How to use your body to soothe your mind.

Calm Practice

Ear 👂🏻Massage

We can create a beautiful sense of calm by massaging our ear. This is an effective way to activate our vagus nerve and turn on our parasympathetic nervous system. This simple technique can be practiced discreetly. We may notice signs of release such as, a deep spontaneous swallow, a yawn, a sigh, tummy gurgles, or a general sense of calming.

Try the following sequence for 30 – 60 seconds. You may practice with one ear at a time or both ears at the same time.

1. Massage 1: Press your finger into the little pressure point just under the ridge in your ear and make gentle, little circles.
2. Massage 2: Press your finger gently into the pressure point near the ear canal and make gentle, little circles.
3. Massage 3: Place your pointer and middle finger on the skin behind your ear. You can keep your fingers here or gently massage in an upward motion.
4. Massage 4: Lightly hold your ear lobe and pull your ear down and away from your skull. Then lightly hold the middle of your ear, pulling out and away. Then the lightly hold the top of your ear, pulling up and away from your head.

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Ballagh, R. (2024). Ear massage. 101 Ways to Find Calm: How to Use Your Body to Soothe Your Mind. P. 32-33.