ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 029 - Put Your Own Oxygen Mask on First
My sister, Christy Foster is a CranioSacral therapist, pioneering educator, speaker and mentor in the field of body-mind integration. She specializes in teaching health and wellness practitioners on how to interpret the subconscious language of the body. Her mission is to empower and create self-awareness. Christy is joining me for a sister chat on ways to take care of ourselves and pay attention to the ways our bodies tell us to check in.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
Tell us about what you're doing in your work now.
I've been doing a mixture of education around helping people understand how their bodies are put together- our histories, stories, how we grew up and things that have happened to us. My fascination and passion is about understanding why these things show up in our physical structure, our body and flesh. Some of the components that make us tick are positive and some can cost us energetically on a physical and emotional level. I love looking at the body and psyche and what's creating energetic hemorrhaging when people feel like something is happening, they don't have the capacity left to function or they're hurting all the time. I look at the pieces of their system and their story to figure out how to make movement forward and make it easier for them.
What are ways to recognize, manage and avert the stress and anxiety that stems from the quarantine?
When you crack, ask yourself what that looks like because if we don't have something to measure it by, we're not sure when we're cracking until after we've cracked. Ask yourself what "cracked" looks like, feels like and sounds like. Get a piece of paper and draw four oxygen tanks to represent four things that are must-do's. If you notice you're starting to crack, turn to this and check to ensure you've done the 4 things that help you to not crack. These things should be along the lines of eating something healthy, drinking water, going to the bathroom, getting outside or deep breathing. These needs shouldn't be negotiable. As parents, it's easy to put yourself last all the time, so think of your body and psyche as a container where there are holes- things out of our control. When you check your oxygen tanks, determine if there are holes and how you can fill up the space.
Why does it make such a difference to acknowledge where my feet are and how they're positioned?
Our feet are the first thing that touch the planet in the morning. How we walk and how our feet are means something. If you check your feet and your right foot goes out, you tend to be a person who thinks, processes and analyzes most everything and tends to be in your head a lot. By bringing the right foot straight, parallel with your left foot, it forces you to come back into your body and helps you notice that you are out of your body and thinking too much. If your left foot goes out, you tend to be more of an emotional person. When you bring your foot in, parallel with the right foot, you're telling your body that you're paying attention and it grounds you.
A lot of our kids have gone from important schedules that support their wellbeing to everything being cancelled. Can you recommend exercises and ways we can help our kids with their anxiety?
One of the most important things is having a routine. Our bodies are trained to respond to certain stimuli like smell, sound and light. I suggest finding an essential oil that you use for nap time and bedtime to settle their nervous system. You can also put a dot on their feet. Have the same kind of music playing and dim the lighting to get them to settle down. You can rub their feet or rub your hands together and put one hand on their back and one on their chest- called direction of energy. This is a polarity technique that works with the energies in the body and you can do that anywhere on the body. One of my favorite meditations for children is by Christiane Kerr, called "Bedtime Meditations for Kids". Her meditations are very slow, child-like, has music and she takes them on a little journey.
What is the importance of language in needing to check-in?
Language has power with it. If you notice you're using language such as "I have to do everything on my own" or "I can't do this because I'm too overwhelmed", it's an indication that you need to look at your oxygen tanks. Create a resource list for yourself that includes calling a friend, going on a walk, reading a book or having a piece of chocolate- whatever supports you in a moment. Sometimes we believe we don't have resources, so creating a list of resources helps in these moments. In the moment that you're cracking, it's very hard to think who would help if you reach out. People love helping in whatever capacity they can.
What can you leave us with for mindfully getting through our day-to-day?
Drink water, go to the bathroom and go outside and notice your breath. Resource yourself and do it mindfully.
Self-care for you
1. Draw four oxygen tanks and put the simple, high-reward activities or thoughts in them
2. Focus on each oxygen tank at least once per day
3. Pay attention to the language behind your thoughts to identify when you need a resource
Caring for your kids
1. Use smell and music to create a routine
2. Use touch to help them settle their bodies
LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED
TUNE INTO THE ONCE UPON A GENE PODCAST
CONNECT WITH EFFIE PARKS