“For as the body is only as healthy as its individual cells, the world is only as healthy as its individual souls.
”
— Mark Nepo

We often look to our mind to address the challenges we face. Our bodies, however, provide a powerful mechanism to bring us into the present in a way with which the mind simply struggles.

The following practices can help us find the calm in a storm, organization in midst of chaos, orientation in midst of overwhelm...

 

Audio Practices for Building Resilience

The Basic Wheel of Awareness Practice - open and focused attention

The Wheel of Awareness is a concept and practice created by Dr. Daniel Siegel to help open and focus our attention, and address a whole of host of challenges that we face as living, breathing, feeling beings. Dr. Siegel offers 3 different guided practices on his website, and I have created a recording as well which offers a different flavor - somewhat softer, slower and less scientifically-minded practice than Dan offers in his recording.

 

Video Practices for Building Resilience

The following videos were brought you with love from me in the places that inspire me and contribute to my calm. For more details, you can find blog posts about each of them.

I recently attended an Embodied Psychology Summit online and learned a practice by Rick Hanson (rickhanson.net) that he calls, "Three Breaths". While sitting...

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. Life is difficult. COVID makes it harder. Climate change is yet another layer on top. Thus, b...

Chaotic times we're living in right now, between COVID and climate change. It's normal and natural to get caught up in the thoughts, fears, and overwhelming ...

Another way to bring yourself into the moment, to slow the reeling thoughts or sense of stress, chaos, or overwhelm, is to listen to the sounds around you - ...

 

Practice Ideas for Reference

The following practices are examples of some of those that we did at Climate Camp in February 2020, at Menucha Retreat Center. The associated links in red will take you to external websites with instruction and potential benefits. The words in bold provide a few of the benefits that you may experience from doing the practice.

  • Quick sensory practice - orienting / safety

  • The Inner Caver - interoception/ grounding

  • Rocks/wood Exercise - grounding /settling

  • Controlled Breathing* - mastery / organization

  • The Tree - trust / relaxation

  • Resourcing - connection / safety

  • Shaking - activating   

  • Asymmetrical Stretch Dancing (with music) - expansion

  • Wall push - grounding

  • Name 6 colors in the room - orienting

  • Drink a glass of water or juice - calming

  • Count backwards from 10 (for children) or 100 (for adults) - settling

For instruction or additional details on the these practices, schedule a free Discovery Session with me or attend a Climate Camp workshop retreat or online workshop.

 

Influencers

These practices are sourced in, inspired by or adapted from a multitude of approaches, organizations and individuals, for which I feel incredibly grateful and highly recommend - some of which I have listed below. See my Reading page for additional resources, as well.

*Be aware that breath-based practices can bring up trauma feelings for some people

ACC