For the past several sessions, we have been focusing on relaxation and meditative techniques, to help group members develop\u00a0tools to regulate stress, improve focusing, and modulate moods.\u00a0 Here is a summary of the methods we have worked on.\u00a0 Please contact me if you’d like to schedule an appointment to learn more about these methods.<\/p>\n

Key ideas in Relaxation and Meditative Techniques<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0 Managing anxiety and stress utilizes the cognitive skills we work on in group.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0 We have been introducing several Relaxation Techniques<\/strong>, to give individuals a tool to reduce the physiological effects of anxiety and stress.<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0 The first step in most relaxation techniques is Diaphragmatic Breathing (DB), <\/strong>also called \u201cbelly breathing\u201d.\u00a0 This is the normal way of breathing for many individuals. \u00a0But people who are prone to stress and anxiety often shift over to Thoracic Breathing, also called chest breathing–this is a shallower type of breathing which tends to be used under \u201cemergency conditions\u201d, but may over time become the predominant breathing method.\u00a0 To learn diaphragmatic breathing (DB), the first step is to relax the chest and abdomen.\u00a0 Focus on letting the abdomen swell, or bulge outward, to the front and\/or sides, as you inhale.\u00a0 It feels as if you are breathing into your stomache, although of course the air is going into the lungs.\u00a0 Then release the air slowly, and the diaphragm returns to its resting position.\u00a0 There are a number of positions for the chest and arms that can help you acquire DB, by immobilizing the chest and making it easier for the diaphragm to take over the breathing function.<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0 Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)<\/strong> is a technique that begins with DB, and then guides the individual to tense and relax various muscle groups.\u00a0 The goal is to notice the difference between tense and relaxed muscle states, and to be able to move intentionally into a relaxed muscle state.\u00a0 This is taught in phases, beginning with \u201cfull tensing\u201d and gradually moving to \u201cno tensing\u201d.<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0Visualization<\/strong> is a technique in which you create a specific image of a relaxing, stress-free place, and imagine the sensations you would experience in this soothing setting.\u00a0 This is usually done in conjunction with DB, and draws upon the mind\u2019s self-monitoring capacity:\u00a0 i.e. when we are picturing a relaxing setting and imagining those sensations, the mind believes we are actually<\/span> there, and shuts off the stress response.<\/p>\n

6)\u00a0\u00a0Mindfulness<\/strong> is more of a meditative perspective than a specific technique, and involves increased awareness of and involvement in the present moment, leading to an increased capacity to live in the \u201cflow\u201d of the experience, rather than observing, criticizing, doubting, and generating distress about the experience.\u00a0 There are several exercises\u00a0 to help children \u201csample\u201d a mindful perspective, which can be applied to many daily situations.<\/p>\n

7)\u00a0\u00a0Handwarming<\/strong>, or temperature biofeedback, is another way to relax, by increasing blood flow to the periphery.\u00a0 This is especially helpful for circulatory conditions such as Reynaud\u2019s disorder and prevention of migraine headaches.\u00a0 It is also a useful way to monitor the effectiveness of your relaxation technique, since relaxation generally involves a warming of the skin.\u00a0 We use Biodots<\/strong>, a temperature sensitive sticker that can be placed on the back of the hand, near the joint of the thumb and first finger; the sticker changes color as the skin temperature changes.\u00a0 Your child will get one of these to use at home.<\/p>\n

8)\u00a0\u00a0These are powerful techniques which can have lifelong benefits<\/strong>, both in terms of mental and physical health.\u00a0 Learning these techniques requires regular practice, and anyone can learn them.\u00a0 Children often find them somewhat frustrating initially, and even \u201csilly\u201d, and may need encouragement.\u00a0 Individuals vary in terms of how much practice is required to feel a benefit.\u00a0 Some will experience a profound change in feeling almost immediately, while others may need several weeks of practice.\u00a0 Practicing a basic technique such as PMR will generally produce very good results within 3 months, and 6 months to a year of using a relaxation technique will deepen its effectiveness.\u00a0 There are many variations on these techniques.<\/p>\n

Sample activities to try at home:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0Try using a relaxation or meditation technique with your son or daughter.\u00a0 If there is one that you already practice, you can take turns teaching each other.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0Encourage your child to find one or two times per day to practice, and some components can be practiced frequently throughout the day, without others noticing, e.g. diaphragmatic breathing.<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0You can make individual appointments to learn more any of these techniques (kids and\/or parents).\u00a0 It is also possible that we could offer a Saturday morning workshop for children or parents who want more guided practice.<\/p>\n

Learn, practice, and enjoy!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Check this page for monthly newsletters!\u00a0 Please send us your suggestions on topics of interest to you and your family. For the past several sessions, we have been focusing on relaxation and meditative techniques, to help group members develop\u00a0tools to regulate stress, improve focusing, and modulate moods.\u00a0 Here is a summary of the methods we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.connectionscagp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/103"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.connectionscagp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.connectionscagp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.connectionscagp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.connectionscagp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=103"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/www.connectionscagp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137,"href":"http:\/\/www.connectionscagp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/103\/revisions\/137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.connectionscagp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}