You have a BODYMIND
Ever wonder what your neck was for?
Bodymind? You’re probably thinking, “a typo.” Research has proven that your body and your mind are connected by your neck and are inseparable. The body talks to the mind, the mind talks to the body, the body talks to the body and the mind talks to the mind. You’re just one big, interconnected bodymind.
Now, let’s take a quick look at stress so you will know what’s happening in your own bodymind.
The stress response is simply “Fight or Flight”. Its purpose is keeping you safe, out of harms way. The problem in today’s world is our brains don’t actually know what is dangerous: See a picture of fighting on TV and your brain gets the message you are in danger; Your brain thinks that the 11 ton cars traveling down the freeway are like rhinos charging. More danger.
Your brain desperately wants you to survive and any cue it perceives as possible danger – sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, thoughts & mental images – tells your bodymind to fight or flee from what is going to harm you. In some cases the freeze response is momentarily activated so that every part of your being is on alert giving time to decide whether to fight or flee.
When the stress response is activated blood is directed away from your intestines, stomach, brain – whatever organ isn’t needed to run or fight:
Ever get light headed? -it’s not time to think, just act: diarrhea?-let’s lighten the load; butterflies/queasy?-not the time to digest food. When you feel “shaky” it’s your blood being directed to arms and legs so there’s energy in that one-two punch and speed in your step. Lots of other things happen too, but you get the idea.
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for!
Stress Reducing Exercises & Activities
Try the exercise & activities from each of these four different approaches to find what works best for you.
1. DUPLICATE FIGHTING & FLEEING
2.ELIMINATE STRESS CUES
3. CONCENTRATE ON CALM CUES
4. FABRICATE YOUR EXPERIENCE
First a word of safety
(We don’t want to have your brain perceive danger).
All the physical activities must be done only to your individual capability. If you have any medical/physical issues see your doctor/health care practitioner first before you try any of the physical exercises.
1. DUPLICATE FIGHTING & FLEEING
Trying to calm down usually only increases the stress response. Your bodymind is telling you to moooove!
Conventional advice is to “relax” when you’re stressed. I don’t need to tell you…but I will anyway: It’s near impossible to “calm down” the fight or flight response once your adrenalin is pumping. So let’s creatively use what our bodymind is doing and GO ALONG WITH THE PROGRAM-let’s duplicate what the fight or flight stress response is preparing us to do.
Once the stress response is triggered the neurochemistry is already in your cells telling your body to run or fight before you are consciously aware of the stress response. It takes, on the average 20 to 30 minutes for the neurochemicals to metabolize out of the cells.
Do physical activity for 20-30 minutes, the stress response will pass.
Walk to the store
Do jumping jacks
March to music
Take a hike Clean a closet
Samba, rumba & mambo
Scrub the floor Build a shed
Walk the dog
Ride a horse
Mow the lawn
Paint the ceiling
When you don’t have the space, time or availability to do a “Moving Experience” physical focus is a way of directing some of that adrenalin into a positive place. Next are two quick and easy physical focus exercises that you can even do in public.
STRETCHING THE POINT
- Stretch your arms out in front of you, palms down, strrrrrretch forward.
- Raise your arms high over your head.
- Stretch them, try to touch the ceiling.
- Pull your arms toward the back of your head and holdfor a moment.
- Let your arms drop back to your sides.
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS
- Pretend you have a whole lemon in your left hand
- Squeeze it hard. Try to squeeze all the juice out.
- Feel the tightness in your hand and arm as you squeeze.
- Now drop the lemon (you can clean it up later)
- Notice how your muscles feel when they are relaxed
- Take another lemon I your left hand. Try to squeeze this one harder than the first lemon.
- Drop the second lemon and relax.
- Repeat this sequence using your right hand.
Adding thought to movement and your brain helps potentiate the activity.
NOW LET’S CONCENTRATE ON YOUR THOUGHTS. Remember, thinking is a cue to your brain.
First, what is a mantra? In this case it’s a positive statement you repeat over and over in your mind. We like to combine mantras with movement. So when we walk or exercise we’ll silently repeat a positive statement in rhythm to the pace.
Here are some to choose from. You can mix n” match. They don’t have to rhyme; it’s just incredibly more fun.
• 3-STEP Mantra: “I am safe”
• WALK AROUND THE BLOCK Mantra: “I feel good in the neighborhood”
• BREEZY DAYS Mantra: “Feel the balm, I am calm”
• IT’S FATE Mantra: “I feel good, I feel great, calm and tranquil is my fate!”