Try these techniques when you awaken in the morning. They will help relieve any stored or accumulated tension or pain and center your mind and focus, so that you look forward to your day and your life.
Body Feathering
Fan your fingertips along your skin, as if to feather or brush yourself. Begin at your face, then head, then shoulders to hands, chest, then front/back to waist, thighs, calfs, feet. Gently squeezing here and there is very soothing. This technique can be useful in recalling dreams. Because it is calming and stilling to the mind, you may go back into your delicious slumber and savor more of the bliss. If your dream is unpleasant, it will draw you out of it and into the pleasantry of your physical body.
Soothing ~ Connecting ~ Relaxing ~ Grounding
Wrist and Ankle Rotation
Support the wrist with the opposite hand by gently holding the lower arm if needed. Let the wrists flop forward and back, then make circles. Repeat with same with the ankles.
Tip: Release hands to rotate wrists and ankles.
Tip: Add shoulder and hip rotation. Rotate the joints where your direct experience sends you, my master friend.
Promotes circulation ~ Warming ~ Prevents injury
Thigh Rolling
Lying down or standing up, grasp one thigh at a time and roll it, as if you are rolling and squeezing a water ballon, side to side, beginning slowly and then speeding up if desired, pressing the base of your hands into the tender areas squeezing and rolling.
Tip: Roll thighs while applying cream after shower.
Connects the upper and lower body ~ Grounding ~ Enhances circulation ~ Prevents injury
Toe Pulling
Support foot with one hand. With the other, grasp one toe at a time from the bottom, and pull. Really tug. Then, squeeze the tips of each toe, one at a time, holding them front to back. Just thinking about this makes me relaxed!
Tip: rotate toes for extra flow.
Tip: Combine with ankle rotation.
Enhances circulation ~ Releases tension ~ Grounding
Body Tapping
To top everything off and to get started with your amazing day, tap the sternum, chest, and belly with the tips of your fingers. Keeps the wrists loose so that they resemble a woodpecker tapping. Let the fingertips bounce off of your body.
Enhances breathing ~ Relaxes muscles ~ Connecting ~ Used in lymphatic drainage
There are numerous studies about the body/mind connection, but it is your direct experience of it that is essential in grasping this concept. There is nothing intellectual about it; rather, it is direct knowledge. Trust it. Work with it. Adapt it as needed, my master friend.