Techniques for Mental and Emotional Health: Part 1

If you research mental and emotional health on Google and other places you will find 100’s of solutions. At Mooresville, Active Spine Chiropractic we believe in “baby steps.” When you take smaller steps you are more likely to succeed in whatever you are trying to change or accomplish. In this two part series we are going to share 6 easy techniques that will drastically change your mental and emotional health.

Mental and Emotional Health Technique #1 Practice the Yoga Breath

With the yoga breath you are focusing on allowing the breath to arise from your abdomen, then your chest and finally your shoulders. In order to breathe that way, however , you have to pay attention to your breath. You can use the same attention to he breath to relax yourself. Just close your eyes and tun your attention to the place your breath is arising from. Take a slow, deep breath in, and then breathe out, focusing on how the breath leaves the body naturally. Within a few breaths, you’ll find yourself relaxing. Several full yoga breaths for fifteen minutes in a seated position is one o the easiest ways to ficus the mind while letting the body take a “breather”-literally.

Mental and Emotional Health Technique #2 Focus on Your Body

Try this exercise. Lie down on the floor, preferably on a carpeted surface or on a mat of some kind. Your legs and arms should not be crossed. Begin by tensing the muscles in your toes and fees as much as possible. Hold the tension for a count of five, until you can feel the muscles tensing completely, hen immediately let them relax. Your muscles should feel heavy and totally relaxed. Do the same thing with the ankles, calf muscles, knees, thigh muscles, buttock muscles, pelvis, and chest, tensing each set of muscles completely and then letting them go. Then, starting with your fingers, tense the fingers, hands, arms, shoulders, and neck in sequence, tensing each set of muscles and then letting them go. When you get to your head, tense the jaw muscles, the eyes, the forehead,and the scalp in order, letting each group of muscles go in turn. Keep breathing deeply throughout the entire exercise.

Mental and Emotional Health Technique #3 Focus on Nature

Nature is on of the most healing and relaxing forces available to us. Yet with the busyness of today’s world, we often fail to notice its miracles. relax your mind and feed your your thirst for beauty by spending a few moments in nature, appreciating its wonder. Sit by a body of water. Stroll through a park or a garden, Mow your lawn or work in the yard ( but only if you enjoy doing so.) Listen to the sounds of the birds in the trees. Even in the most concrete-filled cities, there is something you can appreciate- blue sky or the clouds racing past, the feel of rain or the sound of a water fountain. Even a tress or a plant can help you connect to the nurturing force of nature’s beauty.