PERSONAL NOTE
I, like you, am working to maintain some equilibrium as the pandemic and the results of generations of racial inequalities explode across the country and our lives. No matter who we are, we are affected by the first and have always been affected by the second. And now as these two mountains of stress crash into the consciousness of everyone, we are called upon to do something really hard. Be quiet. Listen. and Believe. Then act. These are all things the human brain hates to do. But the Human Spirit is well qualified to do it if we but access it.
POSTS
Recently I've been posting about how even positive, desirable change can be hard; and why the effects of 'trying' can be temporary. "Stress' (whatever it is for you) may be so familiar that even positive changes can be scary. That seems like a strange thought, but it is a familiar response. We try to make a change but fall into old patterns. The really good news is that with tapping and other interventions I teach (and practice!), moving into that new, expanded, happy, freer place of living is not scary at all. Your mind/body complex can find a new normal.
If you have experienced a lot of stress for a long time, especially childhood stress, your brain has gotten used to it. In fact, although it may be painful and dysfunctional, it is coded as normal, because it is familiar. This is a big problem for several reasons. One of which is that if things improve this feels unfamiliar to the brain, which then feels uncomfortable because it doesn't match any of it's previously coded information. This is why people relapse into old bad habits, because there is no cognitive dissonance with the old familiar pattern. It may be awful, but you know how to deal with it. It's the "devil you know" syndrome.
How your brain is like a camera, and how it is not.
When you are consciously focused on something you can exclude everything else, whether you are studying, watching a movie, or involved in a stressful situation that requires all your attention. But your subconscious is perceiving everything in the environment and comparing it to everything else it knows. A camera sees, your brain interprets. You can watch my short video here that explains this more and hear my personal story.
How your brain is and is not like a camera
COOL RESOURCE
I'm currently taking a certification course with HeartMath. One of the first coherence exercises they teach is the Heart-Focused Breathing Technique which is an easy to use, self regulation strategy designed to reduce the intensity of a stress reaction and to establish a calm, but alert state.
This technique allows you to take a 'time-out" where you can step back and neutralize your depleting emotions. And it couldn't be simpler!
Heart Focused Breathing
Focus your attention in the area of the heart. Imagine your breath is flowing in and out of your heart or chest area, breathing a little slower and deeper than usual. Find an easy rhythm that's comfortable. Do this for a minute or so, and do it several times a day if possible.
Use the HFB technique anytime you want to:
stop the impact of stress on your body
eliminate an energy drain
remove the drama or significance of a situation
neutralize emotional reactions in the moment
Once familiar with this technique, you can use it anywhere, anytime. Just a few moments, a minute, of HFB can help reset the emotional tone of the situation. Can you think of some everyday situations where this might be helpful?
UPCOMING EVENTS
I'm creating a course right now to help people with sensitivities to chemical fragrances and other chemicals in the environment. There is no cost for this as I develop it,and your participation would help with the overall development of the material. If you'd like to take a look you can go here:
fragrance sensitivity course
My Dental Stress Relief course is available as well.As dentist offices reopen are you finally ready to Get To The Dentist with Ease?
Click here for the details
CONNECT WITH ME ON
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovetapping/
If you visit, comments are exciting to see and boost my reach.
If I can help with tapping, please reach out and we'll set something up. The current situation is triggering, and bringing up a lot of old stress as well as piling on new stress everyday. It is a lot to process. Please use all your tools as we navigate this time of confusion and uncertainty. Tapping can help immensely, and I am certainly happy to tap with you, to help you release stress and not accrue anymore as we move on.
Be well,
Penny
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