The Gentle Shake-Out
Image by linktr.ee/wolfartbrazil
This month’s Therapy Treasure is for those who have a tendency to low mood during the winter. It can also be useful for burnt-out and shut-down due to long-term stress.
Great for: feeling low, shut-down, numb, depressed
This tool works by supporting gentle regulation of your nervous system. Although shutting-down and numbing-out protects us from the damaging effects of too much cortisol and the discomfort of anxiety and overwhelming feelings, it can leave us feeling depressed, numbed-out, low and lacking in our vital energy.
The remedy for shut-down is to bring some gentle energy back into the system in a way that feels good and satisfying, whilst avoiding over-stimulation which can stimulate more shut-down.
How to do it
Put on some music that you find relaxing, but also has a bit of a beat to it. Then plant your feet flat on the floor, hip width apart, and begin to shake from your pelvis.
The aim is to move just enough to feel good, but not so much that it feels harsh. See if you can get all the flesh on the lower part of your body – hips, thighs, tummy, bottom – moving rhythmically in a way that feels satisfying, with as little movement as possible. Don’t worry what you look like – put your attention into how it FEELS….
The Sweet Spot
Our nervous systems love repetitive movement – we tend to find it physiologically soothing – so this is what you are aiming for… To find the sweet spot in your body and match it with the right movement so it feels really GOOD!
Image by Cleyton Ewerton
I recommend going gently and quietly, rather than shaking like a mad-thing. You need to be able to really FEEL into what feels good to find the sweet spot where you are listening to your body and giving your system what it needs. If you shake too hard, you will miss the ‘still small quiet voice’ within your body. Ideally, you are aiming to let go of your mind and let your body take over.
You might find that you start shaking one part, and then you get the urge to change the movement and shake from another part, say your chest or your belly, rather than your hips. Or once you get going you might have the urge to get a bit more vigorous in your movements. Follow those urges…. They are your North Star in this practice. They are your system asking for what it needs.
Feelings
As you shake, you should begin to feel parts letting go and waking up. Maybe your insides will uncurl, your breath deepen… Maybe feeling will come back into parts that were numb.
Emotions may surface. If they do, make sure you keep on breathing! This will help the energy of the feelings to move on through. Cry if you need to, make noises, shout, or even laugh! All of this is the ‘stuckness’ dissolving and an important part of you getting yourself moving and vital again.
Contraindications
If you have experience of trauma, sometimes this practice can put you in touch with some of that trauma energy that is held within the body.
If you feel shaky, dizzy or light-headed: stop, place your hands against a wall and push hard into the wall. Breathe OUT in long slow breaths, so your out-breath is longer than the in-breath. Stamp your feet and continue to push against the wall, until you feel yourself coming back into your body.
You can then come back to the practice and try again. But if you find the practice continues to stimulate this response, then I would recommend getting some support from a practitioner who specialises in trauma.
Getting through the winter
So, there you have it… The Gentle Shake-Out. My suggestion is to incorporate this practice into your days through the winter. Little and often is good, maybe 10-15 minutes at a time. Even just 5 minutes can be beneficial. Longer sessions of 30 mins to an hour can give a deeper dive and support some lasting physiological changes.
My hope is that you’ll find your vitality gently returning to you, bit by bit, practice by practice, carrying you through the winter, ready and energised when Spring finally comes around again.
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And, if you are like me and you tend to read these kind of things but not get round to doing them, can I give you a little nudge to try it just for 5 minutes and see? You never know what might shift for you….
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As always, if you have any questions, please do get in touch.
Wishing you all a blessed and beautiful second half of the winter, and 2022 to come.
Warmly,
Miche
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