Quick Stress Release For Your Brain

As you have probably noticed our mind doesn’t come with a pause button when it starts spinning off… think how helpful it would be if we did pause when we began to feel tension, and took a moment to pause and reset our nervous system. Below is the perfect 'pause button exercise' for a quick reset - it feels wonderful!

• Take a couple of long slow exhales, or sighs

• Tap lightly all over your forehead with your fingers

• Next, place your elbows on a table with your fingers above your eyebrows (about a finger width). Rest your forehead into your fingers and feel a mild pressure. This brings circulation to the front of our brain and helps us think more clearly.

• Resting your forehead on your fingertips, take a few slow deep breaths, letting the exhales be longer than the inhales.

• Lastly take all of your fingers and comb through your scalp from your hairline to the base of your neck, keeping a comfortable pressure 5 – 10 times. This invigorates the nerves and stimulates relaxation in the brain. (trust me it’s worth messing up your hair!

• Finish off with a couple more slow breathes and notice how much calmer you feel – your brain and nervous system will thank you!

Resting Your Eyes Can Help Relax Your Entire Body

Did you know that stress can affect your eyes? The stress response causes your pupils to dilate, allowing more light into your eyes, so you can see ‘potential threats’ better. This constant dilation can make you sensitive to light, cause eye strain, and tighten the muscles in and around your eyes. Because our eyes are composed of muscles, it is important to let them rest throughout the day, and especially important to give your eyes periodic breaks from looking at screens.

Here are two easy ways to help relax your eyes, and in turn the rest of your body!

Palming
Let go of tension in your shoulders, arms and hands. Warm the palms of your hands by rubbing them vigorously together for a few seconds. Once they are warm, cup your hands over your closed eyes while resting your elbows on a table. Enjoy 10 slow relaxed breaths, letting the heat in your hands relax all the eyes and their surrounding muscles.

Because the light is reduced, the eyes don’t have to focus on anything, and therefore there is nothing for them to do but relax!

Eye Massage
Similar to palming, eye massaging can relieve eye strain. With clean fingers gently make small circles massaging your eyelids, the muscles above your eyebrows, your under-eyes, and temples.
By doing so, you are increasing the blood circulation to your eyes and relaxing all of the muscles in the area.

Try these two exercises a few times throughout the day, and notice how much better your eyes and body feel!

How to Calm Down Quickly

Feeling stressed? Telling yourself to calm down rarely works, as your nervous system is already highly aroused and it is hard for the brain to quickly switch from a high arousal state to a low arousal state of calm. By using a simple ‘sighing’ breathing practice known as physiological sighs, you can directly affect your nervous system in times of stress, and help return to a state of calmness quickly. Try it right now!

1. Take a deep inhale through your nose.

2. Top that inhale with a little more air by taking another shorter inhale through your nose.

3. Then have a complete extended long exhale out your mouth

4. Repeat three times. Pause and notice how you feel.

Practice doing the psychological sighs occasionally throughout your day to provide calmness over time. Set a cue such as before every meal for the month, even doing one sigh is helpful!

Heart Coherence

Happy March! 

 It’s hard to believe it has been a year since life was ‘normal’. I have good news for you – you’ve made it this far, and from what I’m hearing it’s not much longer to go…we can do it! 

 This month I’m sharing some fascinating info and a short heart centered practice that I hope you enjoy. 

 Personally, I’ve had a year where I’ve been able to clean, sort, purge, and organize my home, office, file folders, and my bookcase, and most importantly re-focus my priorities, and spend more focused time on the things that really matter to me. I am passionate about wellness, health, and my work as a hypnotherapist and anxiety expert. I’ve been grateful to have some more time to work on these passions, take new courses (virtually of course!) and have a chance to look back at so much information that I’ve compiled over the last few years of teaching, leading groups, and working with private clients. 

 Have a wonderful and healthy month!

~Marnie

Heart Coherence Practice

It is interesting to notice that when people are referring to themselves, they usually point to their heart and not their brain.

 And did you know that the heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart? Because of this, the heart has a significant influence on our body right down to our cellular level. Emotions such as anger and frustration produce an irregular erratic rhythm between heart beats, while feelings of joy and peace produce a coherent rhythm. 

Ideally, we want to have a coherent rhythm as much as possible so that the message to the brain is all is well, release the good hormones. By purposely generating upbeat emotions we are able to cause a harmonious rhythm in our heart which enhances our wellbeing and emotional regulation. 

Next time you feel worried, stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, stuck, judgemental, impatient, or any emotion that is making you feel unsettled, take five minutes to settle yourself. These five minutes are like deposits of gold into your health bank!

1)   Connect with your breathing.  Let a heartfelt sigh out. Now pretend that you are actually breathing in and out of your heart. If it’s comfortable, rest your hand on your heart while you do this. 

2)   Inhale and exhale slowly and comfortably. Have your exhale extend longer than your inhale. Silently say to yourself “Inhaling I breathe calmness into my heart centre, exhaling calmness flows all around me.”

3)   After a couple of minutes of relaxed breathing like this, start to generate a feeling of gratitude for something you have in your life. It can be literally anything that when you think about it, you feel good.  Usually, the first thing that comes to mind is the easiest. 

As you think about it, really feel the emotion and imagine gratitude flowing to every cell in your body. Do this for another minute or two.

Check in with how you feel – better? More connected? How does your heart feel? 

By practicing this technique often, you will build resilience as well as shift yourself into a more peaceful state of mind by choice. The more you do it the more your heart will stay in coherence and you will reap the benefits of feeling calmer, more at peace with yourself and the world.

Breathing in and out through my heart centre not only centres me, it reminds me of the power I have to connect with myself in a profound way to keep me moving towards the light of peace.  ~Marnie

• Wellness Tip of the Month

• Wellness Challenge of the Month

• Marnie’s Book Club

• Joke of the Month

Win Win with a Call

Are you finding your mental health is beginning to reach a low and you need help and are hesitant to ask someone? 

Well, I read that not asking for help when you need it is so yesteryear, so old fashioned. Be modern.  Ask!

On the flip side comforting someone else is a benefit to ourselves as well, because we get in touch with a strength and calmness we may not realize we had for the benefit of someone else.  

 Is there someone perhaps you know that lives alone or anyone else that may benefit from a call?

Win, win situation!

Improv for 2021

Thinking about a New Year’s Resolution? 

How about something entirely different for 2021– embracing the art of Improv!

 I belonged to an Improv group once, and it was truly life changing – I laughed, got creative, but most importantly learned about ‘blocking’. So, what is blocking? It is an automatic response of saying ‘no’ – which stops the flow of a scene and doesn’t let creativity flow. The rule in Improv is that you always say ‘yes’, no matter how wild or unexpected the suggestion of the other actors is on stage. You can imagine how much more fun, and interesting an Improv skit can be when actors are open and ‘go with the flow!’

So how do we relate that to our New Year’s resolution? How about bringing the art of Improv into your everyday life, especially bringing awareness to when you are ‘blocking’. Blocking is when you automatically say ‘no’ to anything unexpected or that might involve a change, before giving yourself time to actually consider the possibility. Remember blocking stops the flow of energy and creativity. ‘Blocking’ responses will keep you safe and doing much the same every day of your life at the cost of stopping you from new experiences, learnings and adding vitality into your life.

I’ll give you some examples of typical blocking responses, “yes, but…..”, “maybe later…..”,

“I’m too old…..”, “I could never…..”. Sound familiar? 

 So how do you practice this?  Start simply with becoming aware of every time you block a suggestion, invitation, or new idea, and then practice, practice allowing yourself to say yes!

Of course, there are some things that you should say no to, however there likely are a lot of opportunities that could be great new experiences for you and your brain!

Your brain loves novelty!

Would you like to learn how to juggle?

Your immediate response might be “No, that’s stupid, that’s for kids.”

Or “Yes! I have never juggled, who knows it may become my new hobby”!

Which line feels better?

By saying “yes” it encourages us to head towards movement rather than stagnation. And it helps us with change, which is so much part of life! Movement rather than stagnation – Yes!!

 The joke in Improv is “the more time spent improv-ing the greater the improvement!”

 I encourage you to take this principal from Improv and it will be life changing, in a good way!

Change can be an Opportunity!

Whether we like it or not 2020 has been a year of change for all of us. We have had the rug pulled out from under our feet, and the way we knew our life is no longer.  

All of us are a little bit on edge as we really don’t know what the future will bring.

 One idea is to see this Change as an opportunity. What changes have you always wanted to make that you never did? What values do you want to live by? 

 How can you help? 

 And have gratitude for all those who are helping us get through this pandemic and please do your part to do the right thing.

Fun Stress-Release "Dance"

It can be helpful to continually release built up tension in your body. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed go into your bathroom, close the door, and shake! Really shake, loose wrists and fingers, bounce up and down on your heels. Let out some good audible sighs and imagine shaking off all your fears etc. letting them go. Make some crazy faces in the mirror. Dance around. Really get into the feeling of “letting go” of pent up stress.

You could have some upbeat music playing. Do this for a couple of minutes, pause and just feel how good it feels! Excellent to teach to kids.

Letting GO!

The Power of READING a Book

I think it is important to know it is perfectly natural to feel anxious right now, and that it is actually a good thing because it keeps us aware of practicing safe measures such as washing correctly and social distancing.  Where it is not a good thing is when we allow our anxiety to hijack our emotions and thoughts.

Therefore  we want to take the edge off of feeling anxious and have the goal of staying in the ‘relaxation’ part of our nervous system as much as possible rather than the ‘fight or flight’ that sends out the chemicals that are not helpful to us on a day to day basis.

A study conducted at the University of Sussex shows that a mere six minutes of reading can reduce a person’s stress level by 68%.  So, enjoy your reading time! Pick up that book when you notice your shoulders going up too high!

International Women’s Day - #EachforEqual

Kudos to all the women who see a problem and step up to the plate. There is lots of room for more. 

We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements.

This monument is located near the National Assembly in Quebec City in tribute to Marie-Lacoste Gérin-Lajoie, Idola Saint-Jean and Thérèse Forget-Casgrain, who all played key roles in the struggle to win the vote for women (1940) in Quebec. They fought to secure women’s rights and improve their living conditions. 

Practice this Neutral Heart-Focused Breathing Technique when you’re reacting or stuck in a negative view of a situation.

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. 

Suggestion: Inhale 5 seconds, exhale 7 seconds (or whatever rhythm is comfortable). 

As you do Heart-Focused Breathing, tell yourself, “Take out the drama,” and ask yourself, “Do I really want to drain energy over this?” and “What if there is more to the picture than I know at this time?” Asking yourself these questions from a sincere heart can help you shift into balance more quickly and be open to new information. 

Happy New Year - and New Decade - Welcome to 2020

Ruminating?

When your thoughts keep repeating....
If you are starting to feel stressed and your thoughts are beginning to repeat themselves try getting a small soft ball in your left hand and squeezing it for several minutes. Studies have shown that this helps stimulate the opposite side of the brain, breaking the rumination. Also helps creativity if feeling stuck.

Hug Someone for Peace Today!

It’s SIMPLE!

Relieve Anxiety Feelings Fast

Relaxation is a natural anxiety cure that will help you gain control over some of your body’s uncomfortable feelings such as tight tense muscles, rapid breathing and worried thoughts.

One of the first places to focus is on your breathing.  Calm breathing is key to being calm and relaxed.  In fact, if you are around someone who is feeling anxious be sure to slow down and deepen your own breathing into a calming rhythm as this will naturally be calming for the other person. 

Begin by gently exhaling out through your mouth, as if you are blowing out a candle. Slowly blow out all of the air. Inhale through your nose focusing on slowing down your breathing. Exhale through your nose completely, being sure to release all the air. (When we are anxious, we have a tendency to take big inhales and shorten our exhales, when in fact the exhales should be longer until you can establish a soothing rhythm). 

Stress-O-Meter

It is helpful to think of stress as a function of addition and subtraction on a Stress–O–Meter. When you first wake up think of stress being at zero and as the day goes on stress accumulates on the Meter. Instead of leaping out of bed with a racing mind spiking the Stress-o-Meter, pause and take a few leisurely deep breaths, letting your exhale take longer than your inhales. Visualize yourself staying calm and peaceful during the day. You can even read something like an inspirational quote.  During the day keep the Meter in mind and when you feel tension building up pause, and again take the leisurely breaths and soften your face and shoulders, breathing in a sense of calmness and breathing out tension. 

Learning stress and anxiety techniques to increase your wellbeing can be life changing for yourself, your

friends and family.

New Fall Classes Open for Registration!

Did you know that people in Ancient China paid their Doctor’s to keep them healthy and would stop paying when they got sick? Their focus was on preventive medicine. 

In the West we have what is known as ‘sick-care’. People go to the Doctor when they become sick.

It is very helpful to think preventively whenever you are able to.

With this in mind I’m excited to offer these two upcoming courses in the Fall:

Lively Movements to Age Well for Women

Understanding Anxiety for Wellbeing workshop series

I look forward to seeing you, in health!

Life is Amazing!

Life is amazing.

And then it’s awful.

And then it’s amazing again.

And in between the amazing and the awful

It’s ordinary and mundane and routine.

Breathe in the amazing, hold on through 

the awful, and relax and exhale 

during the ordinary. That’s just living.

Heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing,

 awful, ordinary life. 

And it’s breathtakingly beautiful. 

       - LR Knost

The Importance of Humour

Two mice wanted to become spiritual so what did they buy? ……. ‘Holy’ cheese.

Want to Feel Lighter? Try keeping a humour journal.

Because laughter is scientifically proven to be very beneficial for you both physically and mentally it is a practice worth cultivating.

And the good news is if you think you have no sense of humour, humour can be learned.  

We have gratitude journals why not create a humour journal? This will train your mind to start focusing on having some laughs during the day, the more the better!

For seven days look for a couple of different situations happening in your life and see if you can see the humour in the situation and write it down in your journal.  And you can also look for and keep a joke such as this one, it is so corny and yet I laugh every time I read it. After seven days you may notice yourself laughing more and decide to keep the journal going!

Cell Phone Safety

Cell phones have become a part of most people’s everyday life, and because we use them so often it is helpful to know some good strategies to optimize safety around them.

The California Department of Public Health recently put out a warning about cell phone overuse. They state that the science is still evolving, however lab experiments and studies have suggested the possibility of long-term cellphone use to be linked to certain types of cancer, lower sperm counts, headaches and effects on learning, memory, hearing and sleep. 

I spent this past year working with a wonderful lady who recently passed away from brain cancer. She said while she may never know for sure what caused the cancer, she couldn’t help but wonder if the cancer came from her extensive use of her cellphone, thus the reason for this article.

Multiple studies have shown that children absorb more MWR (Microwave Radiation) than adults because their brain tissues are more absorbent, their skulls are thinner, and their relative size is smaller. Fetuses are particularly vulnerable, because MWR exposure can lead to degeneration of the protective sheath that surrounds brain neurons.

Until we know for sure here are some easy steps you may not know to minimize your exposure to EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies).

• Keep your phone off your body when you’re not using it. Keeping your phone just a few feet away from you can make a big difference!
• Carry your cell phone in a backpack, briefcase, etc. NOT in a pocket. Your cell phone does not emit RF energy when it’s in airplane mode (so keep it on airplane mode as much as possible).
• Don’t sleep with your phone near your head. Unless the phone is off or in airplane mode, keep it at least a few feet away from your bed. 
• Don’t rely on a “radiation shield” or other products claiming to block radiation from cell phones as they are unproven. 

Reduce or avoid using your cell phone when it is sending out high levels of RF (radio frequency) energy. This happens mainly when:
*You see only one or two bars displayed. Cell phones put out more RF energy to connect with cell towers when the signal is weak.  
*You are in a fast-moving car, bus, or train. Your phone puts out more RF energy to maintain connections to avoid dropping calls as it switches connections from one cell tower to the next unless it is in airplane mode.
*You are streaming audio or video or downloading or sending large files (try to keep the phone away from your head and body while doing this). 
*To watch movies or listen to playlists on your phone, download them first, and then switch to airplane mode while you watch or listen.

By taking these easy precautionary steps we can still enjoy all the benefits our cell phones offer! Please share these tips.

-Marnie