BODY: Step 1
Have you tried, failed and given up on change? Do unresolved problems interfere with your relationships, work, physical health, and spiritual life?
You may benefit from: The Choice-Cube® Method: The Mechanics of Staying Connected, Honest and Compassionate
Most approaches to psychotherapy focus on one or two aspects of getting well (for example, thoughts or bodily stress). But the underlying principles--the mechanics--of human reactions are not addressed. So, lacking both the understanding of themselves and the mechanics of change, people often try to change, fail, and finally give up.
The Choice-Cube Method equips you with the understanding of why you make the choices you do and shows you how, step-by-step, to manage your four areas of negative reactions--body, emotions, mind, and will. Step 1 of the Choice-Cube® Method offers BODYWORK TOOLS to help you manage the energy of stress and negative body sensations.
BODYWORK TOOLS are as simple as deep breathing or tapping your hand. They help you recognize and manage bodily stress-- This prepares you for the next step of managing your negative emotions.
Try the BODY SCAN TOOL, a quick, progressive relaxation exercise to increase awareness of your body-mind connection. You get relief in the present and also train your brain into greater awareness of your physical state. With repetition, you can train yourself to interrupt stress before it overcomes you!
THE BODY SCAN TOOL
Slow down your breathing. Slowly inflate an imaginary balloon in your belly.
Then let the air out slowly, gently. Continue this as you scan down your body
Now, as you breath slowly and gently....
- Relax between your eyes.
- Relax your upper lip and the inside of your mouth and your tongue.
- Drop your shoulders.
- Relax the palms of your hands.
- Feel yourself sitting in your chair.
- Relax your knees.
Focus on your feet. Feel the ground pressing up against the soles of your feet.
- Imagine your feet getting wider and longer putting down roots.
- Slow down. Feel your feet getting larger, wider, longer, starting to put down roots.
- You are a strong tree, rooted and grounded, planted. by a slow moving river.
- Slow down. Breathe!
- Let any stress drain out through the roots to the gentle river.
- Center yourself again, contained within your body and skin. You feel safe, relaxed.
- Enjoy breathing deeply and feeling fully relaxed.
Now repeat the body scan. This time, as you scan down your body, allow any tension to drain down and out through the “roots” to the gently flowing “river of life” beneath your roots. Watch it being gently swept away. Breathe, relax. The river flows along and carries away your stress. Focus on the wonderful feeling of being relaxed and in your body as the tension drains down and floats away.
Face and Posture: Put on a pleasant look. Feel an inward smile, as if you are looking at someone you love. The emotional expressions that you put on your face can send powerful messages to the brain about how to feel.
The message on your face goes to your brain, and your brain tells your body to act as if the emotions were real.
Check your posture. Are you collapsed, How you present your body tells a lot about what you are feeling
