The Art of Accepting Impermanence

It's difficult for me to fathom that we are hurtling towards the end of 2014. TWENTY FIFTEEN IS COMING, PEOPLE!!! Un-freaking-believable.

Firstly, given the reason I started this blog, I think it only fitting to share that I have been episode-free for a glorious three months. I feel like I'm back to my best self, entirely. It's magical, and every day I am grateful for my mental health. So incredibly grateful. And every day I make it a priority to maintain this state with meditation, "Ultramind Solution" nutrition (see my post about that here), building and nurturing my social support network, and continued self-development.

Along my burgeoning spiritual path, one concept has become very relevant to me. And that is cultivating a sense of acceptance and detachment. My mantra being, "This too shall pass". Meaning, the joyful highs I am now experiencing will not last forever. I don't intend that in a negative way whatsoever. It's about approaching my days in a detached, open to what may come, ride the ebbs and flows of life with peace and ease way.

I recently attended a day-long Buddhist meditation retreat. The topic of the day was Living in the Moment. But ultimately the message of the day was the idea of impermanence. We meditated on the human instinct to grasp and cling onto things, anything. As infants, grasping is one of our primary instincts. As adults, we grasp at the past, we grasp onto the future and for one reason or another, we are often afraid to let go and be present in the moment. We grasp onto people and situations, ideas and values. According to one Buddhist scholar, "We will suffer in direct proportion to out grasping".

This entire concept resonates deeply with me. I feel a sense of peace when I sit with impermanence. Sometimes I experience a sense of fear or loss, but then I realize this is happening because I'm looking to the past or to the future. So I come back to the present moment, and back to that peace, that bliss.

This isn't a completely new concept to me. I requested of my partner to remind me whenever I was in the middle of a depressive episode that "it's only temporary and it will pass". Hearing this would remind me that there was hope for relief from the excruciating pain of hopelessness. Though, there were times when the "downs" would last weeks, when I might get a single day of feeling like it had passed, and in those cases the ratio itself felt just as hopeless. "Ok, so the depression might pass, but if the good state only lasts a day before that too passes back to depression... I don't know if it's worth it". It was a struggle every day to have faith. But I made it and I'm so very, very grateful.

I'd love to hear what it is that you grasp onto and what consequences it causes in your life. And is it something you're ready to let go of? 

Whether impermanence is a new concept to you or this is simply a reminder, I wish for you that it wraps you up in a warm, comforting blanket of gratitude and bliss. I'm off to meditate :)

Love &Gratitude

Jas xo

What I learned from reading "The Ultramind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First"

No, it's not a book about becoming an expert at mind control (bummer, I know) it's the best resource I've found on an integrative/functional based approach to mental health. Written by a medical doctor who, after his own struggle with depression, now practices functional medicine. (WTF is Functional Medicine??? It's the practice of medicine where underlying causes for symptoms and issues are addressed, along with treating the symptoms themselves.)

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but ESPECIALLY those who deal with mental health issues like depression and anxiety, even memory deterioration. My friend who recommended the book was using it to learn ways to optimize his already healthy body and brain function.

The book highlights how our body function, what we eat and ingest, either through diet or through the environment, directly - and often significantly - affects the function of our brain and therefore mental health.

As a result of what I learned from the book I've started including a few more supplements into my existing routine. I already take a Multi Vitamin, Vit B Complex and a probiotic. I've added Magnesium, an Omega oil blend and Vitamin D.

One of the major takeaways for me was how much of an impact toxins can have on our health. Did you know that less than 1% of the chemicals in use today have been tested for safety?!?! Have we learned nothing from mercury or asbestos?? I have a mouth full of amalgam fillings, some of which have been there over 20 years! There is a good chance that these fillings are leaking mercury into my system. This is a highly alarming fact and one I'm looking to address ASAP.

Lastly, it's worth stressing the importance that Dr Hyman puts on exercise and relaxation. The role stress plays in mental health is proven, widely known and accepted yet so many of us don't know how to healthily manage it. Stress and stress management really deserves it's own post, so I think I'll save that one for another day.

Here is The Ultramind Solution on Amazon. And Dr Hyman's website.