Background
We try to think our way to safety but safety only exists in our body and through our body.
- Alex Howard -
Out of all the mammals, it is true to say that human beings spend the vast portion of their lives living mostly in their heads. There is nothing wrong with this per se; it is certainly what has allowed our species to reach such dizzying heights of technology and civilisation. However, this cognitive process that has been so beneficial for our species, often does not serve us so effectively as individuals. This is no more true than when our lives collide with periods of crisis, like we experience all of us during Covid 19! period
It is entirely natural that at certain points in our lives, each of us should go through some fairly dramatic changes. Loved ones pass away, we get separated or divorced, we relocate, we get retrenched, we lose our fortunes, we fall in love, we have children, we get married etc.—all of these things can have a major effect on a person’s body and health. Albert Schweizer, the famous bush doctor who founded Lambaréné, called these changes SEEs—“significant emotional events”. They hit us in the pit of our stomachs and we suddenly become all too aware that the normal functioning of our brain and body is out of sync.
Most of us are so habituated to living in our brains that when these changes occur, we reason that we can simply think ourselves out of the crisis using our analytical capabilities. We think we can manage because ordinarily in our lives, our capacity for analysis is what gets us through. When, all of a sudden, we are knocked flat by the emotions emanating from a SEE, we rush in with our brilliant brains to solve the problem—only to find that our brains alone cannot provide us with the solution. This is especially true when the manifestations of a SEE only really begin to reveal themselves weeks and months after significant changes in our lives have occurred. In these moments our brains are like the stereotypically overdeveloped upper bodies of certain body builders, meanwhile our emotional lower bodies are totally useless because we always ‘skip leg day’. Attempting to use our muscular upper bodies to walk up and over the mountain of a SEE simply won’t work; to do that we need to have developed the rest of our muscles too.
​When the intellect cannot find a solution, the symptoms begin to show up in the body. Bodily reactions can manifest as sleepless nights, eating disorders, apathy, despondence, neglect of household or work duties, exhaustion, a lack of focus, and a lack of inspiration. We might find that we do not want to leave the house or see friends anymore due to a lack of self-esteem or feelings of vulnerability. We might find that before too long we have become emotionally brittle, overly sensitive about everything and everyone, with the result that people no longer want to spend time with us because we are perceived as self-pitying, not helping ourselves, or simply being too “difficult”. If one does not address these symptoms of lifestyle distress, one is destined not only to become lonely and isolated, but also eventually unable to work and maintain relationships, and almost inevitably stuck in a very deep depression.
If this cycle sounds familiar, it is because devastatingly common. However, the good news is that getting out of this cycle (or even better, never getting into it!) is highly possible. In fact, it is imperative.
The only thing that is constant is change.
- Heraclitus -
Excellence in Lifestyle
No matter how qualified, successful, or wealthy a person may, the experience of lifestyle disequilibrium is something that can affect us all. Having experienced the discomfort of a lifestyle out of balance herself, Dr Jutta Lenz decided to aim all her academic, business, and professional experience at addressing the problem of how best to create a lifestyle that was sustainable, joyful, and prosperous. Thanks to the excellent guidance of a colleague, and a lot of work and experimentation with her own body and soul, today she teaches the fruits of her labours to others who are trying to live a more integrated and prosperous lifestyle.
One of the Jutta’s greatest insights came from the field of somatic psychology, which explicitly links the ‘soma’ (body) with the ‘psyche’ (mind). In essence, somatic psychology is psychology that emphasises the body-mind connection. It draws on insights from Western medicine, philosophy, sport science, yoga, qi’gong, tai chi, traditional Chinese medicine, and nutrition, Crucially, it also draws upon the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) techniques developed by famed mindfulness master, Jon Kabat-Zinn and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and we also find similar knowledge in dancing therapy.
Inspired by somatic psychology, Jutta took the step to become a mindfulness and yoga teacher, as well as learning much more about qi’gong, meditation, breath work, nutrition, dancing and orthomolecular medicine. Using methods from each of these fields, Jutta began teaching friends and acquaintances how to get in deeper connection with themselves and feel empowered again.
The result of Jutta’s journey is her Excellence in Lifestyle (EIL) philosophy. EIL rests upon the premise that in order to be contented, we cannot only address one area for development in our lives. For example, if we wish to improve our concentration, it is not enough to only focus on MBCT or meditation; we also need to make sure that we are exercising properly, eating properly, and not accumulating unnecessary stress by forming negative judgements about things happening around us. Similarly, if one wishes to improve one’s physical health, it is not enough to simply a more nutritional diet; one also needs to be doing the right exercises, practising mindfulness, and cultivating a positive attitude towards oneself—else one’s efforts are bounds to fail.
EIL is therefore a way of integrating the various components of our lives so that we are able to live more holistically. By following the EIL programmes, practitioners will not only be able to improve their focus, make better decisions, and improve their physical health, but also open their hearts and become more compassionate. Due to the way EIL addresses all elements of one’s life, embracing the EIL process is a life-changing process.
To learn more about Dr Jutta Lenz's service offerings and MBSR, download the PDF document below.