Diaphragmatic Breathing

Shift out of the neural hijacking of the emotional brain with diaphragmatic breathing.

• Breathe so that when you inhale you feel your abdomen rise and when you exhale feel your abdomen gently contract. This is called diaphragmatic breathing. Allow this to be the rhythm of your breath.
• Feel the complete and total support of the surface on which you rest. Should your mind begin to wander at any time, simply note that your mind has wandered and gently and firmly guide your awareness back to the sensations of your in-breath and out-breath. Thoughts come and go. They flow and they change. Simply note them when they arise and come back to the rhythm of your breath.
• Don’t worry if this feels new. It may take some practice for your body to adjust to this breath pattern. This is the most natural breath for your body. Allow yourself to find the effortless rhythm of your breath. Your body is aware that it is rejuvenating and being replenished with every in-breath and out-breath. How you breathe has everything to do with how you live. If you are not relaxed you cannot readily get out of the neural hijacking of your emotional brain. Consequently, you cannot easily get in touch with the power of your emotional intelligence.

Emotional Movement

Move your emotional energy by focusing on the area of your body that is currently holding your emotions.
Where do you feel your emotions in your body? You may notice sensations such as warmth, pressure, tingling, tightness, etc in one or more areas of your body.
Notice what you feel. Label your emotion while you breathe consciously and deeply in and out of this area for 5 full deep breaths. Consciously release this emotional energy on the exhale.
Do your best to stay out the story of why you feel the way you do and focus instead on releasing your feelings through your exhale. When you allow yourself to feel you move your emotional energy. Through emotional movement, you are working with the purpose of emotions. When you move this energy you disengage from the neural hijacking of your emotional brain. It is not effective to try and think your way through the feeling process. The more you practice this Emotional Movement Technique the more you strengthen your EQ.

Coaching and Counseling

Kim Ward Ph.D. and Hilary Stokes Ph.D., founders of Authenticity Associates Coaching and Counseling, have worked as a team for over 15 years. Their mission is to empower people to achieve their authentic potential. They specialize in bringing the synergistic power of mind, body and spirit to individuals and couples. They are passionate about combining the best of holistic and traditional approaches to realize whole body wellness. If you are looking for a holistic approach to improving your life please contact Hilary Stokes Ph.D. & Kimberly Ward Ph.D. at Authenticity Associates.

Neural Hijacking

In the past it was believed that information from your senses was analyzed by the thinking brain (cortex) first. Now with new scientific findings we know your perceptions, go directly to the emotional brain (amygdala) without passing through the thinking, decision-making brain first.

Daniel Goleman in his research and book on emotional intelligence sheds great light on this subject. He describes chronic stress and the subsequent feelings of loss of control and hopelessness as a ‘neural hijacking in which the emotional brain triggers emotional reactions before the thinking brain has any chance to pick up a signal or evaluate it.

For example, imagine you have been working overtime for three weeks in a row. You just received a call from your sons school to come in for an urgent parent teacher conference to discuss his failing grades. In that moment, your emotional brain is causing a cascade of reactions and adaptations on hormonal, chemical, cellular and energetic levels impacting physical and psychological well-being. This occurs before you ever have a chance to logically evaluate the situation.

Emotions Have More Neural Power

Not only does the emotional brain respond first to your perceptions but research also demonstrates there are more neural pathways connecting the emotional brain to the thinking brain than the thinking brain has to the emotional brain.

Thus, it is not as effective to use your thoughts to quell your emotions. Maybe by telling yourself to ‘relax and wait and see what happens’ you will be able to suppress them for a while at best. Given the degree of chronic perceived stress in our society, it is as if the emotional brain is stuck on survival mode flooding your thinking brain with fears, worries, and pressures. It is no surprise that anxiety disorders equate over half of mental health issues and 70% of doctor visits.

Coaching and Counseling

Kim Ward Ph.D. and Hilary Stokes Ph.D., founders of Authenticity Associates Coaching and Counseling, have worked as a team for over 15 years. Their mission is to empower people to achieve their authentic potential. They specialize in bringing the synergistic power of mind, body and spirit to individuals and couples. They are passionate about combining the best of holistic and traditional approaches to realize whole body wellness. If you are looking for a holistic approach to improving your life please contact Hilary Stokes Ph.D. & Kimberly Ward Ph.D. at Authenticity Associates.

Written by Hilary Stokes Ph.D. & Kimberly Ward Ph.D.