Therapy Toolkit- Day 1

“I got hurt”, she said, running towards me.

I hugged her and she immediately asked, “Do you have the medicine and band-aid?”

I was surprised that my 2-year-old niece knew what to do when you got hurt, physically.

And here is an irony, we adults don’t know what to do when we feel upset, sad, guilty. We don’t know how to process rejection, helplessness, loneliness and grief. We don’t know what to do when we get hurt emotionally.

And that’s when I decided to create a ‘Therapy Toolkit’ just like a first-aid box. These are the specific tools and powerful strategies that have guided me to shift my emotional states and keep me grounded amidst many personal challenges.

With the second wave of the pandemic, things are looking challenging. And I’m sensing emotional distress in people around.

So, starting today I will be sharing one tool from my Therapy Toolkit that you could use immediately to reduce the emotional intensity.

And here’s your first tool- Breathe

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh

Pause for a moment now and pay attention to your breath. Gently become aware of the inhalation and the exhalation.

And notice how are you breathing?

Is it slow?

Is it deep?

Or is it fast?

Or shallow?

Notice if you are holding your breath.

Our breathing pattern changes with the way we feel When you feel anger the way you breathe is different and when you are happy or excited the pattern of breathing is different.

Consciously becoming aware of the way, you breathe helps us to intentionally shift the way we feel. I’m sharing a video by Stewart Hamblin who teaches Feldenkrais method. I found this video useful.

Many of my clients who were tested COVID positive used this technique and found that they could breathe better.

Here’s the link to the video-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6nlNbgZQ5Q

I begin my day with conscious breathing and a set of pranayam (alternate nostril breathing and Bhramari pranayam). I’ve set reminders on my phone to practice conscious breathing many times a day. This is a simple and powerful tool that could help you stay grounded and reduce the intensity of any emotion that you may be experiencing.

Do try these tools to breathe better and share your feedback.

Wishing you strength.

Love & Light,

Gayatri Aptekar