Wherever you are, I want to take a moment and acknowledge your dedication towards yourself. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for your courage to keep growing. Thank you for being willing to take the step to nurture yourself and heal. You are strong and you are on the right path.
When it comes to healing, there is no right or wrong way to start. Although I thought I would share some ways that could be helpful on your journey.
1. Learn the language of your nervous system
Learn how to listen to your fight-flight-freeze-fawn responses. Tune in and observe the symptoms, sensations, triggers or possibly the lack of feeling/disassociation during certain situations. Be curious towards any stressors or fears. When things arise, take a moment to reflect and get curious what that experience taught you. Ask questions to understand it more. Where do I feel the sensations in my body? When do I disassociate? What triggers me? Have I felt this way before? If so, with whom? What happened? When did this happen? Then ask yourself what did you need from this moment? What did you need to hear?
2. Practice biological embodiment
Notice if you are just getting by, just existing, rather than truly and fully living. Get into the body and the environment. Here are some practices you can do to get into the body and the environment: 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding technique: this practice can help you ground into the present moment when you are stressed or anxious.
5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you, possibly list colours you see. 4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. 3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. 2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. 1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste. Self-Holding Exercises:
I love this practice from Peter Levine. Peter Levine shares how this exercise brings a grounding, settling feeling. The person feels less overwhelmed after completing the practice. When the person can feel the container, then the emotions and sensations do not feel as overwhelming because they are contained. This practice is helpful for anxiety, stress and PTSD. I highly recommend going through at least 5 exercises of self holding because it takes time to calm down, by flowing through the 5 steps it ensures you are doing it long enough to be effective, to calm and ground down.
Instructions:
It doesn’t matter which hand (Right or Left) goes in which position. Experiment to find out what feels right for you. Feel and notice all the sensations as they pass though you, like watching a stream and noticing the colours, shapes, energy, sounds and motion.
HEAD SIDES Place your hands on either side of your head. Think about how you are creating edges for your thoughts. You are creating the sides of a container that contains your thoughts. Feel the sensation between your hands.
HEAD FRONT-BACK Place one hand on your forehead and one hand on the back of your head. Feel the container around of your thinking. Feel the sensation between your hands.
FOREHEAD – HEART Place one hand on your forehead and one hand on your heart. See if you can sense some sensations between your hands.
HEART – STOMACH Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly – it can be over or near your belly button. Feel the sensations between your hands.
STOMACH – BASE OF HEAD Place one hand above your belly and right below your rib cage – and the other hand behind the base of your head – halfway covering the base of your head and halfway onto your neck. The middle of your hand should be over the deepest indentation.
HUG - Place one hand under the opposite arm, and then place the other hand over the upper part of the other arm; you are giving yourself a hug. Pay attention to your body. Let yourself settle into the position; allow yourself to feel supported by it. Allow yourself to feel contained. Watch and see if anything shifts with your breathing, bodily sensations, and how you feel in space. See if you can sit with it a while and let it shift your perceptions of yourself and the world somewhat before coming out of it. At the end of this practice, you will feel calmer than when you began.
3) Healing is a lifestyle
It is best to creating a daily practice to regulate the nervous system in a controlled environment to build your window of tolerance. This daily practice is a great way to connect with yourself and your essence. Although it is important to put what you learn to the test, both stressful situations and in our daily lives. For example: being able to refocus your attention when we are triggered or not being overwhelmed by your to do list. Create change in your life, unlock true freedom and your full potential.
I hope that you found this useful and I wish you well on your growth and transformation journey! I want you to know that you are not alone and you don't have to do this alone. If you are looking for guidance, support and accountability to integrate this into your life, book a free clarity call to see if we are a good fit!
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