The Four Elements: Earth, Air, Water & Fire This technique can help ground you when youre feeling overwhelmed. EARTH - Grounding, Safety in the Present/Reality: Take a minute or two to land and truly be in the present. Put both feet on the ground and feel the chair supporting you. Look around and notice what you see and hear. AIR - Breathing to Center Yourself: You may have a favorite breathing exercise you can do here. You may also breathe in through your nose to the count of four, hold it for two seconds, and then breathe out for four seconds. You can repeat this as many times as you want to, focusing on deep, slow breaths. WATER - Be Calm and Controlled to Switch on the Relaxation Response: Pay attention to your mouth, and see how much saliva you have in it. Make more by moving your tongue around and imagining the taste of lemon, chocolate, or a favorite food. When you are anxious your mouth often dries, although this technique can reverse the response and help you relax. FIRE - Light up the Path of Your Imagination: Bring up the image of a safe place or another positive resource. Imagine yourself being on a beautiful and peaceful beach, forest or the mountains, or being safe with my family. As you think about the positive thought or memory, focus on where you feel it in your body. Now remind yourself that you are safe, and that you can continue to feel the security of your feet on the ground, feel cantered as you breathe in and out, feel calm and in control as you produce more saliva, and let the fire light the path to your imagination to bring up an image of a place where you feel safe or happy. Adapted from Francine Shapiros EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 11:48:09 +0000
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