How to use your body to soothe your mind.

Calm Practice

Drop Your Armor

Isometric muscle relaxation teaches us the difference between tension and relaxation. 

Try this exercise when you are feeling stressed or anxious.

Hold each muscle group tense for seven (7) seconds then release, allowing it to feel heavy. Visualize tension melting away like honey. It can be helpful to say a cure to yourself when you relax your muscles such as, “Let go”, “Soften”, or “Relax”.

Areas to tense:

• Hold on to the bottom of your seat and pull yourself down into it, feeling tension in your arms and shoulders.
• Scrunch up all your face muscles.
• Tense through your chest and belly as if you are bracing to be tackled or punched in the stomach.
• Squeeze your gluteal muscles together.
• Flex your feet and tense all the muscles in your legs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Ballagh, R. (2024). Drop Your Armor. 101 Ways to Find Calm: How to Use Your Body to Soothe Your Mind. P. 20.