I was watching 'Bump' the other day. If you haven't seen it, it's set in Australia... Gosh I do love that Aussie, can-do openness!
But I digress, the drama is all about a High School student who quite out of the blue, has a baby. Yeah, it's really quite well done. Very middle class, but that seems to be the way of things these days. Anyhoo, the startle response. You can imagine can't you, the whole giving birth when you can't believe you're pregnant was a bit of a shock - beyond startle and that took some settling into the realisation - obvs. However, what the drama showed was also the positive side to our startle response - in this case the mother's, totally understandable delayed response to the baby's call for nourishment.
So, I have to ask why is it that when I look at the general (Wiki) view of our startle response, it's defined as,
'a largely unconscious defensive response to sudden or threatening stimuli, such as sudden noise or sharp movement, and is associated with negative affect.'
'defensive' 'negative'... really !
It seems our relationship with this, our gloriously useful fight/flight/heightened awareness capability is largely wrong.
I suppose it is largely due to our relationship with the consequences of living on a basis that's largely unconscious!
Hmmmm... that does make me wonder about the long-term effects of mindfulness - and I'm beginning to realise why it isn't for me. To be honest, I quite enjoy the thrilling aspects of life - the unknown, exploratory, adventurous and potentially dangerous. Even as a small child, I remember running in to help my younger brother with a bullying neighbour.
Was I scared? I didn't have time to notice!
And that's where the definition is spot on -
The startle response is 'largely unconscious'... and thank goodness it is too.
The problem arises, that is,
we begin to turn this beautiful bit of natural kit into something negative - after the event - we live first... and then...
Stuff happens that turns the event into not such a good idea after all. For example, in my haste to help my brother I could have quite easily have been hit by a car. Like I said, it wouldn't have been such a good idea - horrific in fact.
Just as we have to continue to live whilst sorting the wheat from the chaff, healing, restoring etc, it's important to sort the wheat from the chaff of these myths. Or else there is a very good chance that they'll build up over time and wheedle their way into our psyche... begin to live them, believe them and worse still, normalise them. Methinks a change to the definition is in order, away from the social ordering of life and into the more natural - courtesy of Living First and everything naturally progressive:
Def: Startle Response:
'a largely unconscious response to unexpected stimuli that triggers a release of adrenalin that stimulates heightened awareness'
You see it's not the unexpected event that's the problem, rather the consequences of our response to an unexpected event that can be problematic.
Saying that the negative effects of living first... and then dealing with the problematic consequences later are a biggie in our society... hence the need for therapies to help us unravel, untangle, heal etc.
The alternative would be to live by rules - and somebody else's rules at that !
Has that ever worked?
Of course not and it never will.
We have our own lives to live - right !
Let's do it good !
News on the Living First front
The Practice - working with me 1 to 1
It looks like things are a-changing at the Centre - I see a few open days in the offing to get peeps back through the doors. Getting out and about once more really is a scary prospect for way too many folks just now, but it really is the only way to live.
I'm loving working at the centre and the peeps who are passing my way . What a beautifully unique eclectic group of people.
to book an appointment phone:
Totnes Natural Health Centre: 01803 864 587
or
Me: 07737 196 669
(leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can)
Alternatively,
Click here to book a complementary 30 min call back
I'm also looking to set up a Reiki share at the centre with fellow Reiki Practitioners...
The Writing...
Exciting stuff The Alphabet's still on track for the end of November - still lots to do, and yes, still enjoying it. The logo, design, typeset is looking good - just running through the final (she hopes) edit and pagination - we're heading for publishing on Amazon as e-book that can be bought as a paperback too !
So too the Anthology...
Next step - picking up from the printer - could be the end of this week!
Still no direct work on the booklet... saying that, little bits and bobs happening along the way.
Publishing - beginning to love this, yet another whole new world... and still with my piece de resistance waiting in the wings. It's one for the mid-lifers in preparation for living the other side of mid life really, really well.
The Global Reiki Circle... will be Sunday, 14th November
The next 12 months have been set up waiting for you to book your place (so to speak)
Click here to go to the event and book through Facebook... no fee and always will be
Word to the wise... even though I don't need a reminder, I click that I'm going and Facebook then keeps you up to date. What can I say... it's all goooood, somewhat magical stuff - yep, clearing and nourishing!
The theme... nature, nature, nature and just to make it interesting, enlivening the base Chakra... click here to stay in the loop and join our Facebook Group
above all,
be safe, be sure, and no matter what, be you
Namaste
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Photo by Jamie Haughton on Unsplash