Overcoming Nervousness, If You Don't Think Your Nervous This is for You Too!

I was thinking the other day about two of my favorite resources, The Waldorf Online Library  and The Rudolf Steiner Archives  - I love the audio place too and use them a lot, but there is something about printing out a lecture if I need to and then going after it with a pen and highlighting all the tidbits I need - that makes me a nerd and a waster of paper.  LOL. In all seriousness though, I think these resources are fabulous. I will often pull a lecture from the archive to read and then see if Rudolf Steiner audio has it as well.  I may read, then listen, then go back and read some more.  This is my favorite way to use these two resources.  The Waldorf Library is a bit different, while they have some things written by Steiner, what I really appreciate are the articles written by teachers of all grades, with topics ranging from grammar to circle time to astronomy for middle school!  These things help me be a better curriculum writer and definitely a better homeschooling mother.

Overcoming Nervousness http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/19120111p01.html

I didn't think the lecture would work on me like it has.  I don't have a problem with nervousness so why should I even read it?    At first read, I caught some great tidbits... the second time around I caught more... what really worked on me though is what happened when I let it sleep for a few days. It started to call me.  There was more!

So what is it with this lecture?  Think you aren't a nervous person?  Think again.  I would say, after reading the lecture that most people today are either nervous or recovering from being nervous. It isn't just our busy lifestyles (although Steiner does a great job describing how busy we are!) it is our past, mainstream education, our weakness in the will and something that becomes apparent to me daily is our lack of understanding the bigger picture - not just us personally, but society as a whole.  Steiner discusses the dangers of mainstream education methods and their affect on our etheric bodies.  I know it isn't possible for everyone reading to give a Waldorf education - homeschool or Waldorf school, but it is possible for us to guide even non Waldorf children to healthier ways of studying and taking in material in so they are not prone to cramming.  If you are a Waldorf parent at heart but for one reason or another your child must attend public school, get to know the teachers, the curriculum, see if you can get involved so you can set the stage for learning at home and giving your child rich experiences that will in turn strengthen them.

There is much more to this lecture - it also got me thinking about our partners and their job satisfaction.  Erik and I were fortunate in that when he did work outside the home, he enjoyed his field of work (newspaper reporter) but when it became apparent that he didn't like his employer, it narrowed his field to the point of there being no other choices because we live in such a small town.  His frustration of his work environment made it clear that we needed to create something else for our family's financial needs.  Thankfully it was at a time when our business needed another adult at home in order to grow and even though we have struggled at times, it still isn't something we would trade for anything.

Steiner says:
"No there is nothing worse than to feel remote in your heart from the things you have to do with your head.  It is not only repugnant to sensitive people, but it also acts most adversely on the strength of the etheric body. Thus, because of the tenuous interest that may exist in the core of a person's soul for his professional pursuits, his etheric body is gradually weakened."

Does your partner love his job? If not, is it affecting his relationships at home? Will he talk about it? Is there anything else he could do?  Are there some creative ways as a family that you can reduce your dependence on that income?

This lecture also has some great exercises to help us repair and build our etheric bodies. Here is one example:

"The etheric body can be strengthened by performing another exercise, in this case, for the improvement of memory. By thinking through events, not only in the way they occurred but also in reverse sequence, that is, by starting at the end of an event and pursuing it through to the beginning, will help to make the etheric body stronger. Historical events, for example, which are usually learned in chronological sequence, can be followed backwards. Or a play or story can be thought through in reverse from end to beginning. Such exercises when done thoroughly are highly effective in consolidating and strengthening the etheric body."

Steiner describes this backward review in other lectures and books as well.  He mentions working to give our children this strength plus this education will really help them as they grow and encounter less than optimal life experiences.

One exercise that I thought was particularly helpful to my son when he was (13yrs old) with ASD was this:

"In still another exercise a person should endeavor to watch himself the way he walks, moves his head, laughs, etc. In short, he should try to form a clear picture of his movements and gestures. Few people actually know what they look like when they are walking, for instance. While it is good to make this experiment, it should not be prolonged because it would quickly lead to vanity. Quite apart from the fact that it can be corrective of undesirable habits, this exercise also tends to consolidate the etheric body. When a man cultivates an awareness of his gestures and involuntary actions, the control of the astral becomes increasingly stronger over the etheric. Thus, he also becomes able, if necessary, to suppress certain actions or movements out of his free will."

Many children on the spectrum will make jerky movements and while they look crazy to us, they often do not realize they are doing them.  We have often, half jokingly, told him that we needed to video tape him in public, of course the humor was lost on him, lol and we realize that it was the stimulation of the crowded public place that gave him over to these gestures, but he had an intense desire to overcome it.  We worked with him and I was amazed at how much progress was made in a short period of time - he was too!  We created signals to help him know when he needed to be more aware, at first the awareness seemed engulf him a bit, now though, he can center himself before going into a situation and not be distracted by the need to watch his movements.  It should be noted that he is older and that he wanted to be part of this experiment for himself.

Now you still might be thinking that you aren't a "nervous" person - but really I have just touched on a few topics in this lecture.  Steiner covers forgetfulness, indecision, jerky movements and much more.  Definitely worth the read!

Overcoming Nervousness http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/19120111p01.html

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