I hope you are doing okay in these intense times. Today, I want to share some inspiration and tips about finding balance in body and mind.
It’s been a while since I wrote to you because I’ve been working with an organization called First Aid of the Soul. This expressive arts therapy-based non-profit helps people affected by the war in Ukraine. As a volunteer, I’ve learned so much about stress and trauma, and how to prevent them, from the incredible people I’ve had the privilege to work with.
We work with people of all ages and from all over the world, using sensory-oriented, embodied, and creative methods that reduce stress immediately. Our goal is to prevent trauma and PTSD for everyone we work with. What we’re already seeing is that while many are close to a breaking point, others are growing both personally and spiritually through the crisis. For most, it’s a combination. But one thing is true for everyone: they can be helped.
We’ve realized that the creative and body-based methods used in expressive arts therapy are often more effective and stress-reducing than purely cognitive approaches.
Did you know that you can prevent trauma during crises by reducing stress and maintaining daily balance? And did you know that your calm and healthy balance can positively influence those around you?
There are many good reasons to reduce stress. But how do you maintain a healthy balance during times of global crisis, and in an everyday life full of work, screens, obligations, and too little nature, play, and contact with other living beings?
I’d like to share 10 simple, creative exercises for quick stress management, self-healing, and growth. Most of them are also part of my upcoming Art of Self-Healing Cards, which we will use in our work with war victims. Here they are (feel free to do the exercises outdoors, only do what feels good, and take care of yourself – these methods are for self-help and are not a replacement for professional therapy):
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Put on music you love and dance. Get your heart rate up gently, then lie down, rest, and let it all settle again.
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Feel your buttocks in the seat and your feet on the floor – or directly on the ground. Look around and name a few things you can see.
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Repeat exercise 2, but now look for a specific color. Count how many places you find it and notice your breathing.
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Move as you like in silence for a few minutes. Make sure you have enough space and feel safe.
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Imagine your safest, most nourishing, beautiful place where you can rest. Draw it or write a short story about it.
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Stretch. Notice what your body wants and follow it. Cross your arms on your chest and hug yourself, or pat gently on your right and left sides for extra calm.
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Feel your body and breathing as it is. Try emphasizing your exhalation and sigh loudly a few times. Feel your body again.
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Take a piece of clay, paper, or anything you can shape or color. Let all your emotions flow into it. Then look at what you created. Notice anything surprising or new, and create something more from that.
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Place your hand in the center of your chest and notice your breathing. Imagine breathing in and out through your heart.
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Notice a stressful thought. Write it down and see if it can be rewritten into something more true, loving – or just the opposite, even if it sounds silly.
Did one or more of these exercises resonate with you? Let me know if you’d like to be among the first to hear when the new Art of Self-Healing Cards are ready.
You can also support First Aid of the Soul here.
With love and creativity,
Karin
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