When clients lose their sense of aliveness and vitality, how can we help them reclaim it?
According to Dr. Tara Brach, we can begin by helping them notice the tension in their bodies.
In the video below, Tara shares a personal story of how this helped her reclaim her own sense of aliveness.
She also shares a simple practice that you can try right away.
Take a look – it’s about 5 minutes.
How have you used mindfulness to restore a sense of aliveness? Please leave a comment below.
I love that idea of anxiety being a “tensing against” something. Becoming aware (mindfulness) of where the “tensing against” originated, and allowing more faith, strength and courage into those situations can release the anxious tension, allowing one’s life force to flow.
Thanks You Tara and NICABM
Asking what are the sensations that you feel? Where do you feel it? usually helps my client.
Could it be that working with the mind only can be just it? Esp. Without guided supervision? I like more the collaborative concept of thus.
I see so many clients dealing with physical issues that I suspect or more to do with their mind and their thoughts. We definitely are mind, body, spirit beings. Very helpful. thank you
Wow, Thanks Ruth and Tara,
This is a “Bingo”……..In my work/play as a yoga and movement teacher as well as a SE Trauma Therapist & Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist, I am always trying to get adults, children, clients to tune in to their body, which never lies.
I often have students/clients notice and then talk to the body part where they feel the discomfort…..being ever so gentle, and then listen to what may unfold. Then I have them notice whether there is a color or how they would like to move that body part. It always is a precious moment, when this aliveness happens……
Blessed be and thank you!
Am I right in my understanding that if tension is a contraction against the present moment, we may be able, with acceptance of this tension and subsequent loving release, to discover a source of energy which is the beginning of healing?
Really nice analogy. Powerful 5 minutes.
I love how Tara Brach reminds us of the value of mindful awareness to restore our sense of aliveness. I teach and practice Continuum, as developed by the late somatic visionary Emilie Conrad. I consider Continuum an effective somatic mindfulness practice that develops our ability to be aware of our patterning interrupting or lessening the flow of aliveness in our bodies and to enhance that fluid aliveness.
Totally agree–” Tension in your body is a contraction against the present moment”
I practice Emilie Conrad’s continuum. A great approach for embodiment.
Yes, I agree! I love Continuum as a somatic mindfulness practice!
Thanks you Tara ! I love your analogy…..” Tension in your body is a contraction against the present moment”.
This is so true because the more we are were caught up in the tension in our own body , the more we become disconnected from whatever is happening around us.
Ill definitely use this with my clients.
I focus all my attention on my breathing for one full minute (8-12 breaths), feeling my breath and saying “gratefulness ” with the in-breath and “gratitude” with the out-breath. When thinking comes in, I surrender to it rather than try to fight it off. I acknowledge and accept it, and try to let it dissolve as I re-focus on my breathing.
My ideal intention is to do this for one minute every waking hour.
Hi David, you have a good way of combining breathing with gratitude, and meditation. It’s interesting because TM works in a similar way, in that once thoughts come up, you don’t fight them. You just acknowledge the thoughts, and then go back to your mantra. And so forth. People are mystified by the TM practice, but it’s really as simple as that. It starts by taking a few deep breaths and gently repeating the mantra at whatever interval is comfortable. Thoughts arise – go back to mantra. The mind looks for somewhere comfortable to settle, which is the mantra in TM, or in your case, the breathwork. All the best
(TM – transcendental meditation)
Amazing! Thank you. Very helpful.
Excellent Tara. Our thoughts take us away from the here and now of where we are – and they have the power to unconsciously cause us to hold our breath. To not be able to get the next breath freely, withholds our vitality – this is the ultimate strangle/ choking related to Tara’s worry, affecting our ability to think clearly [less oxygen ]. In moments of danger/ shock/ anxiety we gasp an in-breath [gives us 30+ secs to fight/ flight/ freeze] and there is often a holding. In more depressive states I believe there is more of a holding at the end of the out-breath – these can both leave a holding pattern in the diaphragm muscle. In my experience a practise of conscious breathing [in the knowledge that you are safe], starting with the out-breath – can reprogram this holding pattern and supports the diaphragm to release old patterns. Becoming conscious of when you are holding your breath is pivotal to changing the pattern and our relationship to our vitality. Our vitality is our breath. Also motivation comes from ‘to move’ as does emotion – therefore regular conscious breath/ movement is essential for health – look up Mindful Movement article by Stephen Porges et al. This is a great website. Thank you Ruth
Easiest way I know how to release are the
Emotional freedom techniques/EFT
I agree
