Many of you have probably noticed I’ve been silent in the last month or so. It has been quite an unprecedented time (at least in most of our lifetimes) here, and I assume the case is the same where most of my readers are located. I’ve been busy with treating the patients that I can, including doing distance consults for some with COVID. And, in addition to treating respiratory conditions I’ve been treating a lot of general stress and anxiety.
I’m sure most all of us have been dealing with the same fear, uncertainty, etc… In times like these some of the basic teaching of Japanese psychology (which I was trained in at the ToDo Institute) are of tremendous help. In particular, Morita Therapy is a very practical way of managing both ourselves, and our patients. Here are some basic concepts for us to chew on.
Accept Reality – One of the core aspects of Morita Therapy is arugamama – acceptance. Before we can get a handle on our circumstances we need to accept the reality of what is happening. This doesn’t mean blind acceptance to our fate, but rather understanding where we are, and what we can and can’t do about it. Once we know where we are we can see where we can move.
Feelings and Thoughts are Uncontrollable – Part of acceptance is understanding what is and what isn’t controllable. A basic idea of Japanese psychology is that our feelings and thoughts are uncontrollable. Feelings are a natural part of being a human (welcome to the club!) and arise as a result of what is happening to us at any moment. They also arise based on our own conditioning to circumstances and events. I’ll give you an example right now… Don’t think of a duck. Just stop. Stop thinking of a duck. Like most people reading this, right now you’re thinking of a duck and will for at least the next few minutes! Once we accept the reality that feelings are uncontrollable we can focus our energy on what is controllable, including our actions and responses to events.
Lead with the Body – Even if I am feeling anxious, or sad, or fearful, I can still make my body get up and do something. Years ago when I was in my teens I made my first trip to Europe. My grandmother (who to this day worries about everything) was so upset while I was away she ended up painting the second floor of her house. She couldn’t control her feelings, her thoughts, or her anxiety, but she could move her body, and in doing so, she felt a little better. Even if you have a “shelter in place” order and can’t get out of the house, I strongly suggest moving your body in some way. It’ll be good for both your body, and your mind. In an effort to keep myself moving more, and keep my community moving more I’ve started teaching online Qigong classes. If you’d like to be on my mailing list for the online classes shoot me an email and I’ll add you to the list.
I hope everyone is doing as well as they can, and I’m going to get back to more blogging soon. If you’d like more information on Japanese psychology please visit the ToDo Institute website here, and if you’re looking for a great non-profit to support they are one of my favorites.