I’m on the right track?
What frames help me to understand when I am going off course?

Happy Reflecting

The Mouth Breathing Epidemic

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 04:23:48 GMT

The Mouth Breathing Epidemic

For centuries there have been catastrophic epidemics sweep across the known lands of earth. Taking with it many human lives. But what if I were to tell you there was a secret Epidemic that was at the root of all diseases, but wasn’t known to the general population, would you believe?

I want you to take a look at the following graph and analyze any prevalent themes across the disease category including: Heart Disease, Diabetes, Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Cancer, Sleep Apnea, Epilepsy, Panic Disorder.

The Negatives of Mouth Breathing can induce and be the cause of:

Dry Mouth
Exercised Induced Asthma
Snoring
Decrease in oxygenation of internal organs, soft tissue, brain tissue
Decreased Productivity
Bad Breath
Dysfunctional Facial growth
Enlarged adenoids
Disrupted Sleep
Brain Fog
ADHD
Crooked Teeth
Sleep Apnea
Periodontal Disease
Speech Impediments
Imbalanced Mood
Emotional dysregulation
Decrease relation ability

If we attempt to look more deeply at what is happening and ask the question: Why is the person Mouth Breathing in the first place?

Quite typically when we become congested through the nasal cavity & sinuses when we are sick, our nose can get blocked. However, outside of having the general cold & flu, people that unconsciously breathe typically use their mouth. If someone has never brought awareness to it, they’re likely a mouth breather.

But why?

When you look at the ease of living in 2024, it’s easy to say most (if not all) people have various stressful events happen, both externally, but quite often internally. When the body feels it is unsafe, your fight or flight response is activated (which is a good thing!), because it helps you get out of danger.

Modern Day Fight or Flight

However, modern day dangers aren’t the typical tiger attacking you, they’re being late for a meeting, stuck in traffic, not making enough money to pay rent, the list of external problems is never going away & puts the pressure on your nervous system to seek safety.

The sad thing is, if you are unconscious to it, it’s likely you’re living in a state of constant fight or flight (which is not great) day-to-day. The energy demand from living in a survival state puts the remainder of your body systems on the back burner. Ie you can be living with a suppressed immune system, experience digestive issues, feeling like your brain doesn’t work like it used to, be emotionally unavailable to yourself and those closest to you, & feel like you can’t be empathetic to anyone else because your unconscious cup is way too full.

Solutions

What can you do about it?

Establish if there are any problems you are solving for. If there isn’t a problem, then don’t worry.
If there is a problem regarding your stress-related lifestyle you feel you need to change, then begin the first step of a deep & ongoing journey into yourself. Starting with personal reflection around the effects your noticing your nervous system having. Ie Phase 1 of the Vagus Nerve Reset by @annatheanxietycoach is a really nice place to start. Reflect on and list out
What are your triggers?
What are your glimmers
When I am in a state of Fight or Flight I feel:
When I am in Shutdown/Freeze, I feel:
When I am in a relaxed state/parasympathetic I feel:
Assess your own Breathing. Explore any dysfunctional patterns, and begin by seeking professional support, or by doing it yourself if you have the right understanding. A rule of thumb:
Try & breathe through your nose 99% of the time
Aim to get to 6 breaths/minute (in for 5 out for 5)
When stressed, acknowledge the stress. To re-balance - double inhale, extended exhale with a sigh/hum/sound. Ask the stress what it’s needing from you (the awareness of the stress)

Hope it helps! I trust it will. The best way you can utilize this short form blog is to begin implementing the activities described. Knowledge without action is pointless & powerless, unless you decide to make a choice of action.

The Benefits of Breathwork

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 22:58:00 GMT

Breathwork has gained significant recognition for its profound impact on mental, emotional and physical well-being. As an increasingly popular wellness trend, breathwork offers numerous benefits that cater to a wide range of individuals. Whether you're seeking to alleviate stress, enhance mental clarity or improve overall health, incorporating breathwork into your routine can be transformative. In this blog post, we will explore the key benefits of breathwork and why you should consider making it a part of your daily life.

1. Stress Reduction & Relaxation

One of the most immediate and noticeable benefits of breathwork is its ability to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Breathwork techniques, such as deep diaphragmatic breathing, stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to calm the body's stress response. By focusing on controlled breathing, you can lower cortisol levels, reduce heart rate, and release tension. This makes breathwork an effective tool for managing daily stressors and achieving a state of relaxation.

2. Enhanced Mental Clarity & Focus

Practicing breathwork can significantly enhance mental clarity and focus. Oxygen is essential for brain function, and deep, conscious breathing increases oxygen intake, thereby improving cognitive performance. Breathwork techniques like box breathing and alternate nostril breathing help to centre the mind, reduce mental chatter, and improve concentration. This is particularly beneficial for those who experience brain fog or have demanding tasks that require sustained attention.

3. Emotional Healing & Regulation

Breathwork is a powerful tool for emotional healing and regulation. Techniques such as holotropic breathing and transformational breathwork enable individuals to access and process deep-seated emotions. By consciously altering breathing patterns, you can release suppressed emotions, trauma, and stress, leading to a sense of emotional freedom and balance. This practice can be especially helpful for those dealing with anxiety, depression, or emotional blockages.

4. Improved Physical Health

The physical benefits of breathwork are extensive. Regular practice can enhance lung capacity, improve circulation, and boost the immune system. Breathwork increases oxygenation of the blood, which supports overall bodily functions and promotes healing. Additionally, it can improve digestion by stimulating the vagus nerve, which plays a crucial role in the digestive process. For individuals with respiratory issues, such as asthma or COPD, specific breathwork techniques can aid in managing symptoms and improving respiratory function.

5. Enhanced Athletic Performance

Athletes can greatly benefit from incorporating breathwork into their training regimen. Techniques like rhythmic breathing and controlled breath-holding can enhance endurance, increase energy levels, and improve overall performance. By mastering breath control, athletes can optimise their oxygen usage, delay fatigue, and recover more quickly from intense physical activity.

6. Mind-Body Connection

Breathwork fosters a profound mind-body connection, promoting self-awareness and mindfulness. By paying attention to your breath, you become more attuned to your body's signals and needs. This heightened awareness can lead to better self-care, improved decision-making, and a greater sense of overall well-being. Mindful breathing practices, such as mindful breathing meditation, encourage living in the present moment and cultivating inner peace.

Conclusion

Incorporating breathwork into your daily routine can yield transformative benefits for your mental, emotional and physical health. From reducing stress and enhancing mental clarity to promoting emotional healing and improving physical well-being, breathwork is a versatile and accessible practice that can improve your quality of life.

Whether you are new to breathwork or looking to deepen your practice, exploring different techniques and finding what works best for you can be a rewarding journey. Embrace the power of breathwork and discover the profound impact it can have on your overall wellness by getting in touch with Holistic Culture today.