CranioSacral Therapy by Emily Klik, LMT, CST

​​​Heart Rate Variability: Click this link for a suggestion for using your breathing to influence your stress response. 

 

Calming Music: Click this link for information about some of the relaxing music I like to use and suggest. 

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General relaxation tips:

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Relaxing: When “trying” to relax, any effort toward relaxation can lessen the intention for relaxation.  Try bringing your attention to the structure beneath you, supporting you. First feel the support it offers you, then allow it to support you. Let yourself settle into this support. Whether chair, couch, car seat, bed, floor, ground, earth, sidewalk.  

Weighted blanket: Try using a weighted blanket.  There are weighted blankets made for sleeping, and smaller ones (2’ x 2’) made for laying across the lap while sitting.  Look up various weights and styles, find what works best for you. An affordable version of this is using a bag of dry (raw) rice.  

Practice grounding meditations: There’s a 2.5 minute guided grounding meditation here. www.EmilyKlikCst.com/grounding  If this doesn’t speak to you, there are guided grounding meditations on YouTube.  Practicing meditation can help improve your personal resilience for dealing with stressors as they come up.   

Employ background noise or sound: For most of us listening to the rain or having a fan on in the background can be helpful for relaxation. There are sound machines that have various settings, as well as YouTube videos that are up to 24 hours long of various kinds of noise: rain, rivers, jungle, white noise, brown noise, gray noise, pink noise etc.  Try differing sounds and see if any work for you. 

Play relaxing music: Many YouTube channels offer relaxing music. Piano, wood flute, crystal bowls, gongs, and hand drums are among instruments usually played in relaxing music tracks. A channel I utilize frequently during my sessions is RelaxDaily (all one word, no space between them).

Try a breathing app.  There are ample breathing applications online to assist with breathwork. This can be helpful because a normal reaction to being confronted with stress is to hold the breath. By learning to use the breath for relaxation, it’s possible to offset a stress reaction before it becomes too unmanageable.  

Exercise or go for a walk: Increase your movement. Getting outside for a walk can provide a breath of fresh air, get your blood moving and offer a change of scenery, even brief. Many therapists have expressed that “exercise is the best anti-depressant”, and can help with emotional regulation, relaxation, and getting more effective rest. It’s recommended to check with your doctor to ask what kind of exercise would work best for you.  

Stay hydrated. All of our organ systems and structures function more effectively when properly hydrated, with water.  A symptom of dehydration is feeling sluggish mentally and physically, which can cause one to crave caffeine, which further dehydrates. If feeling sluggish, try drinking 4-8 oz (that’s only ½ to 1 cup) of water and see if that improves energy before resorting to caffeine. By lessening caffeine intake, it’s possible to promote overall regulation and relaxation. 

Laugh: Laughing releases positive hormones and neurotransmitters that promote relaxation. Find something to laugh at. Whether online or reading, watching a movie or laughing with a friend. 

Connect with a therapist: Therapy is like having a mental / emotional personal-trainer and coach, someone who is always “on your side” and can help manage the mind. If you cannot afford therapy, check into intern programs offered by local universities. 

 

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Ask your therapist and /or bodyworker for additional tips to add to your personal toolbox for managing regulation.