As Omicron Surges, the Sound of Sirens Triggers a Stress Response
Ambulance meditation to support you in difficult times
It’s back… If you have noticed an uptick in ambulance sirens near you, and the sound is triggering a stress response, read on. Here’s something to help with the anxiety that may arise when you hear ambulance sirens, or really any recurring trigger that flips your stress response on. It may even feel stuck in the “ON” position.
I’m sharing what helped me the most at the beginning of Covid while living adjacent to a parkway on an ambulance route. I’m also sharing how I have evolved this practice over nearly two years as I experienced overwhelm, relentless empathy, helplessness, cognitive dissonance, and finally hope, courage, and compassion.
The Omicron Surge Has Impacted Many of Our Communities
A yoga student here in Brooklyn requested that I bring back the Ambulance Meditation that I sent out in April 2020. She is hearing the sirens and feeling her lizard brain responding to the sound. Who can relate?
Nothing here is medical advice. I highly recommend having mental health support during these challenging times.
Pause and Listen
Each time I heard an ambulance speed past, I said to myself, “It’s a little like a mindfulness bell, tuning us in to what is essential.“ Every time I heard one, I would put my hand on my heart and say “may you be well” over and over, sending compassion to all of the occupants speeding past. I would stop everything, breathe consciously, and listen. I would send well-being out and receive courage in.
One Day, it Wasn’t Enough
Where I live in Brooklyn, near Fort Hamilton Parkway, there was much less traffic noise. Except for the ambulances. On that Friday, I lost count. There were often two at a time, the sirens layered in an unsettling melody. The stress of the day compounded with the sirens and I became overwhelmed… Again.
Relentless Empathy Was Triggering Past Trauma
I turned toward self-inquiry. I asked, “What’s here?” Grief. Tenderness.
“What am I trying not to feel right now?” Hopelessness, helplessness. Worry and vulnerability…
You can do your own self-inquiry, using these questions to uproot your true feelings. They all belong. These feelings are uncomfortable, but appropriate to the moment. I made space for them. Then, the sadness was still there, but the suffering reduced.
Cognitive Dissonance is a Protective Response
I would find my mind elsewhere, suddenly. Detached from my body, arguing with reality. This dissonance is a normal, protective response to the trauma we’re going through right now. If you are experiencing cognitive dissonance or spaciness, you’re not alone. Still, it wasn’t something I was used to or comfortable with. We do need anchors to maintain a connection to reality. Resistance to what’s true will only cause us more suffering. We can toggle towards the present moment and away, taking breaks when it is just too much. I do this through my yoga and mindfulness practice.
Reframing and Allowing
I couldn’t control any of it, but I could reframe the thoughts I was having about it. I could choose what to focus on. I could choose to expand and pay attention to the positive, without bypassing the very appropriate uncomfortable feelings. I allowed the feelings to wash over me in waves.
“I can hold space for all of it,” I said to myself.
Then, “This belongs… Look for the helpers.”
The Sound of Hope and Courage
I asked myself, “What does the sound mean?” To reframe my worried thoughts, I decided it means we live in a functioning society. It means people are receiving care and giving care. It is the sound of hope and courage, as well as compassion. The first responders in the ambulances are saving lives. There are people acting heroically all around us, all day and night.
A Visceral Reminder of the Helpers
Yes, the sirens are a startling reminder of the first responders who risk their lives. For those of us who are being asked to practice non-doing, we may feel helpless. We can get stuck in a freeze response to stress without an outlet. The threat is real, and still, we can choose how to be with it. We can be helpers in our own way.
By now we know, no matter how dire the news, we have to move and we have to connect. We have to take some action, and we have to live! Helping in some way can benefit the situation as well as your stress levels. What can you do to bend the world towards healing, even a tiny bit?
I’m reminded of a meme I saw recently of a news anchor in front of a picture of Mo Willems’ main character in “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” with the headline “Due to Nationwide Shortage, Pigeon Allowed to Drive The Bus.” Unlike the pigeon, you can choose how you offer help according to your strengths and according to what is being asked.
Metabolizing Long-Term Stress
Recognizing that stress is here is the first step towards managing it. You might need to dance and shake every day. You might need to discharge your tension in other ways. What’s your go-to way to metabolize your tension so it doesn’t build up and cause more suffering?
Here are a few suggestions from my toolkit:
- Progressively squeeze and release each muscle.
- Laugh out loud.
- Take a cold shower or hot bath.
- Do self-massage by rolling on a rubber ball against the wall.
- Vigorously exercise.
- Practice a little yoga.
- Challenge your kid to a plank or jumping jack contest…?
My Ambulance Meditation Continues To Evolve
These days, I don’t only use this meditation when I hear a siren. Now I practice whenever I feel a surge in stress hormones, which is often throughout the day. Stress is brought to me by the news, the opinions of those I disagree with, and even the opinions of those I agree with. I think of the helpers, and I think of how I am helping in my own small way.
I’m breathing in gratitude through the back of my heart… Breathing out loving-kindness through the front of my heart.
- Sending wellbeing out,
- Receiving courage in.
- A long, even inhale,
- A long, even exhale.
Expanding Courage and Compassion
I’m no longer trying to avoid the sound, I’m receiving it into my body. I’m expanding the courage and compassion that’s already there within me.
Next time you hear the sirens, please give it a try. Let’s hold hope and trust together. Let’s support each other. Soon, the birds will be adding their song again. At night, when you’re trying to sleep, I recommend white noise or earplugs. Sometimes, we just need a break.
The original version of this meditation was published on the Accessible Yoga Blog, on April 8, 2020. It has been significantly revised. May it be of service.
I’m Kate (she/her) and my little neurodiverse family is sleeping better these days, thank you for asking. Please subscribe so you can be the first to know when I write something for you. Just hit this 💌 button and you’ll get notified. Not a Medium member yet? Join here to support writers like me and get full access to every story.
