I have written before about how interested I have always been in the link between mind and body. Have you noticed when you feel low that you also get a sense of your body feeling heavy? Certainly, when you are anxious you are likely to experience several physical sensations such as a racing heart or feeling a bit short of breath.
Increasingly I am starting to bring ‘body work’ into my talking therapies sessions. In particular I have been reading about Polyvagal Theory, and recently attended a workshop on this. It is fascinating to think about how bringing body-based interventions can really enhance the talking therapy that I do. This can be really helpful when the words just don’t feel quite enough and people are feeling overwhelmed or are struggling to say what is needed. So much of our emotional word is held by our body, and the words we have don’t always seem to do it justice.
Using movement can be a really powerful way of grounding us in order that we can start to use the ‘thinking’ and ‘planning’ parts of our brain, if they have felt overwhelmed. It can often be really simple, small movements that can help. If you are feeling stressed at the moment, try just pushing your feet into the floor. Try and really notice the feeling of the ground beneath you, supporting your weight. If you are struggling with your mood and looking for talking therapy that also pays attention to the body then please do get in touch for a free 15 minute phone consultation to see how I can help.