Tell yourself “I am thinking about something that is not happening right now”
Remember, the emergence of feelings is a gateway to a deeper part of yourself. Trust yourself to be your greatest friend.
Get out of your head, get into your body.
With each breath, focus your attention onto what sensations you are noticing in your body. How do you feel in your chest, your body, your back ? Where do You notice something ? Do you notice anything in this moment ?
Next alternate your focus onto what you are sensing outside your body. Look around yourself, listen to the sounds, touch your surroundings, notice what smell passes into your nostrils, what taste do you have in your mouth ? Activate your senses.
Perhaps now notice the interface between your body and the external. What is the sense of connection to the ground against your feet like? the support against your body from the chair or wherever you’re lying down ?
Finally come back once more to noticing what you are sensing in your body, whatever that is, without expectation or judgment. There is no right or wrong in this. You are exactly where you are meant to be
Over time, you may relax into focussing on both internal and external sensations, simultaneously.
If you are catastrophizing in your thinking:
1) Say “Stop” out loud. Remember the sound of something scratching?
2) Focus on ‘what is,’ rather than ‘what if. ‘
3) Get physical. Stomp, jump, shake.
1. Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position.
2. Put one hand on your belly just below your ribs and the other hand on your chest.
3. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. …
4. Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. …
5. Do this breathing 3 to 10 times.
Guided relaxation meditation can provide relief. Here is one :
Malia Yoga Guided meditation for intrusive thoughts, OCD and anxiety
The head can easily get locked into set patterns. If an old emotion has become familiar, we often respond to new, similar situations with the same emotion, whether it makes sense or not.
By shifting focus toward your heart and away from whatever problem you face, you divert energy from your perception of the problem.
1. Make a sincere effort to shift your focus away from your racing mind or disturbed emotions to the area around your heart. You can pretend that you’re breathing through your heart to help focus your energy in this area. Keep your focus there for ten seconds or more.
2. Recall a positive, fun feeling or time you’ve had in life and attempt to re-experience it.
3. Now, using your intuition, common sense and sincerity – ask yourself, what would be a more caring and efficient behaviour in response to the situation, one that will minimize future stress, for yourself and anyone else involved?
Extracted from “the HeartMath Solution”
This clip starts with an introduction to the idea of emotional energy. The guided meditation starts 7 minutes in.
Spiritual Online Activation Retreat
Mantra and music
Music that speaks to you, kirtan and chanting are all effective for centering.
I am light
I release control
Humour
Your instant endorphin release
(Courtesy New Yorker magazine)
Riddle
A psychotherapy begins where body-work ends, and a psychotherapy ends, where spiritual work begins.