By Lakshmi Dev
In your daily life of rush, rush, rush there’s so much more need to decompress and destress. I’ve realized as a mom, business owner, service provider and an adult human being with more responsibilities than I’d like to count, that if I’m not using practices to help me relax then I’m not fulfilled. Some of the most powerful tools that don’t involve talk therapy I incorporate living on the Western side of the world are from the East, and I want to share a few of them with you.
Obviously, when you picture relaxing, massage is one of the best ways to not have to ‘do’ anything to receive the benefits. Massage isn’t just great for sore muscles or calming the mind, but also has huge benefits on the nervous & lymphatic system, increases the immune system and also helps to detoxify us. Something I didn’t realize is how sacred and special the Balinese massage is until I visited for the first time. I literally called the therapists my angels because it was so healing with the perfect amounts of pressure, long strokes, and loving energy that goes into the experience.
You know that taking a big breath can instantly calm you down when stressed, but do you know how powerful breathwork is? While in a pranayama (breathing) practice, you shift your energy from within. Breathing more from the right side energizes you while breathing from the left calms you. There are many workshops and retreats that focus solely on breathing practices because the benefit of changing the breath to destress is so instantaneous and can be done anywhere once learned. Breathe deep and see how quickly you get out of your head and into the present moment.
Yoga is another Eastern technique combining many elements, including pranayama that are deeply relaxing and rejuvenating at the same time. In the asana practice, your body is moving as energy is releasing stagnant energy while recharging and getting all the organs, cells, & systems happy. When we feel at ease after yoga, we are less stressed as everything within is working together in balance. Yoga also uses meditation and mantra to help us tune into ourselves as we tune out the chaotic world around us so we are clear-minded, in the flow of life, and less likely to react as we are more aware to respond to things thrown at us.
Energy healing and other modalities of Eastern descent are also non-invasive and typically hands-off ways to experience well-being. Reiki and Quigong work on the subtle body system that our life-force energy resides in. Having an energy healer or even a specialty Balinese healer to assist in moving energy out that’s not healthy while replacing it with loving and healing energy can reduce pain, anxiety, depression, and in some cases disorders or disease. Many current negative mental, emotional, and physical responses people experience are stress-related because of our fast-paced world. These practices help you to feel grounded and relaxed at the same time.
Ritual and ceremony with offerings to certain deities, the moon, or Earth for specific purposes, along with prayer, are also lovely ways to have a cultural healing experience. One of the things I love about Bali is how important the offerings are that are created daily and taken to the temples. Different types of ceremonies and rituals are performed for various purposes that combine elements of fire, water, dancing, prayer, and coming together as a community. Each serves its own purpose and as an outsider from the Western world attending a ceremony for either purification, manifestation, release, or honoring specific energy, there’s a feeling of being a part of something much bigger and purposeful.
Spiritual connection is something we can all benefit from in these daily times of constant going and doing. It helps us to slow down, be more present to experience more of life fully, and appreciate the unification we are as one with the Earth, the Universe, and as a collective. When you immerse yourself into an experience of Eastern culture, healing, relaxation, and receiving it’s much easier to feel empowered in your daily life on the wild and non-stop side of the Western world. These moments in bliss stay with you longer than you realize once you give yourself time to decompress and destress.
Interested in healing, transformation & spiritual practices? Lakshmi Dev is hosting the Bliss Embodied Ultimate Bali Experience this November 17 to 24, 2019. Learn more about how you can be part of this magical retreat HERE.
