 Today, I'm with Ruth Toledo Altshuler and she is such a supportive member of my community and of the various communities that she's part of. And she reached out to me about, you know, what's going on in our world right now and how can we kind of approach it in a more mindful and productive way. So Ruth, thank you so much for having this conversation. I'm sure that this is going to be relevant for a lot of people. You're very welcome. So there's a lot we can kind of talk about, but I'll let you kind of start the start the this conversation and then I'm sure I'm going to have questions for you. Yes. OK, I welcome all your questions and comments as well and thoughts so that this is more of a both way sharing. Yeah. Yeah, and just to those who are watching this, you know, at some time in the future, we are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, you know, the lots of countries are cities, states, countries are in lockdown. A lot of us are in quarantine and the economy is going through a free fall, you know, the stock market, of course, everyone knows has heard is dropped dramatically, which affects so many people's retirements and so many people have lost jobs. I mean, millions of people have lost jobs. And of course, it's not easy for us small business owners. So, Ruth, you have so many tools and kind of, yeah, modalities, tools that you learned over the years and practice that help it, you know, help in times like this. So what's one that comes to mind for you? What's one tool or what's, you know, a way of thinking about this or yeah. One of the things that I thought when I imagined that we were going to have this conversation was about how to meet a situation that you wish wasn't there. And what do you do with it, you know, like when the first, when things come our way and we say, oh, no, this is not happening. We can't, so there's this resistance. And we would rather not have to deal with it. And yet, and of course, what we're living now at this time, I think for most of us, it feels so real. It feels like almost we want to pinch ourselves and say, yeah, I was just saying, I feel like we've somehow gotten into an alternate universe, like something happened where it's like the timeline shifted and we're in a different world. And the whole world is experiencing this, which is what makes it so dramatic. It's not just one country or one city, it's the whole world is going through the exact same thing. So I think that also creates maybe some kind of energetic, there's something in the air. I keep thinking, there's something in the air that's different, that affects all of our emotions, right, and our thoughts. Absolutely. On one hand, there is this intensity, this kind of like, it's the air, almost like the air, the ceiling is low, and we feel it. And I've been through situations that were somewhat like this before, but never so huge in worldwide. But I've experienced these waves of fear and concern and this real pressure in this sense of perspective kind of lost, you know. So what is it going to be now and how, in one of the tools that I've learned, one of the teachings that for me has been very, very foundational has been that when an experience comes our way, if we're able to, for a moment, hold it in front of us and get a sense of the two sides of the polarity. So okay. And I see a lot of people doing this. On one hand, we have this whole unsettled situation where everything that we were relying on and that we took for granted is shaking. And on the other hand, we do have the learning opportunities. So what can be, what are we learning with this? What is, what are the qualities that are being called forth that we need to develop? And when we're able to really feel that there is the two sides in it and we're able to accept the experience, then it begins to work through us and we begin to be able to listen and allow certain qualities to arise within us to meet the situation. So that would be one of the first things is finding the two sides, finding the polarity in the experience and find how you can accept, yes, it's happening, it's inevitable. I just have to surrender to what is because it is right now. That's a very wise way of looking at it because a lot of people, especially on social media in the news, are only looking at one side of the polarity. It's the disaster, it's the fear, it's the depression, the discouragement. That's really easy to make news and the pending doom. But the polarity, you're saying that there's always two sides, isn't there? There's always two sides to a situation. So what would you say, tell us more, maybe you can help balance it out a little bit. What, tell us more about that other side. Yeah, and I would actually like to bring up the fact that I also see in my Facebook feed, there's also some people that are saying, oh, and we stopped for these weeks and now there's no pollution and the planet is already healing. And in some ways it might be, but it may be a little bit of an idealized version of it. Because there's more trees being cut down for toilet paper now than ever before. Yeah, and it's not like the climate change heals in two weeks. And so I think we also need to be very careful around our idealized projections of saying, oh, and this is happening and nothing is going to be like it was and it's going to be a changed world after that and everyone will awaken and we're all brothers and sisters in this world. Yeah, wait, it's a big process. And yet there is this opportunity. So I think in terms of the other polarity, I think it applies very much to each person. What are the qualities that I need to develop and bring forth into how I can serve right now? What is happening to me internally in terms of how I'm reassessing what I really value in life or maybe what are the things that I want to really have and see nurtured in my world and what is not? And I'm sure a lot of people of all different levels of consciousness, they're also going through this reassessment of what's really valuable for me and what's not. But I think it's an individual thing for each one, because it hits us in different ways. You work with clients on things like this, their own personal development journey, their sole journey, their own healing. Have you noticed any themes that are coming up recently in the work you do with people? I noticed, thank you for the question. I noticed it and I also noticed it in myself, in my own journey, that for different people, depending on where they have layers of trauma, of instability triggering different experiences that they've had in their foundational years, a lot of things can emerge and this is a moment for a lot of us to embrace, wherever we have these areas within us where we, when we're unsafe, we tend to respond in ways that are conditioned by our early trauma patterns. And so it is also a big opportunity for people to go deeper into their own healing, to address these patterns that have been there for a lifetime and even ancestral patterns as well and to go there and embrace with compassion and do more of a deeper, even emotional as well as somatic healing because times like this really trigger people. Right, yeah, right, right. Yes, it brings that up unlike times where things are more stable. So this is, yeah, and this is the kind of stuff that you have been working with people on. Do you want to mention a little bit about the modalities you use to help people with this? Yes, and I think one of the big gifts that I've had in my journey was to learn the language of flower essences and the language of flower essences is just so educational because it really teaches us about the polarities and how we can find the movement between one extreme and the other and then find how we want to navigate. And so, for instance, when we're dealing with a situation that triggers fear, there's the opportunity to also grow in our courage and our ability to confront that fear and to master that fear. And as we transit between one side and the other, eventually we know when we're experiencing the fear that is healthy and helps us protect ourselves when you're crossing a street and you hear that noise and then you just step back and say, wow, you know, okay, I'm safe. I was able to protect myself. That's the really healthy saying fear that one needs to have. There's a place for fear, yes. And yet, if they're being motivated by fear that they stop doing things, they're afraid of confronting situations. It's just so good to develop that muscle of courage and ability to go for things that they need to be bold and go for them. And so the flower essences have really taught me a lot around these different polarities that we meet in our life and in our healing journey as well. Yes, I'm glad you brought up courage because a lot of people now, I mean myself included, have needed courage in our work right now because, yeah, people's work is being turned upside down, they're either being laid off or they have to do work in a totally different way. Those of us who are small business owners who have done in-person work, now we have to figure out how to support most or every all clients online. Yeah, I just think about all the body workers, all the massage therapists, acupuncturists, healers, you know, now there's, I mean, yeah, and all the people doing workshops, you know, et cetera, that are being canceled, now the courage is, okay, now we got to bring this, because the work can always be, and part of the, I think one of the qualities that we're having developed now is innovation, creativity. Yes, I want to talk more about that. Yeah, so let's talk about this because. Yeah, but before, I would like to just put one piece because I think the creativity is our grand finale. I think that's one of the biggest opportunities that we have at this time, but I would like to bring one piece that I think is really essential, which is that we need to hold space for what's happening with us emotionally and also neurophysiologically, because that's something, you know, what we're going through these weeks, and even more so as things progress and escalate, stirs up so much within us. So I think we really need community at this time, and even though community can't be gathering and hugging people, but it can be so wonderful to feel that we can meet others who are going through the same thing, and that we are able to hold some circle space in which people can say, even if just a tiny bit of what's going on with them, I think this ability to share and to feel that there's a space being held for one another. It creates this sense of solidarity that ultimately also enhances the production of the good neurotransmitters within us that truly help us in terms of our health to balance the more noxious effects of stress. So there's a great lecture by a woman, I'll remember her name at the end, but she has a lecture called How to Make Stress Your Friend. Yes, Kelly Muck. There's these two sisters, they both have great TED talks, I know exactly what you're talking about, but yes, it's Kelly McGonigal, I think it was. Exactly, and she talks about the difference between people who experience stress, and yet they feel separate and isolated, and how stress can really be bad for the immune system for the body and all of that under those conditions. But when we're experiencing stress, but we also have this sense of companionship and solidarity, even neurophysiologically, as well as emotionally, it shifts because what we generate really helps the body to cope in a much healthier way. And it also helps, of course, the mind to this integration between the different minds, so that we operate at full capacity. Because one of the worst things is that when we're paralyzed by fear, or when we're feeling cut off and isolated, and we're not in our hearts, what happens is we tend to operate in that loop of survival mode, and then we don't really have access to the richness of our capacities and ultimately to our creativity, which is what we need the most at this time. Yes, it's so interesting you said these two different ways of being with stress, because yes, so wise, like you could be isolated and spiral, or you can be within the community. It's almost like we're built for being in teams. It's like we evolved in teams and tribes to be able to survive. And there were many dangers as we evolved humanity that we helped each other to survive through and now, more than ever, now we're doing this online. Do you have, I know you facilitate various online communities. Is there one that you want to talk briefly about that's available for people? Well, I actually have some free online events for people who really love plants as well. And it's a situation in which we gather, these are free events, and we gather to gather a tune to one plant archetype each time. And then we share our impressions, and we receive the healing of that plant archetype, and then we share that healing with the collective. And those have been very special. And at this time, I think people are getting even more from these experiences of coming together. I want to be sure to get the link or put the link in the notes of the video. So those of you who are interested, I mean, Ruth, has a beautiful presentation. So check it out and sign up for the upcoming one. So just we have just a few minutes left. I want to definitely talk about creativity. And the importance of that. So I'll let you start on this. Yeah. So besides holding space for people's feelings and emotions, which I think we should all do in every kind of session that we hold, like, okay, how's it going today? And just holding that space for what's going emotionally and really enhancing that heart connection and that sense of solidarity. And that brings our intelligence levels in sync again, which allows for creativity. Because when we're in the loop of survival mode, our creativity is not really accessible to us. And so it is when we're more in our heart space, that all of these levels of our intelligence come together. And then we can use the full powers of being connected to our, let's say, rational thinking, our ability to plan, but also to our intuition and to our inner knowingness. And also to this ability of channeling our higher self, like you say, like you like to say, where there's all these resources, I mean, we are souls that have been living hundreds and hundreds of lives. And there's so much that we as souls, even ourselves, there's so much that we know about surviving, recreating and being able to meet the most adverse circumstances and rebound and come back. And so if we're able to operate in our full intelligence, and that means being in our hearts, accessing our inner knowing, using the best of the fullness of our rational mind and our spiritual guidance, that is when we're able to serve at the fullest capacity. That's what we were made for as far as the evolved human being. And that's the opportunity that I think each one of us has. And we as communities and as humanity have at this time. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you for that. Yeah, it's so good. What a great reminder that we are way more capable than we typically think of ourselves as. And when we are, you know, kind of stuck in the fear or in the dismay or discouragement of a situation, that is where we're not creative. We're not tapping into the whole thing. So do you want to say a bit as we complete this conversation? Like what's something that all of us can do to access more of the whole? How can we open the heart more and access the whole of our creativity? Yeah, I would say at this time, holding space to really be with our emotions, whatever they are is one of the things. Because if we can't just push it down and say it's not there. So allowing ourselves to feel sometimes we just need to cry, you know. And sometimes we just need to be with whatever we're feeling. That's one thing. And so that allows things to flow so they're not stuck in our system. And then if we're able to from there really breathe and be in our hearts and feel that we are supported by the body of the earth, by the being, the living being of the earth. To feel that the living being of the earth, the earth is not going anywhere. The earth is here. It's holding us. And also to feel that we're being guided and that there's, you know, millions of souls on the other side. Some of them have gone to just be helping us at this time. So there's so much guidance that's available. So when we are in this space that we know we have community and we know the earth is really here and wants us to evolve with it. And we are able to also ask and listen to the guidance that comes. I think that really enhances our ability. And it's a moment to moment thing at each moment. How can I be in my heart? How can I feel the earth is supporting me? How can I ask for guidance for this situation now? You know, like, oh, I'm going to have this conversation with George. I didn't prepare anything, but please, you know, help me. And then it comes and the words come out from you and you will know what to say. And you will know how to create this different offering that you never thought of, but that you can bring forth because it wants to come to the world through you. Oh, yes, that's a beautiful way for us to send the viewers on their way. And so if any of you are feeling some healing and some grounding based on this, I encourage you to check out the links in the video because, you know, please do go and experience Ruth's events and check out her website. Ruth, thank you so much for just reaching out and being willing to share these kind of nurturing thoughts and perspectives that are so needed at this time. I feel I feel better for this current because of this conversation. So thank you so much. Thank you, George, because I'm just so very grateful for the quality of the communities that you create and for all the many worldwide friends that I've made, including you, for the partnership that we have in this bigger transformative journey that we're all in. Yes, yeah, we are in this together for sure. Thank you.