Self Care for Mental Health: How PRYT Helps Manage Emotions During Challenging Times
Self Care for Mental Health:
How Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy can Help Manage Day to Day Emotions During Challenging Times
Now that the world has experienced its first pandemic, many of us are left feeling isolated and in chronic fear. Most don’t have the tools to cope. Mental health and general health practitioners are dealing with their own mental health challenges while caring for others. Many are experiencing major transitions as a result or the economy and what the isolation has revealed in primary relationships. You may notice that your health practitioners are struggling alongside you and they are not very effective.
So what can we do? We can take control of our own mental health. Our own suffering. Self-medicating is not the answer, as many have discovered. It only causes a bigger problem. Addiction. Dependency. Imagine if you had practices at your fingertips that don’t have side effects and can provide lasting peace, happiness and the ability to negotiate life challenges.
Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy (PRYT), based in yoga, buddhist and psychology was created by Michael Lee. It has been available to us for over 3 decades in the form of private sessions, groups and daily home practices. PRYT is a body mind modality that can create lasting changes that relieve suffering such as pain, trauma symptoms, PTSD, anxiety and depression. Below I will share some home practices that have proven to be very effective.
1. 20 Second Awareness Break
When you are feeling overwhelmed and out of sorts, try this. It doesn’t take much time at all and can create a sense of peace. Close your eyes and check in. Notice your body, breath and any emotions present. Now, notice your external environment. What information are you gathering? Are there changes can you make to create more ease in your body? Often we discover things about our body, breath and environment that can be shifted slightly to help us to feel better. It could be moving to a quieter location, pausing and breathing before and during each task in front of us. Taking a 15 min break to go for a walk or close your eyes for a rest. Getting enough sleep. All these things are in our control if we just take up the space we deserve. We can’t serve anyone if we are anxious, tired or in an unsupportive environment. Try it and see what little changes you can make today. Just remember that there is no need to fix anything. Simply notice and take action in ways that seem manageable. Or just let things be and make minor changes as you feel ready and able.
2. Falling out Breaths
Falling out breaths are the key to transformation, or change, that takes place during Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy sessions. Once we start to breath, we access parts of the body that have been holding tension. When this tension releases with breath and movement, we can experience memories and new awareness that are not always accessible with the thinking mind. We can’t think our way out of our mental health problems. Have you noticed that? Falling out breaths are very simple. Take a deep inhale, then soften your jaw, open your mouth slightly and release the breath with a sound, a sigh or a low tone. It may take a few breaths before you can fully get the breath in and out. Making sounds helps. After you take a few full inhales and complete exhales, what do you notice? Most say they feel more relaxed. You can take these falling out breaths throughout the day to release tension and to train your body to breath. Oxygen is known to create joy and more ease. Our lungs are the bodies’ biggest filter, so exhales release allergens, toxins and tension. When all this is going on, the body mind and spirit feel better.
3. Deep Rest - Body Scan
With covid concerns and the fall out of isolation always in the background, what I am noticing in today’s culture is that many people are very overextended. For example, I have not seen my 30 year old son for a few years now. He lives on the other side of the country and, for various reasons, neither of us is willing to fly or drive. We have been staying in touch via phone and zoom at times. I have concerns that our relationship with change across the miles. This is just one example of the subtle background noise that covid can create. Because, I have these background worries, among others, I need more rest. If I don’t rest, I get irritable. Have you noticed all the irritability in the world? People are having strong reactions without filtering for kindness. Maybe you are one of these people? How do you carve out time for more rest? Well, I think many of us are already doing that. Some are realizing that they just can’t do much more than the day to day chores and their job. Many are choosing not to socialize as much or they are not as available to jump to help when neighbors, friends and family members are in need. It’s good to be aware of your limits and to not overextend.
Some ways to catch a rest are to go to bed early and get into a regular sleeping pattern (same times to bed and rising each day). Take a nap during your work breaks. Do less. Learn to say “no” in a kind way. One PRYT exercise you can do is to lie down and scan your body. Move your awareness from the tips or your toes to the top of your head. Notice each body part as you breathe into it. Stay present and try not to let your mind wander. Bring it back to your body and your breath. When you are complete with scanning each body part, take a deep breath and pull all your body parts back into one. Take another breath to complete that integration. How do you feel now? Notice how this rest effects your day. Keep doing what seems to serve your body, mind and spirit.
In PRYT private sessions and groups, there are a wealth of techniques and home practices like these to access. As we move into autumn, I am offering an 8 week series called Path to Peace. The series covers 8 themes that begin with body awareness and acceptance and ends with taking action and living in flow. Living in flow is known to create less suffering. The Path to Peace PRYT group is a great way for you to experience PRYT in an affordable way in community. It’s so nourishing to do PRYT with others who are giving themselves the attention their body, mind and spirit need. Lack of any real community is one of the main causes of suffering today. Give yourself this opportunity to be in a community that is caring for their mental health with yoga, buddhism and psychology. It makes all the difference and is why I am blissfully happy and peaceful most of the time now. I have had a history of life long depression and suicidal ideation. Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy is one of the main mental health modalities that has helped me to shift from sadness to joy and peace. Join us Oct. 12th for 8 Tuesdays, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. MT & one Saturday morning Nov. 6th for the online group Path to Peace.
Gina Barrett, BS, MIA, IAYT, is an author, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist and international workshop facilitator. She has a private practice in Crestone, Colorado where she lives off grid, practices natural horsemanship with rescues and facilitates Nature as Medicine Retreats. Gina is also the Executive Director of Casa de Paz SLV, providing holistic trauma support for asylum seekers and new immigrants. 20% of the profits of Path to Peace will be donated to Casa de Paz SLV. To learn more and to enroll, visit www.ginambarrett.com
READ THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN ARTlOVElIFESTYLE MAGAZINE HERE.