Here is an excerpt with a few of my top stress tips that I gave to Tracey Shipley of the Jerusalem Post. Tracey came to my yoga class and consulted with me about how parents can deal with stress.
“Our teacher, Dr. Kim Hershorn, is the creator of the Life-Tuning Process, which she describes as “an embodied, heart-centered and creative approach that gives people tools to connect more fully to themselves, to others and to life.” Through workshops, coaching and yoga classes, she teaches meditation, relaxation and breath work. She also uses writing and creativity exercises for stress management, self-awareness and leadership training.
Hershorn shares tools that she encourages her students to bring into everyday life.
Here are a few examples:
• Deep breathing. When you feel challenged by something or someone, or when you are tired, unclear and off-center, take a breath. Inhale through the nose and allow for long, slow exhalations from the mouth. Bring the breath deeper into the belly as you expand your lower ribs.
• Grounding. Feel your feet on the ground. Imagine roots anchoring them into the ground and feel your connection to the earth.
• Centering. Feel the midline that runs through the center of your body through the spinal cord. Rock from side to side, front to back, until you find your center. This is a good way to find the calm in the eye of the storm (especially when your environment is chaotic).
• Put things in the light. Whenever you find yourself judging, condemning or reacting negatively, breathe and put whatever you are reacting to into the light. Respond from an illuminated, conscious place rather than from your darker impulses. As parents, we are constantly faced with challenges. These simple tools can help you stop and listen for solutions. You will start to focus on your strengths rather than on your limitations; you will react less and make conscious choices. What a wonderful lesson for us and for our kids: Stop, think, breathe – and then respond.”
For the full article click: Getting the support we need
