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Mindfulness, mental health, and facing fear

Mindfulness, mental health, and facing fear

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and currently, we are dealing with a lifetime's worth of mental health challenges. Navigating the ‘New Now’ is difficult for all of us, regardless of who we are, what we do, or how we have been affected by the personal and global crisis all around.

Today, I feel the call to share my recent experiences that I faced while visiting my family in Israel, after an already long and stressful year.

Most of you know me and know that I have always shared my belief that building resilience by working on the mind-body connection will serve your mental health in any situation.

During my time in Israel, I experienced one of the most traumatic moments of my life. While I am still in shock, I am reassured to know that doing the daily work of mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and a positive mindset truly saved me in again, one of the most terrifying moments I have ever faced!

After a year wracked by covid-19, where I worked long hours with my team to help navigate a very new health situation, led meditations and workshops virtually and assisted my dear clients trying to navigate an extraordinary, tenuous, and changing system, this month, I finally had a moment to travel and visit my son and family in Israel for the first time in well over a year. My mom had fallen and broken her femur bone a few months ago and was hospitalized for several weeks – so I was really looking forward to finally be able to go to Tel Aviv, fully vaxxed and ready to relax!

The day was indeed a perfect, ordinary day, Tuesday, May 11 2021. A day I will never forget! Right in the heart of Tel-Aviv, energy, and fantastic weather. I spent time with my family and was able to see many old friends. After watching the sunset, I left to walk through the streets of Shuk Hacarmel, Kerem Hatemanim District, to get to Rotchild Boulevard. As I sat on a bench, waiting for my son to meet me for dinner, I was thinking to myself how beautiful the boulevard looked, with so many new and remodeled historical buildings lining the street.

It didn’t even concern me that I was actually alone, by myself, on the street, until the sirens went off. I froze, completely unsure of what to do. I looked up and saw rockets and missiles soaring across the sky. It would be like the 4th of July except for the fact that the sirens were going off incessantly. Of course, the Israelis were so calm; there was no panic as they are trained for this situation. I, however, had no idea what to do, where to go. I just sat there on the bench! It was as if one moment the street was full, busy, and beautiful and the next moment empty. Everyone had disappeared! It was almost like somebody had turned off a switch. Thankfully my son called me and calmly asked me to go into a building and find shelter under a stairwell. It was completely surreal.

When I stood up, I was on the verge of total panic, and a complete breakdown. I was staring at fear in the face, and it was immense. Psychologists say it’s crucial to discern the difference between fear and danger because sometimes we fear things that aren’t actually that bad. But at this moment, I was both in danger and had legitimate fear. I summoned all of the years of my practice and was able to witness myself. I remembered to focus on my breath and observe my sensations and body, which were just as present with me on that boulevard as they were in so many years on my yoga mat.

In that moment, so much pain, suffering, anger, hate, and chaos was present. And yet I was able to come to find a moment of peace in that traumatic time by choosing to trust my body, my mind, and my spirit. What I realized coming out of this experience is that by trusting the process, I have become stronger. I was able to stay calm and find safety. That evening started a week of 3000+ rockets. What a journey! I am continually amazed at how life-changing these mental health practices really are and how these incidents meet us when we are so vulnerable and have no control over situations.

I encourage you to recognize that this mind-body work is not someone's else wellness program. It is truly a tool to help us in the most challenging moments of our lives.

I just had a major one!

We are all on this ride together, and please remember that you are not ALONE! Healing is possible and is a conscious choice we can all sign up for.

Much love from me and the A+ Team for peace and joy ❤

Naama

Mental Health Month

The pandemic is taking a toll and has been affecting the mental health of people around us. Silently people have been suffering. But there is an easy fix to reduce the impact the pandemic may be having on the emotional and mental well-being of people.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I've put together some of my top practices for building a strong and resilient mind, body, and spirit. I hope that these provide some guidance for you, and I'm always here to talk to you about your own practice!

Thank you Teachers and Nurses!

In the month of May we recognize the amazing dedication and selfless service from two of the most essential professions in our community, teachers and nurses. Both are at the heart of our community and both play a major role in the wellbeing of the community.

Over the past year and with the onset of COVID-19 we have seen the incredible work that they do up close, and how much they sacrifice in order to provide for all of us. We are so grateful.

On May 4th we celebrated 'National Teacher Appreciation Day' and on May 6th 'National Nurses Day' to show gratitude to both these professions.

Teachers and nurses, alike, both are our Superheroes!!

Thank you, from the bottom of ours hearts, for all you do.

Covered CA Extension - Contact us to see if you can save!

Covered CA is still open for enrollment, with many discounts and subsidies available for people from all walks of life. If you had a job change, unemployment or other income change in the last year, it's important that you connect with our team. Both current Covered CA members and non-members can apply for coverage, change plans, or re-apply on the same plan to see if they qualify for new subsidies or reduced rates.

For more information: https://rightplan.com/americanrescueplan

Travel with a peace of mind

While the past year prevented many from traveling, the desire to take that previously scheduled trip or long-planned vacation hasn’t subsided.

With all the cheap flights and vacation deals, you may be thinking that 2021 is finally the right time to take the trip of your dreams.

Make sure you are covered.For more information feel free to contact us.

Memorial Day Weekend

This Memorial Day serves as a great reminder to remember those who have defended our freedoms. I humbly ask that we also spend this day remembering our commonality, and move towards enlightenment and away from divisiveness, fear and anger.

What we are reading

House Passes over a Dozen Mental Health and Suicide-Prevention Bills The House passed around 12 bills on a bipartisan basis last week, all of which are aimed at improving access to behavioral and mental health and addiction-treatment services. The pieces of legislation include provisions that award grants to family community organizations, fund school-based mental health services and suicide awareness and prevention training, and more.NAHU has submitted testimony to several House subcommittees regarding the importance of mental health access and what Congress can do to improve access.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month: Here are Insider's best tips, resources, and services to maintain and manage mental health year-round Insider recognizes how important it is to focus on our mental health all year round but as May is Mental Health Awareness Month, they have made a special effort to gather effective resources and services that are available to maintain ones mental health all through out the year.

Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius

With this week's powerful full moon and lunar eclipse in Sagittarius, we have entered a portal to release all that is no longer serving us and invite deep healing.

While this is an intense time, and we are trying to make sense of it all, this eclipse season means we are entering a period of transformative realizations, and again, healing.

I encourage each of us to connect to our inner self, look within and reflect on our wounds.

In turbulent times, stay calm and relaxed as much as possible and allow yourself to move from where you are stagnant.

We each have the opportunity to experience the love that is already within us and remind ourselves that we are not alone on this journey while preparing for some possibly unexpected changes.

With love,

💝 🌹 💖

Naama & the A+ Team!

Sent with gratitude for our connection