Often, the most stressful moments are those that are spent immersed in what has happened in the past or worried about what will happen in the future. This kind of stress can create a lot of wear and tear on the body and mind. Learning how to be more present in the moment can help to mitigate the stressors of life.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott.
Here are two practices for bringing your body back into balance after a stressful moment (or moments)
- Take some time (even 10 minutes) to go for a walk. Move your body, get your circulation going, clearing your mind of stressful thoughts and lingering stress hormones that keep you out of balance.
- When you are sitting at your desk, or in your car, or otherwise unable to head out for a walk, try these moves.
- Sit up tall, drop your shoulders, feel the crown of your head being gently lifted, as your sacrum gently is pulled toward the earth- feel the space in your spine and your center
- Pay attention to your breath, allowing it to expand into your belly, letting your chest and shoulders remain relaxed.
- Bring your attention to something that is unique to this moment, it can be the color of the grass, the sounds of the wind, or something else that is happening in the present moment.
- Try shaking. Let your body bounce and shake, loosening your joints and letting yourself be free with your movement. This allows the completion of the stress cycle and allows your body to release any lingering stress hormones that have accumulated.
Allow yourself to remain in this place of mindful alignment for at least one minute. You can do this even while other things are going on. It simply brings your awareness to now, and you invite your body to release into this moment. By cultivating this, you are promoting the release of hormones which calm, heal, and support your body in coming back to a place of balance.
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