PSYCHOLOGICAL KINESIOLOGY CLASS 6 THE POSTURAL STRESS RELEASE TECHNIQUE
with John Maguire WHAT WE WILL COVER IN THIS CLASS
• Review of Class 5
• How Exercise Affects Our Emotions
• How Your Body Posture Affects Your Emotions
• The Postural Stress Release Technique
2 QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
“To change your emotion, be in motion.”
Tony Robbins
3 REVIEW OF SOME KEY PRINCIPLES FROM CLASS 5
• The words you choose to describe an experience, determines how you feel about the experience
• You create a meaning about everything that happens to you - what happens to you has no meaning in itself, only the meaning you give it
• Create empowering meanings in everything that happens to you to make your life better, give you more power, more control and a better outcome
4 REVIEW OF SOME KEY PRINCIPLES FROM CLASS 5
• The two driving forces of human behavior are to avoid pain and pursue pleasure
• If believe something will result in pain, it inhibits us from taking action, or empowers us to take action to avoid it
• If we believe something will bring us pleasure, it empowers us to act to move towards that
• Use these two forces as leverage to get you to move away from things that cause you pain, and move towards the things that bring you pleasure
• Use this with clients by asking them why it is absolutely important to make the necessary changes in their living, eating, and thinking to get them the results they are wanting to achieve
• You can use the video technique to create new neuro-associations to transform past traumatic emotional events
5 HOW EXERCISE AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONS
Dr. John Ratey in his book called Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain talks about the affect of exercise on our emotions.
“Exercise isn’t just about physical health and appearance. It also has a profound effect on your brain chemistry, physiology, and neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to literally rewire itself).
It affects not only your ability to think, create, and solve, but your mood and ability to lean into uncertainty, risk, judgment, and anxiety in a substantial, measurable way.”
6 HOW EXERCISE AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONS
Dr. Ratey sites some studies on the connection between exercise and emotions:
• A 2004 study led by Joshua Broman-Fulks of the University of Southern Mississippi showed students who walked at 50 percent of their maximum heart rates or ran on treadmills at 60 to 90 percent of their maximum heart rates reduced their levels of anxiety.
• A 2006 Dutch study of 19,288 twins and their families demonstrated that those who exercised were “less anxious, less depressed, less neurotic, and also more socially outgoing.”
• A 1999 Finnish study of 3,403 people revealed that those who exercised two to three times a week “experience significantly less depression, anger, stress, and ‘cynical distrust.'”
7 HOW EXERCISE AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONS
Dr. Ratey points to a number of proven chemical pathways, along with the brain’s neuroplastic abilities, as the basis for these changes, arguing that exercise changes the expression of fear and anxiety, as well as the way the brain processes them from the inside out.
He states: “Studies now prove that aerobic exercise both increases the size of the prefrontal cortex and facilitates interaction between it and the amygdala.
The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that helps tamp down the amygdala’s fear and anxiety signals.”
8 HOW EXERCISE AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONS
Dr. Eric Braverman, MD, in his book, The Edge Effect, discusses how aerobic exercise increases levels of actylcholine, GABA and serotonin, while anaerobic exercise, such as strength training, increases dopamine levels.
• Acetylcholine facilities memory and creative thinking
• GABA helps provide a calm mood and freedom from anxiety
• Serotonin helps create a mood of peace and fulfillment, free from depression
• Dopamine gives you energy, focus, self-confidence and a feeling of pleasure
9 HOW POSTURE AND BODY LANGUAGE AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONS
• The relationship between our emotions and body posture runs both ways, meaning our emotions influences our body posture, but our body posture also triggers our emotions.
• If you’re feeling sad and depressed, you’ll likely be slumped over with your neck and shoulders curved forward and head looking down.
• While it’s true that you’re sitting this way because you’re sad, it’s also true that you’re sad because you’re sitting this way.
• Sit up straight with your head up, smile and take a deep breath and you will immediately feel better.
10 HOW POSTURE AND BODY LANGUAGE AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONS
• Studies show that body posture actually affects which hormones the body secretes: either stress hormones or hormones that make you feel good.
• Shifting your body posture is one of the quickest ways to change your emotional state.
• Next time you’re feeling sad or depressed, notice what your body posture is and change it to a posture you have when you are happy and optimistic.
• Breathe in deeply and hold the posture for one minute and notice the result.
11 THE POSTURAL STRESS RELEASE TECHNIQUE
• This method of stress release is very powerful after an accident or trauma, even though the event may have taken place many years before. Powerful changes have been experienced by those who have gone through this process.
• The body has memories of the stress that the person went through anchored into the proprioceptors. So when the person goes back into the body posture that they were in when they experienced the stress, it brings back the stress.
• Ask the person if they have had any accidents, falls or injuries where emotional stress was present.
• You may need to clear them on thinking about the accident first with the emotional stress release technique.
12 THE POSTURAL STRESS RELEASE TECHNIQUE
1. Have them notice how their body feels, noting any pain or stiffness as they go through various ranges of motion. Have them rate this on a scale of 1 - 10, where 1 is total flexibility and pain free.
2. Test the pectoralis major clavicular (PMC) as an indicator muscle while the person thinks of the accident. If the IM remains strong, go to step 3.
If they test weak, hold the frontal eminences and do either basic ESR (Emotional Stress Release) or the Video Technique. Afterwards, recheck the PMC while they think of the accident and, once strong, proceed to step 3.
3. Ask the person to describe the events, as it may be necessary to use props during the technique, e.g. a chair, massage table or pillows to get into positions leaning back or sideways.
13 THE POSTURAL STRESS RELEASE TECHNIQUE
4. Have them assume the posture they were in as the accident began. Retest the PMC and if it switches off, hold the frontal eminences and have the person breathe deeply. Ask them to let you know when they feel the stress has cleared in this position and then retest the PMC and when it tests strong, proceed to the next position.
5. Continue to choreograph the accident as closely as possible. • If they can’t remember what positions they were in, continuously put pressure on the PMC to test it and have them move through various positions they may have been in. • The body will know when they need to be cleared on a posture because the indicator muscle will switch off when they get into a position where stress is held.
The frontal eminences are held during the clearing process and not held during the testing.
14 THE POSTURAL STRESS RELEASE TECHNIQUE
6. Take the person through the process until the PMC tests strong through each body position of the accident and the person feels safe.
7. When the process is complete, gently bring the person back to present time. If they’ve had their eyes closed throughout, ask them to slowly open their eyes.
8. Have them notice how their body feels now as they go through various ranges of motion. Have them reassess on a scale of 1 - 10 their level of pain or stiffness.
15 SUMMARY
• Exercise has a very positive effect on our mood and emotions, influencing our hormones and neurotransmitters
• Our body posture can influence how we feel emotionally and changing our body posture is a quick way to changing our emotional state
• We can use the Postural Stress Release Technique to clear stress from the body due to a physical accident
16 ASSIGNMENT
1. If you do not currently have an exercise program, begin one that you find easy to do and enjoyable. • Brisk walking for 20 minutes can be tremendously beneficial • Notice the results from doing at least four sessions of a minimum of 20 minutes per week
2. Notice throughout the day anytime your emotional state is not where you’d like it to be and observe your posture. Shift your posture to one you hold when you’re feeling uplifted and in a good state and notice the result.
3. Do the Postural Stress Release technique with at least two people, using the procedure on pages 13 - 15 and have them notice the result.
4. Have someone do the procedure with you.
5. Do the quiz for this session.
6. Communicate with your partner from class at least once this week about your results and your breakthroughs and insights.
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