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.

Emotions give texture, color and meaning to life. Emotions transform life from an objective series of events into a living breathing experience. To experience the full range of emotions, to cry, laugh, or feel happy infuses our existence with meaning and value.

Energy in Motion

The word emotion is derived from the Greek word ‘emotere’ which is translated to mean energy in motion.’ In itself, emotional energy is neutral. It is simply the experience of energy moving throughout your body. Emotions serve however, as the carrier waves for the entire spectrum of feelings. It is the feeling sensation, the physiological reaction and the meaning you assign it that make a specific emotion positive or negative. Feeling is what we label as impatience, worry, anger, sadness, fear or joy.

Move your Emotion

Moving your emotional energy through your experience of body sensations is a powerful emotional expression tool. Notice when you feel stressed or upset where in your body this emotion is revealing itself through physical sensations. You may feel tight, tense, hot, cold, pressure or a host of other sensations. These are indicators of your emotion attempting to move itself (energy in motion). Learning the skills to move your emotional energy is often freeing and life changing.

When emotions are expressed in a healthy manner, they feel healthy. It is only when you avoid, suppress, or displace emotions that they become unhealthy. The full range of emotion serves to enrich, enliven and embue all aspects of life with meaning when they are expressed as energy in motion.

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. & Kim Ward Ph.D.