Welcome to this week’s edition of The Source!
The formal terminology for the exercise I discuss in the video — 16seconds — is called introducing a pattern interrupt. You actually just jam the brakes on a potential surge of stress hormones and all the negative mindbody reactions you were starting to feel. You break the flow of conditioned physical and emotional responses.
Like I suggest in the video, just the thought of an irritating situation or person can trigger a memory of the stressful situation; and in 16 seconds you were able to return to the present moment. And it is that feeling that is the halo effect I referred to. You become a bit calmer… a bit lighter… a bit easier.
Now imagine if you could string minutes of that together!
Well, you actually do every time you use a destressifying technique such as 16seconds or any of the other in-the-moment tools I teach you in my book destressifying.
When we introduce a pattern interrupt into our flow of thoughts, we can gently step aside from the uneasy memories of the past or the anxious thoughts of the future – and truly ground ourselves back into the present moment – our bodymind moves beyond all that irritation, anger, discomfort, anxiety, less-than, or “it’s not fair” thinking.
The constriction vanishes instantly and our next thought, word, or action will come from a less conditioned, more expansive place. Now we are primed for greater possibilities, novel solutions, and infinite potential. Whatever limiting belief was holding us back is momentarily suspended.
Once destressifying becomes part of your daily routine, this state of restful awareness occurs naturally; calm & balance become the norm; anxieties, anger, emotional turbulence, and knee-jerk reactions drift away, as your physical body relaxes and your innate emotional intelligence gently returns to guide your choices.
However, in times of extreme stress, when the body experiences constant physiological arousal over numerous perceived threats that are not life-threatening, the destressified response can be created through techniques like the one we just experienced.
I call it “16 seconds to clarity” because four seconds in, four seconds of hold, four seconds out, four seconds of hold equals 16 seconds. And in the 17th second, we are clearer – beyond the moment of emotion.
Give it a try this week and share your experiences in the comments below. In the meantime, I’ll see you in the gap!!!
Peace. -davidji
davidji is a globally recognized mindbody health & wellness expert, mindful performance trainer, meditation teacher & author of Amazon’s Best Seller destressifying: The Real-World Guide to Personal Empowerment, Lasting Fulfillment, and Peace of Mind, Sacred Powers: The Five Secrets to Transformation and Secrets of Meditation: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace & Personal Transformation, & winner of the Nautilus Book Award. Connect with him on . davidji.com Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Image courtesy of Simon Migaj.
