I release today. I trust tomorrow. I choose what I become.

These are the words I return to each night.

There is a lot we cannot control right now. What we can control is how we help our nervous systems settle at night.

For 60 seconds, I repeat the same words. My breathing slows, my heart steadies, and my body gets the signal that it is safe to let go and rest.

And if you are reading this thinking, I cannot meditate…I understand. I used to believe the same thing. I thought meditation meant sitting perfectly still, crosslegged, and forcing my busy mind to stop thinking altogether. It does not.

I’ve started practicing this simple technique every time I feel myself contracting mentally and physically. I call it SOFT. A gentle reminder to meet stress with presence rather than tension.

By aligning with your body’s stability, you energetically offer the other person a way to regain their homeostasis. When you STOP and DROP into your body, your rational, calm self becomes the non-reactionary, guiding force in the situation.

This exercise is a heart soother with its bilateral healing touch. It helps you transport yourself to a calm and healing space when you are looking to comfort difficult emotions and overwhelm

Anyone up for moving mountains? And by that I mean, sitting still and listening to whatever arises. Let's do this together in this short mindfulness video.

Tuning in to what’s going on within and sharing how you feel connects you to yourselves and to others. No matter how you are feeling, being aware is always a great first step to managing emotions.

Our emotions are a form of energy. If you stop them, you block them. If you feel them, you heal them. They are meant to move through us. They are meant to inform us.

Empathy can be taught. The opportunity to imagine what life is like for someone facing difficult challenges, activates the compassion response. It’s an intentional, generous act of the heart.

Through our imagination we conjure up future scenarios (intentions/goals/desires), make meaning out of our current situation (drawing from prior knowledge), re-vision our past (review/analyze/adjust), and picture ourselves in other’s shoes (empathy).

What do you do when your room of students is high energy and chaotic? “Breathing Fingers” will not only will it bring your students to the present moment, but it will also teach them how to tame their thoughts and regulate their emotions.