Stress Reduction for Parents -3rd wk

June 17, 2012

Reducing the Stress of Parenting – 3rd wk

This week is about how special gestures called mudras can get us out of our “fight or flight” responses. Just holding certain hand positions can change how we feel.  These gestures have been used all over the world for many centuries. (Two were introduced in my January 28th blog.) The important thing is to actually try them.

Today’s mudra is one I just made up.  Someone asked me for a “heart friendly mudra” So I experimented with finger positions until I felt relaxed, loved and loving.  Here it is.

1. Weave your fingers together, palms facing down.
2. Connect your thumbs, pads touching,
3. Connect your little fingers, pads touching.
4. If you like, put your hands, palms down, on a table or desk. (This position opens the chest.)
5. Breathe slowly and deeply, from way down in your belly, for a few minutes.
6. Become aware of how you are feeling.

(When I practice this mudra, I feel deeply relaxed, as if I were being hugged.)
Remember, a relaxed parent is more resilient.  That’s why self-nurture is so important!

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Reducing the St…

June 9, 2012

Reducing the Stress of Parenting – 2nd week.

This week’s stress reduction tips come out of my thirty  years as a massage therapist. I often use them as warm up exercises when teaching mudras from my book, “Mudras: Ancient Gestures to Ease Modern Stress.”

As promised, you’ll learn to massage your own shoulders, arms and hands. The brushing strokes off the arms, hands and fingers are all a very light pressure. (Heavier pressure should always be towards the heart.) The brushing strokes feel like they help your body release tension, leaving you more relaxed.

1. We’ll start with the shoulders. Take your right hand and firmly grasp the top of your left shoulder right up by the neck. Move slightly to the right and grasp again. Continue until you’ve reached the far edge of your shoulder. Repeat three times.

2. Switch hands. Repeat exactly what you did on the right shoulder on the left shoulder.

3.We move on to the arms. Take your right hand and brush gently down from the top of your left arm all the way to the left hand and off the fingers. Repeat three times.

4. Brush gently off each finger, grasping each finger between the thumb and pointer finger of your right hand. Repeat three times

5. Run your right fingers between the bones on the back of your left hand.  Repeat three times.

6. Switch hands.  Repeat exactly what you did on the left arm on the right arm, etc.

7. Turn your left hand palm up. Make  big circles in the palm of your left hand with the thumb of your right hand, about six times.

8. Switch hands. Repeat exactly what your did on the left palm on the right palm.

9.Take a moment to really feel your hands.  Do you notice any difference in how they feel now, after being massaged?

Just minutes of self nurture like this a day can impact our parenting in a positive way.  A more relaxed parent is a more resilient parent!

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Reducing the Stress of Parenting

June 1, 2012

I’ve been become the “Stress Expert” at Parenting Press because I’ve written a book called “Mudras; Ancient Gestures to Ease Modern Stress,” and because of my thirty years experience as a massage therapist.
 During the month of June, we’ll talk about the following ways to reduce stress:
 1. Breathing, slowly and deeply.
 2.Simple self-massage of the shoulders, neck,  head and hands.
 3. Gestures that can move us from anxious to calm, tense to relaxed, scattered to focus.
 4. How we can teach some of these same skills to our children.

 Let us start with the breath. Whenever I work on the shoulders of clients, I ask them to take four long, deep breaths from way down in their belly. As they do this, I can feel their  muscles start to relax. Anyone can do this.  And it gets them out of their “fight or flight” responses. So, just try it.  The next time you become aware that your neck or shoulders are tight, try breathing with awareness.

Here is how to do it:

Get in a comfortable position.  Your back should be straight, your feet uncrossed.
Begin breathing. Start with your belly. Place a hand on your belly to feel it filling up.
Keep breathing as your belly fills up, your chest expands, and your lungs fill up.
Pause – When you can’t breathe in anymore, be aware of your breath for just a moment.
Release Breath. Your lungs start emptying out, your chest contracts, and then your belly feels empty.
Pause again. Be aware of your empty belly for just a moment.
Start the cycle over. Begin breathing again.

It’s hard to believe something this simple can relieve stress, but it can and it does. The more you practice, the more it will help.

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