What are you creating with your own magnificent two hands?
We are living during a time of “virtual crisis”—spending our time in virtual environments, in the digital age, tethered to screens and technology, our minds moving at lightening speed trying to keep up with this hyperkinetic world, the constant noise, distractions from buzzing and dinging of messages and notifications, incessantly long working hours, and social disconnection despite addiction to “networking” apps and social media.
The profound level of burnout that I witness each day from clients, family members, friends, and generally in the world around me, is alarming. With staggering rates of people with chronic psychological and physical illness being around 80%, and with more overall sickness despite more “advances”, we must stop to wonder why this is and what we can do about it. This is the real public health crisis.
People are beginning to see the urgency for slowing down and re-assessing their lives and day to day activities. There are trends in mindfulness and other self-care approaches that advocate for prioritizing rest and relaxation. But these programs and methods and practitioners fail to recognize that when a humans nervous system has been disregulated for so long, and the energetic imbalances are so profound, simply wanting to relax isn’t enough. It doesn’t work that way. More is needed. Regulation must precede relaxation. It’s a scientific fact.
When I work with people of all ages—children, teens, and adults alike—I work directly with energetic imbalances and nervous system disregulation using an innovative method that integrates enduring ancestral medicine with modern science to bring people back to their inherent state of balance and truth.
One thing you can do right now— for yourself—is to work with your hands. Our ancestors did this all the time—hunting, weaving, woodworking, ceramics, foraging, cooking, preparing herbs and remedies, planting, weeding, glass blowing, just to name a few. They were self-sustaining beings who healed themselves, clothed themselves, fed themselves, and sourced for themselves. No dependence on anything outside of the self. Though there is always sacred reciprocity with the land—More on that in another post. Our ancestors were completely sovereign self healing and self sustaining beings. Suffering was no need to be a choice. They had everything they needed. In connection with the earth, their hands, with spirit, they were their true selves and natural states of joy and ease were a given.
Modern scientific research has consistently shown that working with our hands actually alters the chemistry of the brain. When researchers explored the impact of their subjects engaging in activities that required the coordination of mind and body—hands and brain—to produce an outcome or effect—the results were pretty astounding. Neurotransmitters, hormone production, and overall cognitive functioning were significantly improved. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, attention deficits, and chronic physical Pain, just to name a few, were all abated.
During an activity such as weaving, for instance, attention, presence, patience, concentration, and persistence are all required in order to produce a useful and even necessary finished product.
Not to mention the fact that in working with our hands, we are instantly activating the inherent human blueprint and patterning. We were built to work with our hands! Much like a working dog who is happiest and most well-adjusted behaviorally when given the opportunities to actually work, the same is true for humans. When we are disconnected from the essence of who we are, imbalance naturally occurs. When we are doing what we have been built to do, we thrive.
Our basic human wiring is that of creating.
Spiritually, when working with our hands, we are connecting to the essence of the materials we are working with. It’s a sacred reciprocity with the earth when we collaborate with its natural resources to create something that benefits us. And when we are cared for, we can care for the earth. It’s a natural give and receive.
In religious teachings, hand-work is considered sacred and a way of connecting with God or the gods. It was said in the Bible for instance that God wants us to use our hands. Adam was expected to work in the garden. In the book of Psalms it states “When I Look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place”. Creation is our birthright and responsibility.
Sadly though, our modern day society has greatly devalued hands on skills. Manual competence has been replaced by technological competence, and I believe the results have been catastrophic -to be completely dramatic! We have created a culture that only values white collar workers, and looks down upon the blue collars as inferior. We have done away with trade schools, for instance, giving our kids the message that they have to be lawyers, doctors, and financial tycoons in order to be successful. Yet we have bridges to cross, toilets to flush, and lights to turn on, so don’t we need steel workers, plumbers, and electricians? Currently in this country There are more trade jobs open than those trained to do them. And as older people who were trained in the trades retire, the gap will grow even wider.
Yet We are telling our kids they have to go to college, major in finance, only for them to come out in debt and sleeping on their parents couches because they don’t have the skill or money to be independent adults! And they complain of being jobless and depressed! While we have a shortage of skilled laborers to fill critical roles!
I digress….
Better get creating! And post a pic below!
Xoxo
Dr. Kristy
