4 Essential Practices, the Way to Feel Good Now

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The 4 Essential Practices

The Way to Feel Good Now

A Method to Recondition the BodyMind and Redesign Your Life?

Welcome dear readers,

In the past 4 articles I offered each of the 4 Essential practices individually.?

The 4 practices are most powerful when practiced together. At the same time each one holds its own merit.?

These 4 Essential practices provide a strong solid foundation much like the 4 legs of a table. They also provide an organic ease and flow of life as the nervous system begins healing to a healthy self regulation.?

So let's begin.??

Essential Practice #1

Breathing from the ? Center

Instructions:

Bring your attention to your own perfect heart center, placing one or both hands over your heart area, this can be pleasant and helpful. Notice your breath as it moves in and out of your body.? This is a gentle easy practice, as the mind may want to pull your attention away, (this is perfectly normal) simply return your attention to your heart space; this is an essential practice in itself.???

Now on this next inhale, bring that breath to a 5-6 second count. and on the exhale allow a 5-6 second count as well. Breathe a little slower and deeper, let there be no struggling here, allow yourself to breathe comfortably; if it needs a different pace that is alright. Allow a gentle, even rhythm to occur naturally.?

?I often take 10 breaths in this manner, using the fingers of each hand as a guide. This helps return me to the present moment, relaxing my body and my mind.?

With this slower even breath, the heart receives the message that all is well and the feel good chemical oxytocin will be released.? This signal of safety will then travel up to the brain where a further production of feel good chemicals will be produced and a cascade effect will circulate throughout the body.? This is heart-brain coherence in action.

Of course, the opposite occurs when we are stressed and constrained.? The lungs do not expand fully and the heart is constricted, our physiology is running in depletion mode and we are emotionally dysregulated.? Our joy is deflated and our physical health suffers as well. So please practice conscious breathing from the heart center, your quality of life depends on this!

Essential Practice #2?

Training the Mind to Goodness

Instructions:

Bring your mind and your thoughts to something peaceful, calm and even joyful.? Some practitioners suggest focusing on love, gratitude and appreciation; my intention is to keep this simple.? Call your attention to something of beauty, peace and joy; something in nature: the sunshine, the blue sky or gray sky, a bird flying overhead, a lush tree, flowers in bloom, or your adorable pet, become aware of how your body responds.? Stay with this process until a gentle smile arises from your heart and body.??

It is critical to recognize how our minds are so easily pulled to focus on the sad and frightening happenings in our lives and in the world.? So often, our nervous system is stuck in Fight, Flight, Freeze, the stress response and this just feels normal.? The phrase, “Where attention goes, energy flows,” is quite true and may become evident here.?

Because our bodies react to our outer environment automatically, it is vital to intentionally cultivate an? inner reservoir of healthy, rejuvenating resources available for us to draw upon. ? My primary resource is anything water, I adore the ocean especially. I also revere my cats, the intimacy with a pet is unsurpassed, no conflicts or conditions.? Of course I deeply love my children and my friends, and my work too.? My unconditional love for myself grows daily!?

The more we attend to ourselves, we begin to notice the difference between the depleting emotional state and the renewal emotional state; what is harmful and what is truly nourishing.? We can learn to self-regulate our nervous system and shift happens!??

Essential Practice #3

The LA Hug, connect consciously to your body

We are One Whole?

Instructions:

Criss cross your arms over your chest and let each hand contact the opposite arm in a warm and friendly embrace.? Notice the sensation of touch on your skin, of the muscles on each arm and notice how each hand feels as it touches the arms.? Here we can pause and take a breath, you may become aware of a settling in the body.? Listen to the body, go slowly and be curious, sense where the hands or the body may want to explore and connect.? You can move up to touch a cheek, the top of your head, shoulders, belly, whatever feels good.? You can give yourself the message of,? “ I Love and Accept you just as you are,” generate compassion, appreciation and gratitude to your amazing physical Self.???

Many of us have been taught that the body is dirty and something to neglect or worse, give away.? If you endured physical, sexual trauma as a child, this can get tricky.? What is most important is to know deeply is that it was not your fault and you have done nothing wrong.? Bring your child to this present moment where, hopefully, he/she can now be safe.? This practice is a little slippery for me, I have noticed that I tend to hesitate here.? I am not in any trauma response of late for I have done huge healing with my body trauma stuff; but I just tend to pause here, and then I am able to proceed.??

In addition, many of us have been taught that we are body, mind and spirit, this semed a revelation at first.? But wait, the ancient wisdom teachings have known all along, that we are One, we are not separate parts; further, we are connected to each other and to the entire universe all at once.? So let's get back to the truth.

Being present and aware in our bodies is essential.? But often we push our bodies too hard, or we may not move enough for optimal health.? It is easy to forget our bodies until something hurts, or we develop a symptom or feel the need to criticize ourselves for not looking a certain way.? Let the criticism and judgment soften and disolve.? We literally would not be here without this magnificent, amazing physical Self, no matter what shape we are in.? Let us take Good care of the Whole self!??

Essential Practice #4

Choosing Loving Speech

Instructions:

Take a moment and think of some words and phrases of praise and appreciation you would like to receive from someone.? Now say those same words or phrases to yourself, silently or aloud.? It can be very helpful to write these phrases out as well.? You can keep them simple, “I Love and Accept myself, I am Perfect and Precious, I am Valuable, I am a Good Person, I am Capable Person, I am Vibrantly Healthy, I am Brilliant,” etc.? Take a few conscious cycles of breath from your own precious heart center.? Keep repeating them in a loving and caring tone.? Open and allow yourself to receive these caring messages. You might notice a sense of validation, inspiration and relaxation.?

Many of us have a critical dialogue running through our minds 24/7.? It is so prevalent we are not even aware of it.? We may say things like, "I am so stupid, Nothing ever works out for me, Life is too hard, too stressful, I have a mind like a sieve,”etc.? These ongoing hurtful messages are so damaging to us on every level.?

Some of the messages I heard growing up were: Let's not and say we did, It's not important, just forget about it, and Ignorant,”? It was so confusing, I felt completely invalidated and unimportant.? I have done much healing work around this as well and now I regularly acknowledge and appreciate myself with meesges of, "I am Brilliant, I am a Loving Person, I am a Skilled Therapist, I am Perfect and Precious," We can learn to slow down, pause and stop, so that we can become aware of this inner dialogue and begin to heal it.??We can all learn to reprogram that inner dialogue and choose loving speech.

Again, these 4 Essential Practices flow together in an organic stream.? As you begin to practice this method, it can take as little as 5 minutes and you will receive benefits at this level.? As you become more familiar with these practices, you will probably want to take more time to receive the maximum benefit.? These practices are designed to be simple, easy and natural; yet, as with anything new, this might feel difficult or uncomfortable at first.? I encourage you to stick with it, consistent practice will reap beautiful results.? These practices are steeped in our very breath and body; they provide the essential foundation for our nervous system to heal.? This foundation establishes a sense of trust, safety and resilience. In this Feel Good Now, state of wellbeing, you are on your path to vibrant health and a joyful life. ?