If You're Feeling Tension Or "Stressed". . .

experiment with the following: (Please try to approach this, not with an attitude of wanting to, hurry up and be still so you can release your stress, but with curiosity and a sense of experimentation and/or play.

1) See if you can notice how you know that you're feeling tension. In other words, how can you tell? What's happening in your body? Just do your best to get a general felt sense of where it is. (If all you're noticing is a kind of swirling in your head that's fine too - and by the way, very common). 

2) See if you can get a sense of the quality of it. For example, is tight, gripping, or clenchy, or is it more subtle or vague, like a sense of pressure?

3) Now see if you can notice someplace in your body where it isn't. Scan your body and see where you notice a lack of tension or a neutral feeling. Sometimes we think that tension is everywhere, particularly if we're in a heightened state. But see if it's actually in your big toe, for example. 

4) Now rest your awareness on where the tension is, for maybe 8-10 seconds, get a feel for it, and then rest your attention on where it isn't for about 8-10 seconds. (Make sure you're taking adequate time and attention to get a sense of what "where it isn't" feels like. It's tempting to want to rush through this part). Go back and forth between where it is and where it isn't, for 8-10 seconds each, and simply notice what that's like - what happens inside as you do so. It also helps if you can feel your feet and breathe while you're doing this:).

The Sedona Method calls this process Holistic Releasing. Peter Levine creator of Somatic Experiencing calls this pendulation.

This process usually works to balance out the stressful feelings. It can be used in extreme states of emotional arousal or when you're washing dishes or even while driving. (You might find that you'll be less tired when you get where you're going).

If you'd like some help with it, please let me know.