As we read the news around the Coronavirus COVID-19, talk to our colleagues, family and friends some of us are feeling so overwhelmed, so gripped by fear that we are not thinking clearly.

Please know that we have the ability to react to this situation in several ways. We can follow the herd and continue to stock up like a famine/plague is descending upon us, stocking up with toilet paper and other necessities in a state of total fear or we can take a deep breath and calm down.

We have a choice with how we deal with this pandemic in a more helpful way.
Begin by absolutely acknowledging any fear and/or negative emotions you are experiencing fully. By bringing awareness to how we feel, we can choose our next steps with more rational clarity.

Do we really want to stay in fight/flight or in elevated stress hormones (high cortisol and high beta brainwaves), as if we are being chased by a lion and are running away from an attacker for hours, days, weeks or months? Hopefully not because it drains our immune system and stops us making balanced choices. When we are in a prolonged state of high stress, we shut down the Neocortex part of our brain which helps us to make rational decisions and instead we use the Reptilian part which helps us focus on immediate survival like animals and not like normal human beings, we are able to make rational conscious choices if we re-focus our attention.

What can we do about this?
We can decide that we will stop looking at the news feeling fearful and instead with an attitude of managed concern which is a mental and emotional state that can leave us informed but not infected and debilitated by the virus.

Returning our attention to the good in our lives, focusing on being or staying healthy, being happy, being aware of our thoughts and returning to more helpful and positive thoughts when we find ourselves returning to fear-based thinking.

The problem with focusing a large part of our attention on the virus is that fighting it, talking about it, feeling it, thinking about it, increases the likelihood that you will get it because when you focus on the unwanted aspect of something in an effort of pushing it away from you, it comes closer to you because what you give your energy to, you bring to you. It is irrelevant whether you want it or not.

If we deeply believe that we are healthy, that we will continue to stay healthy and laugh off the fear, seeing it as unnecessary and unhelpful, we will more than likely stay healthy. Our immune system is not as strong and does not continue to regenerate health and repair when we are in a heightened state of fear. It shuts down to focus the body's energy on survival.

By realising that and consciously changing our state we can come back into alignment. Using the following SUGGESTIONS will help.  We want to get back into low beta brainwaves so that all parts of our brain are working coherently (Neocortex, limbic and reptilian).

My suggestion is to look after yourself and your loved ones by -
Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water
Eating citrus fruits or take high-quality Vitamin C supplements daily
Continuing to eat healthily
Get outside into the sunshine for 30-minutes each day
Going for a nice walk, bike ride, yoga or some form of exercise as this will increase oxytocin levels and this makes us feel happier
Where possible grounding yourself by going barefoot on the moist grass, or at your local beach every day for a few minutes
Listen to happy and uplifting music
Being grateful for your health and know that we will get through this blip
Taking calm deep breaths for 5-minutes at a time, in and out through your nose multiple times a day.
Imagine counting in as you breath in through your nose for 4 counts, holding for 2 counts, breathing out for 6+ counts. As you breathe in, imagine that you are breathing in through your heart, saying to yourself "I am breathing in health” and on the exhale say in your mind  “I am breathing out fear/stress/anger/frustration” or whatever you need to let go off.
This will help  to get back into heart and brain coherence if performed several times a day
Meditate daily - bringing your focus inwards. Having a mantra of "Health" in your meditations will help. Know and feel that you are healthy and that you are immune to this virus.
Staying in a deep state of gratitude, happiness and calm.
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Repeat the following affirmation many times a day if you would like to - I am strong and I will continue to stay healthy, I am calm and filled with compassion!

Conclusion -
Working on being in a coherent heart and mind state as much as possible. Managed concern is ok and continue focusing staying healthy.
Big Hug, Nicole

If you would like to learn more or to book in a coaching session get in touch - nicole@nicolewijngaarden.com

in I have recently completed my Advanced Practitioner Ho'oponopono Certification with Dr. Joe Vitale based on the work of Dr Hew Len and before him Morrnah Simeona. 

Hoʻoponopono (IPA [ho.'o.po.no.po.no]) is a Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. The Hawaiian word translates into English simply as correction, with the synonyms manage or supervise, and the antonym careless.[1][2] Similar forgiveness practices are performed on islands throughout the South Pacific, including Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand. - Wikipedia

There are four simple steps to the Ho'oponopono method, and the order in which these powerful words are said is  not that important as I will explain below.

Repentance, Forgiveness, Gratitude and Love are the only forces at work – but these forces have amazing power.

The best part of the updated version of Ho’oponopono is you can do it yourself, you don’t need me or anyone else to be there, you don’t need anyone to hear you. You can “say” the words in your head.

The power is in the feeling and in the willingness of the Universe to forgive and love.

Step 1: Repentance – saying  the words I’M SORRY as you are responsible for everything that is going on in your mind, even if what you think is going wrong seems to be “out there.”

Once you realise and accept that, it’s very natural to feel sorry. I know I sure do. 

This realisation can be painful, and you will likely resist accepting responsibility for the “out there” kind of problems until you start to practice this method on your more obvious “in here” problems and see results.

So choose something that you already know you’ve caused for yourself:

• Are you over-weight?
• Are you addicted to smoking, alcohol or some other substance?
• Do you have anger issues?
• Health problems?
• Stressed?

Start there and say you’re  that you are sorry. That’s the whole step: I’M SORRY. Although I think it is more powerful if you say it more clearly: “I realize that I am responsible for the (issue) in my life and I feel remorse that something in my consciousness has caused this.”

Step 2: Ask for forgiveness – Say PLEASE FORGIVE ME -Don’t worry about who you’re asking this from. Just ask! PLEASE FORGIVE ME. Say it over and over. Feel it, Mean it. Remember your remorse from step 1 as you ask to be forgiven.

Step 3: Gratitude – THANK YOU Say “THANK YOU” – again it doesn’t really matter who or what you’re thanking.
Thank your body for all it does for you. Thank yourself for being the best you can be. Thank God. Thank the Universe. Thank whatever it was that just forgave you.  Just keep saying THANK YOU.

Step 4: Love – I LOVE YOU This can also be step 1. Say I LOVE YOU. Say it to your body, say it to The Creator of All That Is, or God. Say I LOVE YOU to the air you breathe, to the house that shelters you. Say I LOVE YOU to your challenges. Say it over and over. Mean it. Feel it. There is nothing as powerful as Love.
That’s it. The whole practice in a nutshell. It is very simple and amazingly effective.

When I get upset or stressed and if I am aware that I am being triggered in a moment of time, for example, if one of my children is doing something I am unhappy about, or where a driver is driving in a way I don't like and if I say these 4 magical statements of "I am sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you" in whatever order works at that time in my mind and heart several times in a row, the negative or stressed energy that I was feeling completely dissolves and it can take less than 60-seconds to do so. 

I so love using this principle.

If you would like to learn more come about this or other modalities which I am trained in,
make an appointment.
Phone my clinic room at Capital Sports Medicine in Wellington on 044995732 or
email office@capitalsportsmed.co.nz 

I also have several of Mabel Katz books on Ho'oponopono if you are interested. Check out my online shop. https://www.nicolewijngaarden.com/store/c11/Self-Help-Books-For-Sale#/