calming technique Archives

Get Centered in 3 Steps

Posted by Ellen Sichel on May 9, 2011

There are times when we feel stressed or upset and we need to calm down quickly. There is a meeting, test, or some other task that needs us at our best and time is of the essence.

Try this simple calming and centering technique to use when you need to quickly be calm and focused:

1. Stand with your feet side by side.

Imagine a plum- line dropping down from above:
It goes though the center of your skull
It moves down through the center of your body, following the front of your spine
It continues down between your hips and drops through your pelvic floor
It moves down between your legs
It lands right between the arches of your feet.

2. Keep your awareness on the plum line and feel your feet planted in the ground.

3. Take a few easy breaths

You are ready to face the day!

Let me know if the comments below how this worked for you. Were you able to use this to help with a challenging situation? If it did not help, what do you think happened?

Tags: calming technique, centered for meeting, centering techniques, focus, stressed, upset, work stress

Posted in: Technique of the Week

Cathy is a Cancer Survivor with Back Pain

Posted by Ellen Sichel on April 20, 2011

Cathy’s Challenges

I am a three time breast cancer survivor. It had been three years since my last cancer diagnoses and I finally felt well enough to do some traveling. Unfortunately, the consequence was chronic back pain.

What Cathy Tried

I had done yoga in the past and never really enjoyed it, finding it difficult and boring.

What Worked for Cathy

When I do Custom Calm yoga poses I use props, so the poses were fairly easy to do. The teacher pays close attention to everyone, giving individual attention to anyone who needs help. The teacher is exceptional and I find the time flies by.

It is a very different experience from all of the yoga that I had tried before. I felt very relaxed after the first class and after just three or four classes, my back pain dissipated. I also experienced more energy and an improved state of well-being. I started incorporating the poses in a daily home practice.

I attended some of the meditation classes and began a breathing practice too. I found that whenever I felt stressed, doing the breathing routines, in conjunction with the yoga poses, really helped relax me. The most important lesson I have learned is how imperative it is to stay in the moment, not focusing on the past or looking into the future.

What you can learn from Cathy’s Experience

Not all yoga is the same. With proper support and attention, pain can be alleviated. It is easy to learn practices to incorporate into your daily living. The benefits that the practices had on Cathy went way beyond her back pain. Every part of her daily life improved.

*Last name has been left off for anonymity.

Tags: back pain, breath, calming technique, cancer, chronic low back pain, improved well-being, relax, supported yoga, yoga

Posted in: This Stuff Works

Sigh, Swing and De-Stress

Posted by Ellen Sichel on March 7, 2011

Today’s technique relieves stress in nearly any situation and can be used at any time.

Sit in a comfortable position, somewhere that your spine can sit upright.

Take a moment and check in on how you are feeling.

You are going to sigh – a total of three times. You want to start by inhaling and exhaling the first breath with an audible sound. After the first sigh, momentarily stay with the pause at the end.

You are not holding your breath; you are simply noticing the space at the end of the sigh.

Think of a swing. After it goes up, there is a moment of stillness before it comes back down. That is your breath – and you observing it.

Do this a total of three times, each time staying with the pause a few moments longer, without straining. Check in on your state and let me know what you noticed.

You can use this simple tool anytime you feel stressed.

After doing so, please report back and let me know how it went in the comments below. Did it help with your stress level in the moment? If not, why do you think that was? If you have any questions, please ask.

Tags: breath, calming technique, centering, centering techniques, pause with breath, state of mind, stillness, stress relief

Posted in: Technique of the Week