Week 1:

Intro to Mind-Body Medicine

Mental Health First Aid

Here are a few tips to help your brain register safety (you do not have to do them in this order, they can be done on their own or in combination):

  1. Stand or sit with your back against a wall and notice the sensations of support of your back and body touching the wall.

  2. Pay attention to the sensations in the entire backside of your body. Draw your attention into the back of your body and sense what’s behind you.

  3. SLOWLY move your head and neck and mentally name what you see.

  4. With a big towel (like a beach towel), grab the towel with both hands (about 6 inches apart), and very SLOWLY move your hands away from each other like you’re wringing out a wet towel. Tense and tighten your arm muscles as you do this, paying attention to the tension in your muscles. Then, as slowly as you can, release your grip/unwind a little at a time. Pay attention to the releasing of tension and any feelings of relaxation or relief. This is great when you feel panic!

Orientation Exercise

Use this exercise to help your brain and nervous system settle. You can use it every time you enter a new room, new environment, anytime you feel stressed or overwhelmed, or just as a way to transition into a different part of your day.

Instructions: Slowly move your head and neck and mentally (or verbally) name what you see. Let your attention land on everything in your environment and name each object. Look in front of you, behind you, to the side of you, above you - 360 degree view.

Outside / Inside / Outside Exercise

Try this brief practice several times a day to come back to your body by getting a sense of your inner world and outer world.

Instructions: Let your eyes wander around your space. Allow your attention to land, name what you are seeing, then bring your attention into your body and name one feeling or sensation you are having. Bring your attention back to your external environment, let your gaze roam, settle on one object and name it.

Touch Points Meditation

This exercise develops awareness of the contact between your body and your immediate surroundings /. environment. Noticing physical sensations at your “contact points” gives your attention something to focus on. Each time your mind wanders, redirect your attention back to the sensations of contact/support.

This exercise is especially helpful when you’re stressed, caught in a loop of thinking, or engaged in interpersonal conflict. Directing your attention in this way can also help you interrupt impulsive or reactive behavior.

Instructions: Sit in a chair with the back of the chair against a wall if possible. Place your hands on your thighs. Notice the sensations at your seat (hips/glutes), your hands, and your feet.

HOME PRACTICE

Here are a few ideas for how to integrate this material into your life:

  1. Use drawings and/or keep a journal as a means of cultivating awareness as you move through the group sessions.

  2. If it feels useful for you, write down or draw ideas, thoughts and feelings that come to you in the course of the day. 

  3. Write about or draw the dreams you recall on awakening. Don’t worry about the content or style, quality or meaning. These modes of self-expression can become a record of your journey toward greater self-awareness and self-care. Here is a PDF you can print out and use as a dream journal. The prompts can help you find meaning in your dreams, however bizarre they seem to be!