Here are some techniques I use during sessions with clients that you can use on your own at home. They are all really helpful in regards to feelings of anxiety and depression, healing past trauma, and for managing stress.
Heart Mind Coherence
Summon up a memory or thought that gives you a feeling of love, joy, empathy, or compassion. It can be a feeling for a pet, or witnessing an act of kindness. When you have that memory or feeling, simply place your hand on your heart and breathe into it like it is a lung.
Imagine that your heart is a glowing green light. With your breath, grow it bigger and bigger, filling your body, room, house, neighbourhood, city, country, planet, universe with this loving, healing, magnetic energy. When you are in this state, you are out of fight or flight. Your energy levels are raised, your immune system is strengthened, and your intelligence levels go up.
When you are in this state, your quantum field is magnetized to more loving, positive interactions and experiences.
Reverse Heart Mind Coherence
If you ever happen to notice yourself experiencing strong feelings of joy, love, compassion, you can also focus on your heart, then send that feeling outward. In effect, you are sharing your loving feelings with the world.
Havening Technique
The Havening technique is a great way to go into a relaxed state quickly. Gently stroke from your shoulders down to your elbows, or across your cheeks, down the tops of your thighs, or even just gently rub the palms of your hands together. These actions cause your brain to take you into a Delta (deeply relaxed) state. The effect are cumulative, so the more you do it, the more resilient your amygdala (the bundle of nerves in your brain that tells you whether you're in danger or not) becomes. The Havening technique can be done when you are stressed and will take you out of an anxious (fight or flight) state. Petting an animal will also take you into Delta.
The Core Method
Take a story/thought/belief/feeling that causes discomfort. Tell yourself 'the story' of it if you need help bringing up the feelings.
Stop for a moment and feel the sensations in your body that come up. Notice where they are. Calibrate them (on a scale of 1-10). It helps if you can name the emotion(s) or feeling(s).
Ask yourself, "Do I feel a lack of acceptance? A lack of control? A lack of connection? Or a lack of support/security? (or maybe a lack of something else).It may be a combination of lacks.
Pick the one that feels strongest. You can always do it again with the other ones afterward.
Take that feeling and imagine dropping it down your core-the very centre of you. Right down into your pelvic area or the base of your spine. Slowly allow it to rise up your spinal column.
You can use your finger to point out to yourself where you are along your body. You can imagine an elevator, or a helium balloon. Whatever works for you.
Feel free to pause along the way if you feel uncomfortable sensations. Breathe into them.
Allow the feeling to rise to the crown of your head. Ask yourself it it's OK to let it go.
Give yourself permission to let it go, then allow it to leave through your crown. If for some reason you feel that you can't, do the core method on that reason.
If you are lying down for this exercise, you can also imagine moving the energy along a grocery conveyor belt and allow the energy to be placed in a shopping cart and taken away.
Re-calibrate when you're done.
How does the 'story' feel now? If the number is still high or you still 'feel bad', then repeat the exercise. You maybe want to change whether it's lack of approval/control/support.
Also, the feelings around the story may have changed. There can be layers to an issue. Take as much time or as little as feels right to you. It's your healing.
Here is a link to Jim Shane's wonderful book about the technique (He is the originator): https://www.amazon.ca/Living-life-Authentic-Magic-Method/dp/B08QS692RF
Revision Technique
Go back in your mind to a memory that causes you distress. This can be something from your childhood or even from yesterday. It can be something that happened to you, something you did yourself, or even something you witnessed. It can be a general memory (like being bullied a lot in school) or something precise. Rescue your younger self from the memory and take them to a safe place (this can be a garden, forest, fluffy cloud, whatever feels safe to you and your younger self) and comfort them. Tell that that you love them, that they're safe, and that you'll protect them. Take your time with this, until you feel that your younger self has all that they need. Some clients like to bring in a toy, craft, blanket, or comfort animal to stay with the younger self. Float away from the scene and imagine it shrinking small enough that you can place it inside your heart. Go back to the memory and confront abusers if needed. This is about getting all your emotions out, so it's OK to be angry at the person. Imagine them taking everything in that you are saying. Imagine them apologising to you, from a higher version of themselves. Then, change the memory completely. Paint a new and supportive memory over top of it. Remember, your subconscious mind can't tell the difference between what's real and what's made up so make the new memory AMAZING!
Here's a bonus exercise. This one creates more synchronicity in your life...
Gratefulness Technique
Think of 10 things you're grateful for, or that you love. You can do this out loud, in your head, or write it down, whatever works best for you. Some people will say, "Thank you Universe for _______". Others will just list the things while feeling love or joy around them. You can be grateful for simple things like your morning cup of coffee, your favourite hoodie, your dog, your city, etc. Try to do this exercise at least once, if not, three times per day. Its puts positive attention and intention on your quantum field. This is what we want to be doing/feeling all of the time. If done three times per day you will start to notice synchronicity happening around you. I would advise writing it down as it happens because it's pretty crazy when you start to notice it. It also magnetizes you to more helpful situations and experiences in life.
Psoas Position
Lay on the floor and place your bent legs up on a low surface, such as a bed, couch, or stool. Allow your knees to fall open naturally. Stay in this position for a few minutes or longer. Stretching your Psoas muscle takes you out of fight or flight and into a state of rest and digest. You can place a rolled-up towel under your neck if you are experiencing neck strain. Talking to your cells would be a great thing to do while in the Psoas Position. You can also talk to body parts. You can ask your cells to drain you of unwanted emotions, feelings, or beliefs. Then, you can ask your cells to vibrate with peace/love/confidence/power/joy. Whatever works for you at the time. And this leads to paying attention to posture. Looking down at phones and computers actually puts us in a state of fight or flight due to looking down and curling inwards. Occasionally look up, lift your head, open your chest, look outside at something far away. When our eyes are focused on something small (like a phone screen) our thoughts also become focused and it can be hard for us to look at the bigger picture. Wide open focus causes us to see the big picture and can help us to be more open and flexible in our thoughts and beliefs.
Please EMAIL ME with any questions you might have. I'd also love to hear how these methods are working for you and feel free to share this link with anyone you think may benefit from these at home healing techniques.