Resources for Wellness
Moving Your Body & Moving the Energy
Darling Kahn, Y. (2009). Movement Medicine: How to Awaken, Dance and Live Your Dreams.
Judith, A. (2018). Charge and The Energy Body: The Vital Key to Healing Your Life, Your Chakras, and Your Relationships.
Buddhify app (not just for Buddhists, but a supportive app for learning how to relax, reduce stress, and sleep better.)
For a Healthy Sex Life
Kerner, I. (2004). She Comes First: the thinking man’s guide to pleasuring a woman.
Exercises for Creating more Emotional and Energetic Balance
Use your best judgment when using these exercises. They are not a cure and may not be enough to help if you are in crisis. If you are having symptoms of a panic attack or feeling suicidal, please call me or 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Straw Breath:
Inhale as much as you can then exhale slowly through a straw or an imaginary straw (lips pursed like you were blowing out through a real straw). Repeat 3 times.
Scull Tap:
Using all your fingers on both hands, start at the base of your skull (where there’s an indent) and tap as hard as you can (but don’t hurt yourself), alternating hands, from back to front. Imagine you had your hair parted right down the middle (scary I know!). Stop when you get to your forehead where your hair ends and then go back to where you started. Then pick your fingers up, put them at the top of your head and alternate tapping down to your ears and then reverse back to the top of your head. Repeat the first part – back to front.
Face Tap:
Using all your fingers, start at the temples of the head (home base), tap along the brow line to the center of the forehead (above your nose), and return to the temples. Next tap along the upper cheekbone to your nose and back to the temples. Next tap along the lower cheekbone to the middle of your upper lip, tap there several times, and then return to the temples. Next tap from the temples along your jawline to the middle of your lower lip, tap there several times, and then return to your temples. Last, tap around your ears and back to your temples.
Arm Scoop:
Standing up, make sure nothing is around you. Soften your knees. With both hands at your sides, take one hand and imagine you are scooping up water, raise your arm to shoulder height, and then turn your hand over, letting the ‘water’ fall out. As you lower that arm, begin to raise your other arm, scooping up the water and then releasing it by turning your palm face down when you reach shoulder height. Alternate each arm scooping and releasing, working to get an easy rhythm. Do this for a minute or so, pause, see how you feel, and continue if you want.
Movement!
When there’s more fear in the collective than we can actively move to resolve, it’s easy for there to be a backlog – creating over-active minds, to panic attacks or even shutdown & depression. The best way to deal with this is to shake the stress out of your body – MOVE IT, with consciousness. If you run, then think about your feet and arms releasing the energy out of your body. Chop wood with intent to release. Dance with awareness of each part of your body – Dancing body scan! Remember to check in with yourself via journal or a good friend. Remember to clean and clear your media every day or twice a day. Look up at the news (reading is easier on the system than verbal/images of tv or computer video) but don’t bathe in the news. Remember to do Standing Tree every day: say hello to your deep roots, mama earth and thank her for all she provides, remember you are connected to this earth, apologize for ‘forgetting’ that connection and taking from her in ways that hurt her and everyone and everything (we are all guilty of an inherited system that’s built on taking more than we give). Dance to the 4 Elements: Earth, Fire, Water, Air: say thank you to each one, explore how they live in your body each day, each moment. Rest in Yin a little each day, receiving the gift of gravity and silence and deep source of life; then choose an action from your heart that you can do to make a difference – time to engage with life from your strengths and your gifts. You matter! The World needs the gift of who you are to show up, right now!
Voice work:
Hum with your lips closed. Start with making a nasal sound in your cheek/sinus area. Move the hum down into your throat, and then into your chest. When you have done this for a few minutes, rest and notice how you feel. Lip rolls – breathing out through your lightly closed lips and letting them vibrate against each other (like you were imitating a horse). If it doesn’t happen, try gently pushing up on your cheeks with your fingers and making the same lip vibrating sound. Laughing at/with yourself is medicine too – this should be fun! You can then try making a sound into (or from) any area of your body that feels tight. Be gentle with your voice and never force it.
Rocking on Sit Bones:
Slowly rock back and forth until your spine, neck, and the head begins to undulate. Ahhh!
Donna Eden Daily Energy Routine - Click Here
There are many variations of tapping on acupressure points in the body. Rather than listing them here, check out Dona Eden’s routine. She is the real deal even if we are not always used to talking about energy in the way that she does. Just try it and see what works for you. There are many, many online resources right now for meditation, yoga, movement, and dance. I’ll be sharing more as time goes on. Call me if you have any questions about any of these suggestions!
With care and love,
Charlotte