by Marcey Klein BS, NC
If there’s one thing that I have found to be very essential for healing, it’s the ability to be able to adapt to life: to make the best of the very things going on around you, whether you think it’s good or not. It’s the ability to trust that there is an ultimate plan that we might not be able to see, even in the small things in our lives.
I have seen example after example of this in the people of our amazing small community following the events of last summer. I have been taught so much from all of you. You have shown me resiliency, fortitude, generosity, selfless giving, and courage in the face of adversity. Thank you for being my example of what it is to be a true neighbor. I now know one of the many reasons why I was placed in this small community, to see these incredible acts of love, and for it to change my life.
To go along with the other many ways we are supported in life, another tool is herbs called adaptogens. And guess what they do? They help us adapt to stress. My favorite one is called Ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is fast acting and effective. It helps calm my mind and gives me joy. I also love L-Theonine. This amino acid supports your neurotransmitters. It has a similar positive effect as Ashwagandha and works fast as well. B vitamins also support the nervous system, especially B12 and B6. I like taking a B complex because all the B vitamins help support the metabolic process of turning our food into energy. Holy Basil or Tulsi is a wonderful adaptogen as well. It helps our bodies move out excess cortisol from stress to make us feel normal again.
I also like drinking green tea throughout the day because of the potent antioxidant EGCG that supports my body and mind. Probiotic rich foods like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, and yogurt can help support a healthy gut that in turn makes the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. Happy gut, happy mind is what I like to say.
Adapting to the things around us can be a wonderful continuous dance. When it is, it helps us to become more flexible and less fearful, and it can help us become stronger. The adaptogens assist us to do just that.