Here is a great way to relieve anxiety.
As a past Anxiety sufferer myself, I know how debilitating it can be in the moment. Try this quick and simple technique and see how you get on with it.
Mindful Breath and Finger Trace
A great technique to distract yourself and connect with both your sense of touch, doing a finger trace and focusing on your breath mindfully to help your calming reflex at the same time. Suitable for adults and children.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, jot down how stressed and anxious you are feeling right now.
Follow the steps below or watch this video on how to do it.
Overview
Trace around the edge of your fingers of each hand in turn, with the tip of your index finger or Thumb of the other hand. Do this slowly starting at the base of your thumb, ending at the base of your little finger. Breathing calmly with your palms facing away from you.
You can either glide or use the Reflexology caterpillar walking technique.
Count slowly to 3, breathing in, as you trace up the outside edge of your thumb from its base to its tip.
Breath out slowly, as you run your finger down the other side into the crease between your thumb and index finger.
Repeat this process for each finger in turn until you reach the base of your little finger.
Continue this pattern of in-breath to the tip and out-breath to the crease for each finger on your opposite hand. See how you feel.
Repeat this process on both hands up to 3 times and see whether your score from 1-10 begins to reduce. How you feel now?
If it is more comfortable for you to have your hands palms up, start from the base of your little finger to the base of your thumbs.
By combining this breath technique, finger tracing, applying an essential oil blend to the hands and self-applying some acupressure and reflexology techniques, this can be a very powerful combination. If you would like more information on this or any of my other available workshops or services, do get in touch. For more anxiety calming tips you can try, take a look at my Summer Scent Blog post.
Shelley Mason MAR
Reflexologist