Top strategies and ideas.
Our amazing bodies never do anything that is not a part of the grand plan to keep us alive. Our thought, feelings and emotions play an important part in this plan as they dictate our actions and behaviours. We need to understand what drives them and how to manage the negative ones so that they don't "run the show". There are many ways that we can work lovingly with our emotions and thoughts and appreciate the job they are trying to do. It’s not about fighting or taming them but working with them. We will all have developed own strategies to help us understand our emotions, as every single human will have had faced difficult times- it’s just a part of living. Sometimes you will just have done things to calm yourself without thinking as your body guides you. You may have found things that work through trial and error. If these work for you, well done. But if you or those you love have times where emotions get stuck and negative thoughts cloud your judgement, then maybe some of these strategies might help.
These activities have all been designed to DIY. They are things you can do anytime, anywhere, with children or teach to your friends. They are also techniques that professionals have in their tools kits and can be expanded well beyond what I have presented here. I have collated this list over years and many of the original sources are lost to me, but I have included links If I found a particular website or author especially interesting.
So let’s start at the beginning.
What are Emotions, Thoughts and Feelings
We often use these terms inter-changeably, but it is helpful to understand the differences. Our emotions that are at the heart of the problems but the interplay with our feelings and thoughts are what really impacts onour actions and behaviours.
Emotions
Emotions are instinctive responses that help us reorganise our body and mind and get us mentally and physically ready for something that the body senses is happening around us. They are our warning system. Our emotions come from the Amygdala in the primitive instinctual part of the brain. The Amygdala holds all our emotional memories and when presented with a situation, uses these to calculate risk and select the right emotion. We often don’t recall these emotional memories. We don’t need words or images to remember emotional events, they just are. The Amygdala remembers emotional experiences right back to our birth even if we can’t recall them consciously. Our emotions exist deep within what Freud calls the "subconscious" where the body stores our “forgotten memories”. This compares to the other part of our brain which is the “conscious” part that we can think about, attach to words and images. We might not remember a terrifying event in terms of words, but our brain will remember the fear and panic connected to it and can be triggered again if it thinks the same thing is about to happen again. These triggers bring on our emotions.
When something happens that reminds the Amygdala of a strong emotional memory from the past, it immediately takes control and sends messages to every part of the brain and body to be prepared for what it thinks will happen next.
At these times we are momentarily not in control of these emotions because the entire system is on "automatic pilot." The higher parts of the brain, the conscious part, which are the centres of higher, intellectual reasoning, who can “think it over” and make decisions how to respond appropriately, are not in control.
There are only 7 basic emotions.
Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, contempt, and disgust that all human beings have regardless of culture or age. If you look at each you can see that they are to do a job, by stepping in instinctively and getting us ready for whatever is happening - good or bad. The good news and the bad news is that emotions don’t last long, some say only 30 seconds. That is a shame, because it means those sensational moments in life pass so quickly. But it is good because the moments of deep despair also pass. The trouble is that sometimes the emotions get stuck or keep refiring. Bursts of anger, sadness or fear that don’t seem appropriate happen when the emotional memory keeps thinking it must trigger these emotions to protect you. We can’t say “don’t be angry” as this part of the brain is immersed in its emotional memory and won’t listen to our logical thinking mind. It’s too busy doing what it believes it needs to be safe.
Thoughts
Our thoughts, unlike our emotions come from the “conscious” part of the brain and are the brains attempt to make sense of the messages it’s getting from our emotions. Thoughts can over stimulate us, make us anxious or scared. They can amplify and add extra layers of feeling on top of what is already distressing us. You might start of anxious and then your thoughts tell you that anxiety is not valid- so you add anger with yourself to the list. Then your thoughts tell you are weak for feeling angry. Then they tell you it's all because of your mother that you are weak. Then they tell you your mother doesn’t love you. Now you are really ANXIOUS! The chain reaction has lost connection with what made you anxious in the first place.
Thoughts can create the most amazing things, solve the most complex problems, and keep us on track. They are designed to scan for danger so let’s forgive them for being hypersensitive and ever alert. They are just trying to do their job. But, sometimes their agenda doesn’t always serve us. Your thoughts are not you- they were embedded into you- they can limit you- they can define you- so it is important to “keep them in their place” and learn to “turn them off” if they are taking over. We can associate an experience and an emotion with just about anything that our thoughts tell us as we create “stories in our mind”. These stories change as our mind re-interprets them to make sense of ourselves and our world.
Our thoughts are designed to scan for danger so let’s forgive them for being hypersensitive and ever alert. Thoughts can be amazing or devastating as we can associate an experience and an emotion with just about anything that our thoughts tell us. They help us create “stories in our mind” that change as our mind re-interprets them. That’s why two people’s understanding of the same event can be totally different. They can over stimulate us or make us anxious or scared. They can amplify and add extra layers on top of what is already distressing us. But they can also create the most amazing things, solve the most complex problems, and keep us totally on track. They good thing about thoughts is that they can be trained. They respond to logical and analysis and once you are aware that they are simply telling you a story and it is probably a version of the truth you can start to dismantle them.
Your thoughts are not you-they keep feelings going- if you don’t like them then make a new story.
Feelings
Our feelings are our minds interpretations of those emotions or events. After your mind has considered the emotion, created the story, and “chewed” it all over it will then attach a feeling to the experience. They do, however, remain firmly rooted in the underlying emotion. For example, you may feel deep sadness (the emotion) about the illness of a child. Your thoughts may tell you; it was your fault as you should have taken them to the doctor sooner (the thought and the story) so the feelings are of guilt, worry and helplessness. We can logically talk our mind out of these feelings. They are created by the mind, so can be ‘uncreated’. But often the emotion underpinning them is where we get stuck as this has to be resolved.
Your feelings are in your interpretation - they do not control you.
Emotions, feelings, and thoughts are all capable of shifting the nervous system and altering our brain. Our autonomic nervous system has two major operating systems — the sympathetic nervous system, which produces the body's stress response, also known as "fight or flight"; and the parasympathetic nervous system, which produces the body's relaxation response, also known as "rest and digest." Our negative emotions turn on the stress response and the chain reaction of chemicals that follow.
Emotions, feelings, and thoughts are all capable of shifting the energy system. I don’t totally understand Quantum Physics but in its simplest it states that all matter has energy. We are energy. We are electrochemical creatures. All that is physiology is governed by electro chemical fields. We now know that our cells respond to vibrations and hold electromagnetic fields. What is even more amazing is that our cell vibrations influence each other! This thinking has gained wide acceptance as we come to understand Quantum Physics and the electrochemical pathways of the body. This energy in humans is called a Biofield and is dynamic flow of energy – inside and outside of the body. You could call it our life force. In western medicine we discuss each of our body system (blood, bones, nerves, hormones) but we haven't really considered this energy system until recently. Ancient civilizations have tried to understand it- now we can see it and hear it! It is the ultimate regulator and is controlled by our Brain. It is our quantum “conductor”- the bridge between the mind and the body.
Working with our Emotions
If you want to own and work with your emotions, your brain gives you two options. You can learn to regulate your emotions from the top down from the bottom up.
Top-down regulation involves strengthening the capacity of the amygdala to monitor your body sensations and know the difference. This involves self-soothing strategies like mindfulness, meditation, and yoga.
Bottom-up regulation involves re-calibrating the autonomic nervous system and brain and shifting your energy system, so it stops reacting in the moment.
We have to turn off the sympathetic side of the nervous system that is designed to activate us when we are in “fight or flight.
We have to turn on the parasympathetic (especially the Vagus nerve) which tells us to rest and releax.
To shift the energy and nervous system from a place of overwhelm we must distract the brain so that delta waves are produced, change neurones, alter the emotional memory, shift our energy fields and switch off the fight or flight response. Sound hard? Not really.
We can only access the autonomic nervous system to do that through our senses, breath, and movement.
Before we start:
We need to listen to our nervous system....what is it try to tell us?
We need to become familiar with and befriend the sensations in our body. They are all telling us something. Angry people live in angry bodies. Sad people live in sad bodies. We need to notice and describe the feelings in our body, not the emotions but the pressure, heat, tension, hollowness, or restriction. We then need to identify the sensations associated with relaxation and pleasure. We need to pay attention to the subtle shift in their bodies.
An emotion lets us know that our nervous system is reacting to something. Before we can begin to calm our emotions we need to understand them. There are 4 questions to yourself to help you reflect on what your nervous system is up to. Be curious and gentle with yourself. Just asking…..
What has triggered this?
We all have triggers that set off a cascade of emotions and feelings. They often come from our senses. It might be a sound, a sight or a smell. Jasmine reminds me of my mum and nutmeg of my nana’s kitchen. Shouting voices scare me and feeling out of control makes me panic. These triggers come from somewhere in my past- sometimes I know where and other times they are just me.
What am I sensing in my body?
We need to become familiar with and befriend the sensations in our body. They are all telling us something. Angry people live in angry bodies. Sad people live in sad bodies. We need to notice and describe the feelings in our body, not the emotions but the pressure, heat, tension, hollowness, or restriction. We then need to identify the sensations associated with relaxation and pleasure. We need to pay attention to the subtle shift in their bodies.
Am I making a choice? Name what it is you are thinking and feeling- don’t get hooked into it- a thought hooks you and you escalate the problems- allow a space between an action and a reaction- I choose if I react or respond (appropriate). Know that the space is there- know that the stores are not yours- practice and you CAN make the space bigger. Change your posture, change your face expression it changes your physiology. Hold this in a different way.
What is my story? Is it true?. Accept the reality as it is. I supposed to be……you judge yourself……why do I deserve this…what did I do wrong to deserve this……. Identify the story- ask if it is true- is it really true? Check out BYRON KATIE- she amazing work in this space!!!
What is the underlying emotion?- Name what it is you are feeling and what emotion underpins it. There is a deep reactive emotion there somewhere. Look for it.
Turning off the emotional switch
We need to work out how to turn off the “emotion switch” so that our emotions don’t “run the show”.
Emotions can’t be turned off by our logical mind. Because emotions come from the primitive part of the brain (the Limbic system) you can’t talk yourself out of an emotion. If you want to own and work with your emotions, REMEMBER your brain gives you two options:
ONE: STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF THE AMYGDALA
TWO: RE-CALIBRATE AND CALM YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM
We now know we can’t re-calibrate the autonomic nervous system through words. We must access 3 modalities:
Our senses
Breathing
Movement
1. Working with our Senses
Using our Touch
Touch is the most powerful sense when it comes to reaching our nervous system.
To understand the way touch calms you, youdo need to have a basic understanding of the
meridians and the chakras as it is touch specifically to these that we will be working with.
Meridians are energy pathways in the body.
There are 12 main meridians that run on the
surface of the body. They are the same on both
sides of the body. They are connected to and
named after the abdominal organs and relate
to physiological processes, musculoskeletal
functions, muscles and connective tissues and
emotions. There are multiple acupuncture
and pressure points along the
pathway.
A chakra is an energy “vortex” located deep
within the body along the path where the main
“nadis” (energy pathways in the physical body)
come together.
These are also a part of yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong and other practices you may have heard of.
Emotional Freedom Technique
EFT is based on the newly emerging field of energy psychology (not so new to the Chinese schools of traditional medicine). Energy psychology methods are designed to assess where the body's energies are blocked or not in harmony and then correct and balance the flow of these energies, thereby aligning the body's natural energies. They use the ancient Chinese meridian system with a gentle tapping procedure, which stimulates designated end points on the face and body, while saying specific phrases and focusing on issues of emotional intensity to release the intensity and re-frame the issues.
EFT tapping can be divided into five steps. If you have more than one issue or fear, you can repeat this sequence to address it and reduce or eliminate the intensity of your negative feeling.
5 Steps
Step 1. Identify the issue
For this technique to be effective, you must first identify the issue or fear you have. This will be your focal point while you’re tapping. Focusing on only one problem at a time is purported to enhance your outcome. This may be uncomfortable, but the brain needs to ‘feel’ the issue.
Step 2. Test the initial intensity
The intensity level is rated on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst or most difficult. The scale assesses the emotional or physical pain and discomfort you feel from your focal issue. Establishing a benchmark helps you monitor your progress after performing a complete EFT sequence.
Step 3. The setup
4 Deep breaths
Prior to tapping, you need to establish a phrase that explains what you’re trying to address. It must focus on two main goals, acknowledging the issues and accepting yourself despite the problem. The common setup phrase is:
“Even though I have this [fear or problem], I deeply and completely accept myself.”
You must focus on how the problem makes you feel in order to relieve the distress it causes.
Step 4. EFT tapping sequence
The EFT tapping sequence is the methodical tapping on the ends of nine meridian points.
There are 12 major meridians that mirror each side of the body and correspond to an internal organ. However, EFT mainly focuses on these nine:
karate chop (KC): small intestine meridian
eyebrow (EB): bladder meridian
side of the eye (SE): gallbladder meridian
under the eye (UE): stomach meridian
under the nose (UN): governing vessel
chin (Ch): central vessel
beginning of the collarbone (CB): kidney meridian
under the arm (UA): spleen meridian
top of head (TH): governing vessel
A: Set up: Begin by tapping the karate chop point while simultaneously reciting your setup phrase three times.
B: Focus on the problem: Tap each following point seven times, moving down the body in this ascending order eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin, beginning of the collarbone, under the arm, top of the head. While tapping recite a reminder phrase to maintain focus on your problem area. Do the sequence two or three times. Test the intensity. If it has shifted at all in a positive way move to the next step.
C. Focus on affirmations. Tap each following point seven times, moving down the body in this ascending order eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin, beginning of the collarbone, under the arm, top of the head. While tapping recite a reframing phrase to move focus to success and positives. Do the sequence two or three times. Test the intensity. If it has shifted at all in a positive way.
4 deep breaths.
A reminder: Peta Stapleton and the team at Bond University are leaders in EFT research and run trials and projects at the university. You can join in a mail out which has lots of great information and links. They are involved in the Worldwide Stress relief Research that is a partnership between Bond University and The Peaceful Heart Network (Sweden). The website offers 3 stress reduction tools with videos and the option of joining the research. Feel free to share the techniques as they are, or the research option. It is here to explore.
Peta recently supplied these few interesting links:
Thought Field Therapy
Emotional Freedom Techniques is a “one size fits all” approach to managing traumatic memories, triggers, and negative emotions, while TFT is a more customized approach that gives you the ability to really focus in on specific emotions and triggers when you need to. Both operate on similar principals and are energy therapies. It has some energy strategies like EFT and some neurological strategies like Havening.
3 steps
Step 1: Tap the designated points Tapping the side of your hand
about 20 times and then under your nose for about 5-10
seconds. Make sure you stay with a specific thought or feeling
that you want to eliminate if your mind wanders bring it back
to that thought. Rate the intensity of the negative thought or
feeling on a scale of 1-10.
Step 2: Gamut sequence. This is a sequence that balances both
right and left brain. This is an important part of TFT.
1. Tap the back of the hand between the last 2 knuckles. And
do the following whilst continuing to tap this point:
2. Blink slowly (close and open your eyes)
3. Keeping your head still, move your eyes only and look from
one shoulder to the other
4. Circle and roll your eyes all the way around as if you were
looking at all the numbers on a clock, then roll them the
other way
5. Hum a few notes out loud, then count 1,2,3,4,5, then
hum out loud again.
Step 3: Repeat the designated points again
Havening
Havening is one of the psychosensory therapies, which use sensory input to alter thought, mood, and behavior by changing neural pathways and connections. Havening works in the first instance by slowing brain waves which slows the autonomic nervous system. Delta waves are the slowest recorded brain waves in human beings. They are found most often in infants and young children and are associated with the deepest levels of relaxation and restorative, healing sleep. It then works by disrupting the pathways (by changing neuron receptors) that are attached to distressing emotional memories.
7 steps
Step 1 Recall the traumatic event or what is distressing you. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 representing calm and confidence and 10 representing fear and anxiety what number on the scale are you when you recall the trauma or event?
Step 2 Distract Yourself. Name what you had for breakfast three days ago – this is to help clear your conscious mind of the traumatic incident
Step 3 Rubbing. Cross your hands across your chest so your right hand is on your left shoulder, and your left hand is on your right shoulder. Close your eyes and rub from top to bottom down your arms around 10 times
Step 4 Distraction Imagination.
While rubbing your arms, imagine walking through a
peaceful and safe place, as you walk count each step
out loud from 1 to 10. Next imagine people watching at
a safe distance, and count out loud every time you see a
smiley face until you reach 5 (you can use any type of visual
counting exercise- serious or funny). Finally hum out loud a
simple tune like ABC, Happy Birthday, or a nursery rhyme.
Step 5. Rapid Eye Movement. Stop rubbing and now without
moving your head move your eyes left and then right
5 times.
Step 6. Repeat Arm Rub. Again, close your eyes and rub your arms ten more times
Step 7. Check the outcome. Open your eyes, try to think about the traumatic event again and on a scale of 1-10, with 1 representing calm and confidence and 10 representing fear and anxiety what number on the scale are you when you recall the trauma?
This should have reduced. Complete the whole process until you reach manageable number on the scale or until the traumatic event no longer bothers you.
Acupressure
This is a whole other post for another time- but simply put, the techniques above each put pressure on a chakra or meridian to redirect energy. Here is a few:
A final word- don’t forget that slashing cold water or your body is very powerful!
SMELL
The amazing thing about our sense of smell is that it is the only sense that goes directly to the primitive part of the brain (limbic system) and triggers an immediate emotional response. It is designed to tell us about danger as certain smells signal we need to act immediately.
Using smells to tell our brain that we are OK are therefore a quick and powerful tool.
Just buy some quality essential oils (organic and pure). You can use a Dempster with 10 drops added but for a more immediate response a small roller bottle with oils can be better. Just buy a small glass bottle with a roller- add a nice carrier oil like almond or apricot and 10-20 drops of oil. I put it behind my ears but they can be put on any of your chakras depending on what you need. Check out the post on Essential oils as it has more detail
There are many sites with oil blend suggestion but I personally like:
Clove and lime
Lemon grass, orange and peppermint (frankincense if I can afford it)
Another trick is to smell the oil directly through left nostril to activate the right side the brain.
Visualisation
Our sense of sight is powerful in changing neural pathways. When we are picturing something in our “mind’s eye” we activate the same neural pathways in the brain as if we were experiencing it- The mind does not know the difference. When you visualize things, you are programming your subconscious mind. Visualisation is often included in different techniques as another layer. It can be as simple as imagining a serene sound to a multi-sensory experience designed to retrain specific pathways.
It's powerful if you imagine the scene in detail and build up to it with deep relaxation.
It can include colour therapy also known as chromotherapy, which is a form of therapy that uses colour and light to treat certain mental and physical health conditions. We can trace this form of therapy back to the ancient Egyptians. They made use of sun-filled rooms with coloured glasses for therapeutic purposes.Colour can be used on the body in a number of different ways.
The placing of colour silks on the body.
The directing of coloured light on to the body.
Solarized water.
Meditation with colour.
Colour and breathing.
Neuro Linguistic Programming
Inner communication is made of images, sounds, and feelings. Finding out what’s giving you tense feelings is a matter of discovering which images and sounds go with the tense feeling. As you turn your attention inward, looking for what you see and hear on the inside, you might discover that you are imagining things that don’t exist. When you become aware of how you are perfectly creating a mindset you don’t want, you can change it.
NLP is a combination of visualization techniques and communication techniques. Here I have paid attention to the strategies that have a visualisation component.
5 NLP TECHNIQUES
How can you react differently to your thoughts and emotions? How can you adapt your to the situation? How can you change your mindset?
1. IMAGERY TRAINING
Imagery training, sometimes called mental rehearsal, is based on visualization. Create a highly detailed scene of yourself performing an action successfully. Picture yourself as confident, determined, comfortable. Feel the confidence you exude and the energy that’s around you. Be as detailed as possible. NLP techniques like this are essential for creating absolute certainty in yourself and your abilities.
2. NLP SWISH
Create a vivid picture in your mind of something you don’t want. Make it big and bright. Then create a vivid picture of what you want to replace it with, making it small and dull. Now reverse them: Bring the image of what you want into the foreground, making it brighter and brighter. Add triumphant music and motion. Throw the image you don’t want into the background, turning it grey and colourless. Repeat this reversal three to five times. You’ll train your brain to amplify positives and weaken negatives.
3. DISSASSOCIATION
Identify the emotion (e.g. fear, rage, discomfort, dislike of a situation)
Imagine that you can float out of your body and look back at yourself, encountering the entire circumstance from an observer’s perspective
Notice that the feeling changes dramatically
For an extra boost, imagine that you can float out of your body looking at yourself, then, float out of this body again, so you’re looking at yourself, looking at yourself. This is double dissociation.
4.ANCHORING
We have natural visual and touch anchors. Who is our created when we associate a site in touch with a previous experience and emotion? Yourself means that you associate a desired response with a particular phrase or sensation.
Identify what you want to feel
Decide where you would like to pay for things on your body and this physical touch will allow you to trigger the positive feeling
Think of a time in the past for your state. Mentally go back to that time and stay into your body looking through your own eyes in the living that memory. Adjust your body language to match that memory and state. See what you saw, hear what you heard and feel as you remember.
As you go into that memory touch the part of the body you have selected. You will feel the feelings swell while you remember the memory. Release the touch when the emotional state peaks and begins to wear off.
5: CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE
Stepping into a more powerful emotion than the anxiety.
Create a circle on the floor in your mind- inside this circle is your excellence. When you step in this circle you can reach all of your goals. What colour is it? Is there a sound? That is excellence. What do you feel you need to be in this circle (relaxed, calm, happy). Do you want to step into the circle?
Choose one thing you want in your circle? E.g. relaxation, fun
Close your eyes- think of a time where you were in that state e.g. relaxed, fun
What did you see, feel hear, notice everything, build that feeling in you- double it- turn up the intensity dial- run it from the top of your head to your toes- push it- step into the circle.
an amazing relaxing place- the beach- warmth- the ocean- with each breath you become a more relaxed- with each breath allow yourself to relax more. Step into the circle and allow the colour to swirl. Let the relaxation permeate. Step out and open your eyes.
When you step into the circle does it help?
Sound
Vibrations change our brain. Binaural beats in the alpha frequencies (8 to 13 Hz) are thought to encourage relaxation, promote positivity, and decrease anxiety. Binaural beats in the lower beta frequencies (14 to 30 Hz) have been linked to increased concentration and alertness, problem solving, and improved memory.
To get what sound healing is all about, you have to take a step back and understand that everything has a vibrational frequency, or resonance. This includes our bodies. Sound healing, which is an ancient healing technique that uses these tonal frequencies to bring the body into a state of vibrational balance and harmony, within itself and within nature. That vibrational harmony can impact not only how we feel emotionally but can slow down the brain waves bringing us to a deeply restorative state. Sound can alter our cells vibrations so that we activate the body's self healing. Amazing!
Bilateral Music, is just the right frequency and is used in therapies such as EMDR and Brainspotting, is specially designed to move from one ear to the other. Bilateral music produces four main effects; 1. A relaxation effect including decreased physiological arousal. 2. Increased attentional flexibility (meaning that your thoughts become less ‘stuck’ on whatever was bothering you). 3. Distancing effect (meaning that the problem seems smaller and further away). 4. Decreased worry.
Mantras
Each chakra has its frequency of vibration, sound, color, and symbol to which it is tuned. When it is balanced, cleansed, and energized, then the chakra is in harmony and plays its most beautiful melody, emitting inherent vibrations. The following mantra uses vibrations for each chakra.
Hari Om- Narm Lum- Marm Vum- Sara Rum- Varm Yum-Yarm Hum-Shiva Om-Swar- Har
2. Working with our Breathing
Breathing is one of the few body functions that is under conscious control and is also under the autonomic nervous system control. When we are under stress our breathing becomes shallow and fast. If we breath deeply an slowly, we send the message to our nervous system that we are OK.
Breathing Techniques
Box Breathing
Box breathing: In for 4- Hold 2-4- out for 8- Focus on the awareness of the breath. Make it deep so the belly moves. Blow it out through the mouth. Lengthening the exhale relaxes the parasympathetic.
Central Channel Breathing with Belly Breathing
There is a central core channel of vitality.
Pull your shoulder blades together and drop them down.
Inhale down through the meridians from the head to the belly and then exhale down to the earth. Inhale back to the belly and exhale out the top of the head.
Add: contraction of the pelvic floor as you breath in- exhale- pull the belly back to the spine. This draws energy into the deep parts of the body.
Lion’s breath
Lion’s breath involves exhaling forcefully. To try lion’s breath:
Get into a kneeling position, crossing your ankles and resting your bottom on your feet. If this position isn’t comfortable, sit cross-legged.
Bring your hands to your knees, stretching out your arms and your fingers.
Take a breath in through your nose.
Breathe out through your mouth, allowing yourself to vocalize “ha.”
During exhale, open your mouth as wide as you can and stick your tongue out, stretching it down toward your chin as far as it will go.
Focus on the middle of your forehead (third eye) or the end of your nose while exhaling.
Relax your face as you inhale again.
Repeat the practice up to six times, changing the cross of your ankles when you reach the halfway point.
Alternate nostril breathing
Sit down in a comfortable place, lengthening your spine and opening your chest.
Rest your left hand in your lap and raise your right hand. Then, rest the pointer and middle fingers of your right hand on your forehead, in between the eyebrows. Close your eyes, inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
Use your right thumb to close the right-hand nostril and inhale slowly through the left.
Pinch your nose closed between your right thumb and ring finger, holding the breath in for a moment.
Use your right ring finger to close your left nostril and exhale through the right, waiting for a moment before you inhale again.
Inhale slowly through the right nostril.
Pinch your nose closed again, pausing for a moment.
Now, open the left side and exhale, waiting a moment before you inhale again.
Repeat this cycle of inhaling and exhaling through either nostril up to 10 times. Each cycle should take up to 40 seconds.
3.Movement
Simple rhythmic movement
Rubbing hands to create heat followed by hand shaking
Pacing and walking have a purpose
Rocking and spinning
Energy Routine
Ref: Donna Eden/com
These get your energy in coherence and back to its right patterns.
Do it sitting or standing or just visualise these actions- your brain doesn’t know the difference!
Breath in the nose and out the mouth.
Remember , if you do this on the earth
you have the benefit of 'grounding' or drawing the energy from the earth, or in the sunshine or nature- even better.
Thumping: Activates and clears energy meridians
Figure 8: Bend and hang- 2 deep breaths and hands fall closer to the ground. Sideways
1. Under the eyes: Tap firmly on the cheek bones. Keep
breathing.
2. Collar Bone: Tap heavily below the collar bone it sends
energy forwards. Press in under the collar bone- is it sore? If so it’s a sign that your energy is flowing backwards which makes your sluggish. If it hurts thump just above in the energy field just above. Keep Breathing.
3. Sternum: Tap heavily on the sternum to activate the immune system. Keep breathing
4. Sides: Tap heavily above the bra line to digest and assimilate (foods, chemicals, experiences).Keep breathing. Shake hands out.
Come to stillness: the energy at a cellular level needs to listen to itself.
Lymphatic Drainage and Massage
Take it slowly. Massage gently.
Bottom of Deltoid muscle- both sides
Collarbone
Sternum- along both sides
Under the breast- Liver points
Under the ribs- small intestine
Inside hip bones
Inside and outside of each leg- intestines
Outside of belly button- just above and just below
Cross overs: Helps movement across midlines
Shoulder Pull: Drag one hand from your shoulder to the opposite hip- a friend can do this on your back.Keep breathing.
Cross crawl: Hand to Knee cross over. Keep breathing.
Wayne Cook: Sit with one foot onto the opposite knee. Cross your hands and grab the foot. Pull the foot towards you as you breath in.
Zip: Hands held in front of the pubic bones- set an intention. Zip it up the body and bring arms out to sides and back to front of the body
Pressure: Makes space and clears blockages
Temple pull: Fingers together in centre of forehead and pull across to the temples.
Crown Pull: Temple pull plus the same draw across from the hairline.
Neck pull: Lower neck pull
Forehead and Back of the head; Grounding
Binding: To unify to systems
Connecting heaven and earth: Hands spread on thighs- breath into prayer position. One arm stretched above head with palm flat and the other stretched down with the palm flat.
Hook up: Belly Button and Eyebrow centre, 1 finger on each and slightly pull up. It connects forces at the back of the throat. Keep breathing.
Zip: Trace the central meridian from the bottom to the top. This is the meridian that controls the subconscious and suggestion. When you reach the lips- lock it and throw it away. This locks out negative energy.
Paint the roof of your mouth with your tongue
Hip Movement
There is a suggestion that each cell carries a kind of consciousness that stores memories and emotional states. Some researchers suggest that certain emotions are associated with specific areas of the body. You will see this as a well-accepted principle in Eastern medicine. Eastern medicine also uses “somatic or body” language when referring to emotional disorders.
Our hips and adjoining muscle groups (psoas in particular) are vital in overall physical health. Some people also refer to the hips as the body’s “emotional junk drawer” or a place where our emotions are stored and suggest that we often overlook the role they also play in emotional wellbeing. When you’re under any kind of mental or emotional stress, your psoas muscle responds by tightening. The hip region is associated with the sacral chakra, an energetic center believed by some to house creative energy, sexuality and how you relate to your emotions and the emotions of others. A blocked sacral chakra is said to lead to emotional instability as well as reductions in pleasure.
Ways to release old emotions in the hips
There are several ways to release fear, trauma, and stress associated with tight hips. These include:
Somatic exercises: These body-awareness practices involve focusing on your inner experience as you perform
Body-Mind Centering
Alexander Technique
Feldenkrais Method
Laban Movement Analysis
African dance – any dance
Yoga: sun salutations, pelvic stretches,hip flexor stretches
stretching
mind-body practices
massage
somatic experiencing therapy
aikido
Massage the arch of the foot: the arch of the foot correlates to the psoas muscle in reflexology. By applying pressure to the arch of the foot, which is where the psoas and adrenal glands spots are located, you can also release some of the tension in your hip area.
I hope this has been of interest. There is so much out there on the internet that may give you some ideas. Maybe a morning routine with some of these included is a great place to start. Good luck.
Annie
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