Nervous System Training and Emotion Regulation Skills

About

It is inevitable that in the modern world, we often find ourselves in situations where we have to delay and/or supress allowing ourselves to feel, from having to walk into a board meeting while anxiety is playing havoc on our brain clarity and digestive system and perform our best all the way to managing challenging personal situations that threaten our safety while having to force ourselves to stay ‘clear headed’ so we can plan our next steps, and everything in between. Practicing our cognitive (intellectual) strategies while delaying/supressing the physiological aspects of being exposed to high-stress situations allow us to deal with the situation at hand, but, in the long run, it leads to the deterioration of our ability to notice the subtle signs our body is sending us (persistent, just ‘under the radar’ bodily tensions, frequent indigestion, ‘brain fog’, etc.). The loss of our ability to notice what our body is carrying and, therefore, our failure to address it with adequate tools in good time can lead to abnormal neurological processing (ex., fibromyalgia), autoimmune conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, etc.), not to mention the impact it may have on our day-to-day functioning (increased irritability, apathy that impact our interpersonal relationships; memory impairment, loss of creativity, etc.).

In this educational and experiential workshop, you will learn both prevention and intervention techniques that will help you to become more attuned to the signals your body is sending you so you notice them quicker and, therefore, can address them in a more timely manner, and avoid the accumulation of the bodily stress.

Who is this for?

Everyone who are experiencing (not limited to):

· Bodily tension (shoulders, jaws, forehead, etc.)

· Psychological tension, acute and/or prolonged

· Anxiety interfering with sleep, digestion

· Anxiety related to prolonged/ongoing exposure to heightened stress/tension situations

· Diminished creativity/’brain fog’ (unrelated to menopause)

· Increased forgetfulness/diminished ability to focus (unrelated to menopause)

What will the workshop look like?

· A brief workshop host introduction

· A 3-5 minutes guided breathwork experience to help you settle in and tune in to the sensations so the observed information can later be related to the theoretical (educational) part

· Educational part I: the physiology of stress response and how it impacts our health and brain performance (memory struggles, loss of ability to focus, decreased creativity, etc.). Duration: 20-25 minutes.

· 5-7 minutes guided breathwork experience to help you tune in to your body, relate the experience to the theoretical (educational) part and practice noticing what is happening in your body

· Educational part II: introduction of suitable for ‘on the go’ breathing and sensory tools to counteract the physiological stress response aspects. Duration: 15-20 minutes

· Q&A and Sharing circle. Duration: 15-20 minutes

· End: guided breathing exercises to help you tie all the learning together and prepare for taking the practice out into the everyday. Duration: 10-12 minutes.

What you will leave with:

• A better understanding the physiological aspects and mechanisms of psychological and emotional stress

• Having practiced and acquired a reference point of how to notice the stress-related physiological symptoms (indicators of stress)

• On-the-go breathing and sensing techniques to interrupt physiological stress cycles

• Increased likelihood of practicing the skills you will have learnt (research shows that understanding the ‘how’ is likely to strengthen the commitment to practice)

NOTE. Number of participants limited to enable the trainer/facilitator to create and maintain a safe and nourishing environment.