by Brittiney George
Every day, in multiple ways emotionally and physically, you
are transitioning.
The morning alarm begins your sprint. While you were sleeping your phone was
loading up with new offers, information, suggestions, and requests. Life’s runaway train came beckoning to
you and you purchased your ticket.
Your mind careens through your calendar at breakneck speed, twisting,
turning, sidestepping, rushing, until the inevitable crash at the end of the
day leaves the body feeling wrung out and exhausted.
It is afterall, your body and your nervous system that have
been taking the hits of a pressurized life. When their warning signs go unheeded,
your system eventually shuts down to conserve the energy and oxygen it needs to
survive. It makes it hard to feel
like you can really “show up” anywhere. Your head is still in the problems of
the day even if your body is at home.
Herein lies the value of transitional ceremonies. Clear opening and closings in
transitions let clarify expectations so your brain and body are not firing on
all cylinders all day. The ceremony doesn’t have to big, loud, or long, just
intentional. Here are some ideas:
Power of the Pause
(Arrive before you Engage):
Pause when you get in your car, pull into work, in between
clients, or before the next task.
It can be as quick as a single breath. Give yourself the gift of time to land where you are, see
your surroundings, and to let your body and brain get in the same conversation.
Scent Signaling (The
Nose Knows):
The nose is a powerful ally to use in transition and one of
the quickest ways to shifts states.
You can clear the head with the scent of coffee beans, or find your
favorite aromatherapy oil. Suggestion: Keep a few scents specific
to the place you use them in.
Ex. If you have a scent you
use to transition into your home, don’t also use it when you get to work. It is best to keep that scent to only
your home space so there is a clear message in your body when you smell it of
“I am home” which allows your nervous system to organize differently.
Rinse and Release:
Wash off your day.
A full shower or just rinsing from your elbows to your hands will work. Imagine the water is washing off any
stuck stress or energy that you want to release and easily and effortlessly going
down the drain.
Sing, Sigh, or
Shake:
Research shows that humming and singing create ease in the
nervous system thanks to our vagus nerve.
Not a singer or a hummer, let yourself sigh or let your body move to the
music. The body loves gentle
rhythmic motion, so go ahead and shake it out!
Bless the Space:
A blessing or mantra can help you connect to the intention
of the space your stepping in to.
These can be a quote or poem that resonates for you, or a simple
statement of a wish such as created when completing one of the statements
below.
May I….
May you…..
and together May we…
Opening and
Closing Ceremonies:
There is a reason the Olympics spend so much time on the
opening and closing ceremonies. We
love ceremony, because how things begin and end matter to us as a culture. Create
opening and closing ceremonies for your regular daily transitions. It may be a prayer, a blessing, writing
out a quick gratitude list, listening to the same song, or writing in your
journal.
If the intention is clear and the practice is consistent,
over time your body gets the message quickly that ties to it and is therefore
able to reregulate your nervous system and in a sense depressurize. You’re not
meant to live in a pressure cooker, or to carry everyone and everything around
with you in your body all day.
Honor yourself by honoring your transitions. Your body and brain will thank you for it!
Brittiney George, BS, CST-PRO, ICI,
CEIM, is a
Movement Practitioner and Somatic Therapist specializing in Transformative
Touch. She is also faculty member
of The Somatic Therapy Center. Her
areas of specialty include working with highly sensitive woman, and people that
are feeling stuck or immobilized in their everyday lives. She co-leads a monthly workshop series
called Connection, Expression and Movement and also teaches gentle, exploratory
movement classes at The Resiliency Center. For a free 55 min. introductory Somatic
Therapy sessio, contact Brittiney at 610-389-7866 or movebackintolife@gmail.com.
