Five easy steps to get back on track
Are you feeling blocked? Having trouble making decisions? Stuck in a negative spiral?
This easy 5 minute routine is one of my best strategies for getting back on track and feeling positive again. It comes from Brain Gym and is used by all sorts of people from struggling students to creative executives. It helps to clear brain fog, relieve physical tension and restore a sense of calm control.
First of all do a quick check in with yourself. You already know that you're not feeling good, but let's get more specific:
Do you have any aches, pains or tight muscles?
How does your head feel - tight, foggy, full or something else?
How is your breathing?
What are you feeling - anxious, stuck, foggy, uncomfortable or something else?
Can you rate your feeling on a scale 0 to 10? 10 would be the most intense and negative and 0 feels good and positive.
Anything else that you notice?
This is your 'before' picture. Put it aside for now and do the next 5 steps.
1. Have a drink of water. You may just need a couple of sips or you may need more. Enjoy as much as you need to satisfy your thirst.
2. Thymus Tap. Put all the fingers on one hand together with your thumb. Place them on the centre of your breastbone as shown by the large spot in the picture.
This is over the thymus gland. Tap here about 20 times. Tapping to a waltz rhythm (1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3) works well.
3. Rub your brain buttons. These are master points that help improve circulation to the brain. Put the fingers of one hand on your navel. Place the fingers and thumb of other hand on your collarbones. The thumb is on one side and index and pointer fingers on the other collarbone - see the 2 smaller spots shown on the picture. Rub the points and hold the navel while moving your eyes from side to side. Then swap hands and repeat.
4. Do the Cross Crawl. March in place swinging your arms freely and bringing one hand at a time to tap it's opposite knee. Right hand to left knee, left hand to right knee. Continue like this for about a minute. This movement pattern can also be done while sitting or lying down. (Note some people may find this challenging. If you are one of those people then contact me and ask about booking a time for a re-patterning session)
5. Do Cooks Hook-up. This has 2 positions which can be done either while seated (easiest) or standing. To make it harder and challenge your sense of balance try it standing with your eyes closed.
For the first position:
Cross your ankles.
Put the backs of your hands together out in front of you. Cross your wrists so your palms are facing each other and interlace your fingers. Bend your elbows and bring the hands in and up, towards your chest.
Relax in this position for a minute or longer, placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth as you breathe in and relaxing it as you breathe out.
For the second position:
Uncross both hands and feet. Have your ankles touching each other. Bring your hands together with the palms flat, so your thumbs and all fingertips meet. Relax in this position for around 30 seconds, continuing the original breathing technique – breathing in while the tongue is on the roof of the mouth, and relaxing the tongue while breathing out.
Having finished these five steps it's time to check in with your body again.
How are you feeling? Rate your feeling on the same 0 - 10 scale you used earlier. 10 would be the most intense and negative and 0 feels good and positive.
How are the aches, pains or the tight muscles that you noticed before?
How does your head feel - has it cleared at all?
Compare your breathing to before.
Is there anything else you notice?
After doing these movements most people will experience improvement in at least one area. Breathing could be slower and deeper, physical tension may have eased, thoughts could feel calmer with increased ability to focus.
There is no limit on the number of times these Brain Gym exercises can be used in a day. For best results do them in the morning when you wake up and anytime over the day you notice yourself feeling stuck, negative or having trouble making decisions.
This is a great self help technique and along with the Emotional Stress Relief technique (scroll to the end of this post) it's one I regularly give to my clients to help integrate the work we do during their sessions with me. If you're ready for some expert help and If you'd like to experience faster, deeper and more profound changes in your physical, emotional and mental health then it's time to contact me to book your sessions.
Call Gail Allen Kinesiology
0405 970 058
