Brain Breaks
I’m taking moments to be present to what is aka meditating but really they’re breaks for my brain from worrying deep grooves into the metaphorical hallways of my mind as it’s a pretty intense week for the country with all that’s going on. Massage itself is a wonderful meditation. I’m glad I figured out relatively early in my career that to be present during our sessions I had to practice meditation during the rest of my life too but I digress.
We’re continuing to be careful as the pandemic keeps on and with winter coming extra vigilance is necessary. As many of you stay indoors working/sitting too many hours because the demarcation between work and life is still blurry for many, OR living the utmost meaning of full-time parent, I’d like to share Brain Breaks with you. As many of you know, we at MMNYC love to meditate but sometimes we need something a little more mentally or physically active. (Until you all learn how to meditate with Sabrih’s next workshop.) If it’s not a part of your daily practice yet Brain Breaks are a great way to refocus our neural circuitry with either stimulating or quieting practices that generate increased activity in the prefrontal cortex. This is where problem solving and emotional regulation occur. I’m making the gross assumption we could all use some help with this right about now. Here are some examples of Brain Breaks:
Shake a leg, shake it off or shake it out and get moving.
Draw with your non dominant hand for 1 minute, a squiggly line or a subject of your choice though in the end it will probably still look like a squiggly line ;-)
One of my faves: rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time then switch your hands or the actions, pat your tummy and rub your head
In the order of the alphabet locate objects in your environment with your eyes so get up and roam if you have to. For example: apple, baby, chair, dogs, elephant (doll), etc.
If you’d like more suggestions for Brain Breaks, get some dice and plaster the images below somewhere you can see it or all over if that’s the kind of reminding you need. These are courtesy of YourTherapySource.com, a site I found randomly as I was researching another one of these newsletters. Enjoy! Be safe and be well. We’re thinking of you.
