Do you ever feel so overwhelmed that you feel like you can’t escape those feelings? Sometimes when we are in the middle of anxiety or feelings of trauma, we feel like the feelings will never pass – this brings on feelings of fear and helplessness as we move into a mode of “fight or flight”. When we get so deep into these emotions, our bodies and brains do a little disconnect as a survival mechanism and we have a hard time thinking rationally.
How do we get back to a calmer place? One way is by simply holding our own hearts. Holding our own hearts, or self-holding, is a technique developed by trauma expert Peter Levine, PhD to calm our nervous systems and bring ourselves back to our bodies. Practicing this technique can make it easier to come back to this calm place when you feel overwhelmed.
Self Holding Practice:*
- Start by placing one hand on your heart and one hand on your forehead.
- Allow your breath to flow naturally
- Notice your hands and how they feel on your forehead and heart
- Notice the area underneath your hands
Allow your hands to stay on for forehead and heart for a couple minutes or until you feel a natural shift – it may be very small – perhaps your heartbeat slows or your notice a change in how you are feeling.
- Move the hand on your forehead to your belly
- Keep the hand on your heart on your heart
- Allow your breath to flow naturally
- Notice your hands and how they feel on your heart and belly
- Notice the area underneath your hands
Allow your hands to stay on your heart and belly for a couple minutes or until you notice a little shift. You can stay in this position for longer if you feel compelled to.
Once you are done, release your hands, take a deep breath, and notice any changes in your mind, body, and emotions.
This exercise is using the body to calm itself, since it is hard to think with our brains when we are overwhelmed. Placing our hands on our bodies may create the sense of having a container for all the feelings and thoughts happening within ourselves. By placing our hands on our bodies gently, it also teaches us to be kind to ourselves.
❤
May you have peace within,
Julia
*Self-holding practice adapted from New Synapse Tools For Self Healing at https://www.new-synapse.com/aps/wordpress/?p=234
