Four easy strategies for de-stressing and filling your cup

What mom couldn’t use some suggestions on how to feel more grounded, calm and peaceful? Craniosacral therapist Sally DiCesare of Your Blissful Journey recently presented a “Create Your Own Personal Oasis” talk to the Arlington/Alexandria Chapter of Holistic Moms Network, and this Thursday, August 21, she’ll be at the group’s August meeting on a panel about Supporting Children’s Emotional Health. Sally will share how craniosacral therapy can be used with children. But she also wants to remind moms that taking care of their own health is paramount in paving the way for family health.

Here’s a guest post by Sally:

“As Moms, we don’t often ask for help. Many times when we do it’s because we are drowning in overwhelm.

But who has time for a break. And kids’ camps, enrichment and sports aren’t getting any cheaper.

How do you get what you need? Because remember, if the well is empty there is nothing to give.

How do you fill yourself, support yourself, so you have something left to give your family?

HELP!

Fortunately, I’m here with some simple tips to squeeze into your day. Oh, and have your kids join you. They are stressed, too!

Simple Tips from Your Blissful Journey

1. Feeling overwhelmed? Give yourself a hug; an occipital hug.

Remember in the old movies when the man is sitting with his feet propped up on his desk and hands clasped behind his head? Gently place your hands, with fingers intertwined, behind the base of your head, behind your ears, at your occiput. Now just hold your head.

Notice anything? You may feel a pulse. Or take a deep breath or sigh.

This balances your Central Nervous System and is calming and centering.

If I wake in the middle of the night and my mind is working on something so I can’t fall back to sleep, this is my go-to exercise.

2. Home Reflexology while you multitask

Why does a foot massage feel so good? It is known that certain areas of the foot can stimulate organs of the body. So massaging the foot can actually massage and support the organs and systems in the body. When done in a systematic way, this is called Reflexology. How do you multitask while massaging your feet? Use a tennis or racket ball. When you sit down for dinner, take off your shoes and roll the ball under your foot. If an area is tender, continue there till it feels better. Within a few weeks you will notice subtle improvements in the way you feel as your organs and systems respond to the stimulation and support.

3. Bridge to calm

Wake up your internal organs by massaging all the nerves along the spine. This supports all of your body as the nerves innervate all of your organs. Lay on your back on a hard surface such as the floor. Bend your knees so your feet are comfortably close to your buttocks. Slowly curl your back off the floor starting with a pelvic tilt and curl your back off the ground from your pelvis up to your shoulders, one vertebra at a time. Slowly lower your spine from your shoulders to your tailbone. Repeat as often as is comfortable.

4. Instant mood lifter: SMILE.

Yes, I mean it. Just smile. For better results, try laughing.

I took a Laughing Yoga class at Yogaville. What fun! I never knew there were so many ways to laugh or ways laughter expresses emotion.

Like the laughter of surprise at seeing a friend you haven’t seen in years on the street. Or the chuckle over seeing puppies play.

Practice belly laughs will your kids. See if you can come up with a secret family laugh. Imagine how a giraffe would laugh.

Whatever, have fun with it.

Bonus: Close your eyes!

Recover more quickly from illness by resting your eyes as often as possible. Seventy percent of our energy is used by our eyes. Conserve your energy for healing by resting your eyes when home sick by listening to books on tape instead of reading or watching TV.”