When Time Flies, How Do We Find Our Balance?

Happy Thanksgiving!

November is a month of beautiful transition. Especially in the northern hemisphere, we see autumn giving way to winter, and with that comes the inevitable “holiday experience.”

This year, I keep hearing the same question: “Where has the year gone? How can Thanksgiving already be here?”

Oh, do I know that feeling! I’m blown away by how quickly life is moving. I remember telling my mom when I was a kid that time was moving too slowly. Her response was simple: “Just wait until you get older.” Mom, you were right!

But here’s the tough part: I’m now seeing and hearing children feel that life is moving too fast, too. Kids are supposed to feel time moving perfectly for them!

The Big Instead: Changing Our Internal Rhythm

This collective feeling—that the world is moving too quickly, that there’s so much we want to change but feel powerless to influence—is what drives our stress. Our default is to react, wishing we could stop the clock for a reset.

But we can’t stop the clock. We can only change our internal rhythm.

The BIG instead is this: We need to intentionally bring ourselves to a mindset of gratitude for all that is going right, for all that we appreciate, and for all the golden nuggets that show us the possibilities ahead. In that space of allowance and acceptance, joy and happiness more easily show up.

Simple Energy Tips for Calm and Steadiness

How do I stay in that space of calm and acceptance when life is flying by? Well, this won’t be a big surprise!

I anchor myself with the Daily Clean Your House Flow at least twice a day, and I hold my Jin Shin Jyutsu/acupressure energy points on and off whenever I sense my body is being asked to step up to a physical, mental, or emotional challenge.

Here are a few quick energy tips—a gentle reminder of what might just do the trick for you! Remember: There is NO such thing as too much self-help.

If you’re recognizing that you just want to be happier, put a smile on your face, and feel that “life is okay,” try these holds throughout the day:

• The Hug: Give yourself a hug (hold your upper arms or elbows) to feel grounded.
• Sit Bones: Hold your fingertips on the areas of your sit bones.
• Core Balance: Right hand holds the right base of the skull, and the left hand holds the outside of the right wrist (little finger side). Switch hands and repeat on the left side.
• Knees: Hold the outside of your knees.
• Upper Chest/Tummy: Cup your sternum under the clavicle, and hold your tummy with your other hand.
• The Connector: Do your Jumper Cables. 

Let me know what you discover! Are you able to find that “everything seems more okay when the energy and breath are moving”? And, just maybe, you are loving the energy of the holidays even more!

If you want to dive deeper into stress relief and gratitude, join me next month:

Join me for the December 4th Holiday Harmony workshop, and you’ll learn even more energy tips to help you cultivate balance and bring joy into the picture!

It’s free – Yes! It’s my gift this holiday season, and it’s recorded. Register below.

Join Holiday Harmony Here

The Beauty and Symbolism of October

The month of October is associated with numerous symbols.

In numerology, it symbolizes wealth, peace, prosperity, and fertility.

October is seen as the month of ancestors and transformation. So, it’s no surprise that we have the autumnal equinox and Halloween. And especially for gardeners, we have an abundance of the harvest. So, those in the northern hemisphere are in the throes of receiving all that Mother Nature and the results of the work that having a garden brings to the picture.

Of course, for those in the southern hemisphere, you are lucky to be experiencing spring, which is all about the renewal of nature, new beginnings, beauty, and hope.

To me, I feel the beauty of autumn. I love all the fall colors, the harvest, and the changes that mark the time of “the earth slowing down.”

And check out the glorious moon that Sonoma County residents were lucky enough to see the night of October 6^th. A dear friend of mine offered to share these beautiful pictures with you.

Of course, there is ALL of the time that I spent in the garden all season long!

I was in a state of joy when I planted in the spring, the growth in the summer, and then getting to enjoy all that the garden produced – all the veggies, fruit, and flowers.

I love how this year brought baskets of tomatoes, tomatillos, and arugula. Lemon cucumbers, basil, cilantro, beans, and peas were a bit on the low side in terms of production, but each harvest brought a sense of yumminess and a smile of gratitude.

I want to take this opportunity to show you a picture of my last big harvest and the tomatoes that are still on the vines. So, there are more coming!!

I also find that autumn causes me to reflect on and appreciate the beautiful moments that summer has given me.

One of the major highlights was an experience in August. I spent my birthday weekend at Mount Shasta. Just in case you didn’t see the pictures, I’m including a few here. And you’ll know why I had a glow and a BIG smile on my face.

That weekend retreat gave me the juice to go forward with all that I’ve decided to do over the following months.

I know in my heart and soul that my vision of cultivating well-being for youth of all ages IS ready to be out there in the world in a bigger way. I’m creating an online program for kids, families, and educators that will be accessible to anyone – regardless of their location, workplace, or school.

My goal is to expand the horizons for our youth – so they can be all they want to be, do whatever they want to do, and achieve their goals. 

I’m also creating an online summit that will bring together expert speakers to share their expertise and techniques with families, educators, and young people who are ready to learn and discover who they can become.

I’m excited, but I often find it easy to feel a bit overwhelmed at times. BUT – I’ve decided to switch what could be considered as overwhelm to be, “I’m in the moment and I’m experiencing the excitement of going forward.” In those moments, I’m feeling “the rush of stepping into all the possibilities.”  THAT is precisely what I want folks of all ages to know is doable!

AND — something I do that is huge in “the going forward” is reaching out to mentors and receiving suggestions and guidance. Those conversations are instrumental in bringing “self-awareness,” so what I’ve set in motion can more easily unfold and reach success.

• Give yourself a hug (hold your upper arms or elbows)
• Hold your fingertips on the area of your sit bone
• Do your Jumper Cables
• Hold the outside of your knees
• Cup the back of your head, holding fingers on opposite base of skull
  Cup your forehead and hold your fingers on the opposite side of your forehead
• Right hand – hold fingers on the right base of the skull
    Left hand – hold fingers on the outside of the right wrist (little finger
    side)
    Switch hands to hold the left base of the skull and the wrist
• Cup your sternum under the clavicle
  Hold your tummy with the other hand

Let me know what you discover!

Are you able to “step into the next thing YOU want to do”??
And are you loving the energy of autumn even more?!?

Practical Tools for an Intentional, Energized Fall

Embrace Clarity, Vitality, and Purpose as the Leaves Begin to Change

Harnessing the Power of Self-Help Acupressure

As summer bows gracefully to autumn, the world shifts in hue, rhythm, and energy. The crisp air, golden sunlight, and vibrant foliage invite us to slow down and reflect. For many, this transition is both beautiful and challenging. Our bodies, minds, and spirits crave harmony amidst change.

How can we welcome autumn with clarity, energy, and intention?

One answer lies in the ancient arts of acupressure and Jin Shin Jyutsu—gentle, powerful tools for self-care that you can start practicing today. By combining these techniques, you can become your body’s best partner and experience greater health and vitality.

What Are Self-Help Acupressure and Jin Shin Jyutsu?

Acupressure and Jin Shin Jyutsu are time-honored healing practices rooted in Eastern medicine. They involve applying gentle touch to specific points on the body—called energy balance points—to stimulate the flow of life force energy, or Qi (pronounced “chee”). Unlike acupuncture, acupressure uses only your fingertips—no needles or special equipment required.

The best part? Anyone can learn these energy points and create a daily self-care routine. There’s no such thing as “too much” self-help; you can use these techniques as often as you like. I once worked with a nine-year-old boy who practiced energy balancing five times a day—when he woke up, at the start of school, after recess, before homework, and before bed. He told me, “Doing my energy work before soccer or baseball is the absolute best way for me to play a better game.” Self-help acupressure truly works for all ages!

Why I Love Teaching This

I love showing clients how we can change patterns in the body and, as a result, let go of physical, mental, and emotional “projects.” (I prefer “projects” over “problems”—projects are more fun and have a beginning and an end!) When you use self-help acupressure daily, you help your energy flow, expand your breath, bring calm and vitality, and support all your body’s systems.

What makes self-help acupressure unique is its accessibility. With just a little knowledge, you can practice these techniques anytime, anywhere. It’s a practical, empowering addition to your autumn wellness toolkit.

Why Fall Is the Perfect Time for Acupressure

Traditional wisdom connects fall to the Metal element, associated with the lungs and large intestine. These organs help us take in inspiration (inhale the present) and let go of what no longer serves us (exhale the past). As nature sheds its leaves, we’re invited to clear mental clutter, release stagnant emotions, and align with a new rhythm.

Autumn is a natural time to reflect, set intentions, and build energy for the colder months ahead. Acupressure supports this transition on every level:

• Physical: Boost immunity, support digestion, and ease seasonal aches or fatigue.
• Mental: Sharpen focus, clear mental fog, and encourage restful sleep.
• Emotional: Soothe anxiety, uplift mood, and foster resilience to change.

Getting Started: Acupressure Points for Fall

Acupressure is simple to learn and gentle to experience. You can practice while seated, lying down, standing, or even moving. The most important thing is to have an open mind and listen to your body as you explore these points.

Try these exercises:

• Daily Clean Your House Flow
  I created the Daily Flow twenty-seven years ago so my clients could access a simple practice for foundation and stability. Teachers loved it so much that they started using it in classrooms. Now, it’s even available as an animated video!

• Expand Your Breath & Boost Immunity
  This helps expand your breath, boost your immune system, release tension, and clear your mind.
  1. Place your right hand on your right shoulder, where the neck and shoulder meet.
  2. Place your left fingertips on your left chest, just below the collarbone.
  3. Switch your hands to allow your body to receive on both sides

• Support Respiratory Health & Let Go of Old Patterns
  This can help with anxiousness and support letting go of old emotions or thoughts.
  1. Place your right fingertips on the front of your right lower ribs.
  2. Place your left fingertips on your right chest, just below the collarbone.

• Increase Clarity & Focus
  This helps you follow through on plans and make positive changes.
  1. Cup the back of your head with your right hand, fingertips on the left base of your skull.
  2. Cup your forehead with your left hand, fingertips on the right side of your forehead.
  3. Switch your hands to allow your body to receive on both sides

These are just a few simple techniques to get you started. If you’re curious to learn more…

Join my upcoming workshop—click here to sign up!

If you’re curious to learn more or experience these techniques in a supportive group, this is the perfect next step.

Is your body ready for summer?

It’s July already! Are you asking, “How can that even be the case?” Right?

For those of you in the United States, I’m hoping that your July 4th weekend was all you wanted it to be, and a whole lot more.

And, for everyone, which includes adults and children of all ages, I hope your coming months are filled with fun and joy, so that everything you want to do can be experienced to the fullest.

Summer means a break from school for most students and families, and a lot of what we do is different from what we do in the winter and school months. And the calendars end up getting FULL.

My feeling is that it’s essential to prepare your body for all that is on the calendar and all that you are asking your body to do.

I’m talking about all physical activities, including swimming, hiking, biking, exercising, as well as the “need to take care of stuff” like gardening, house maintenance, and anything else on your to-do list.

Do you have anything significant on your calendar, such as house guests, events like weddings and reunions, or vacations that you’ve been planning for months? You want to have all of that, and anything else that comes up, go smoothly and feed your soul. Right?

I want to remind you to continue practicing self-help acupressure, so your body can do all that you’re asking it to do more easily, effectively, and comfortably. And the results? You and your body will accomplish more, feel more relaxed, have more fun, be happier, be healthier, and be more available for anything else that comes your way, especially the enjoyable experiences.

So, here are my recommendations:

1. Do the Daily Clean Your House Flow at least once a day, especially in the morning. And if you’re super busy and active during the day, consider doing it again midday. There is no such thing as too much self-help!
2. If your body is telling you that you’ve done a lot, but you want it to be able to do even more, do the following:Do the second, third, and fourth steps of the Daily Flow off and on throughout the day. Those steps look like this – and remember that you can do these sitting, standing, or even when you’re moving around. And they only take a few moments to do!
   • Sit on your hands (hold your sit bones)
   • Right hand – hold the right sit bone
   • Left hand – cup right shoulder near neck

   Switch hands, so

   • Left hand – hold the left sit bone
   • Right hand – cup left shoulder near neck
3. Use the following energy flow to enhance your body’s flexibility, ease, and calm. It will also help with neck and back stiffness, tension, or discomfort. And it will help if you happen to ask a lot of your knees and feet.
   • Right hand – cup neck so fingers are on the left side of the neck
   • Left hand – hold fingers on coccyx (base of spine)
   • Left hand – hold fingers on the outside of the left knee at the center of the back of the knee
   • Left hand – hold fingers on the outside of the left ankle
   • Left hand – hold/cup left little toe
4. And to help get a whole night’s rest to prepare for the next day of fun-filled activities, do this:
   • Right hand – hold the right base of the skull
   • Left hand – hold the left base of skull

All that I’ve suggested is about helping your body be better prepared for what you’re going to ask it to do, such as physical activities.

You’ll also be helping your body better prepare for whatever might come its way, such as emotional tugs during family events or the overwhelming amount of information that can come your way when you’re engaging in new activities.

Let me know how your days go while you’re using your energy tips! I love receiving your insights and ‘ah-ha’ moments! And if you need any additional suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Long and short of it, I want YOU to have a magnificent summer of FUN!

Book a spot in my calendar if you want more help with any body support or energy balancing.

Allergy Symptoms Getting You Down?

This year, more than ever, the symptoms of allergies are running rampant. Allergies are reactions to allergens when your immune system is compromised. If you boost your immune system, you’ll help your body get on the other side of the pattern of reactions.

If you’re dealing with any of these symptoms, you are most likely in an allergy pattern:

• Sinus congestion
• Sneezing
• Headaches
• Itchy water eyes
• Itchy throat
• A stuffy or runny nose
• Hives and rashes
• Digestive upset

There are ways to reduce the misery of seasonal allergies and help your body reach a healthier, happier state of being. And, when you accomplish getting beyond misery and suffering, you’ll discover that you feel stronger and have more vitality, that your sleep has improved, and that your productivity has increased.

Here are some easy ways to tackle your allergy symptoms.

3 Ways to Improve Your Relationship with Mother Nature!

1. Hydration! Drink lots of water!

Allergies dry out our systems, so it’s essential to hydrate your body. Avoid dehydration and you’ll boost your immune system and help maintain normal histamine levels.

Lubricate your body adequately with lots of water and other suitable fluids, including electrolytes, and all layers and levels of your body will notice the difference. Your physical, mental, emotional, and energetic levels will all cooperate and bring health.

temp photo for blog – food

2. Eat anti-inflammatory foods!

Beat seasonal allergies the natural way by adding anti-inflammatory foods to your grocery list. Here are just a few that will help reduce your allergic reactions:

• Pineapple
• Onions
• Fish oil
• Brussel sprouts
• Turmeric
• Fresh ginger

3. Use acupressure to relieve allergy symptoms!

In the over 30 years I’ve been in private practice, I’ve seen many clients who suffer from the effects of allergies, especially spring allergies. Most of them find that when they receive a Jin Shin Jyutsu session or work on self-help acupressure, their bodies decide to let go of the blocked energy, causing the allergens’ reactions.

Jane, Elementary School Teacher

“A session with Deborah turned the tide for me! I was feeling lousy and thought I was getting a cold, but she gave me self-help acupressure flows to use for allergies. Her energy tips keep on doing the trick, and I’ve had more energy than I’ve had in days.”

Why Jin Shin Jyutsu and acupressure for allergy symptoms?

Our bodies are made of energy. Energy needs to flow. Conditions, illnesses, and injuries are evidence of blocked energy. Acupressure helps energy flow. It allows the body to let go of symptoms and heal.

Self-help acupressure does the trick!

Here are some self-help acupressure energy tips to get you started:

• Right hand—cup right shoulder near the neck
  • Left hand—hold fingers on the left chest below the collarbone
  • Switch to do the other side
• Right hand—hold fingers on the right base of the skull
  • Left hand—hold fingers on left base of the skull
• Right hand—cup forehead with fingers on the left side
  • Left hand—cup back of head with fingers on the right base of the skull
  • Switch to do the other side
• Left hand—cup right shoulder near the neck
  • Right hand—hold fingers at sitz bone/hip area
  • Switch to do other side

Once your body notices that “it’s on the other side of the progression of allergy patterns,” self-help acupressure will help you keep the re-patterning from now on. In fact, your body is reprogramming itself when you spend time helping your body experience energetic balance and harmony.

And consistency is the key!

So, do your energy balancing daily. And since there is no such thing as too much self-help acupressure, do it as often as you think of it throughout the day!

In addition, when you hydrate, eat foods that are not inflammatory, and limit your exposure to the allergy-misery-creators, you’ll help your body let go of symptoms, heal, and remove the old pattern that has been saying, “I’m supposed to react to this pollen.”

Get ready to lose those allergy symptoms!

To get more detailed instruction sign up for my FREE workshop on May 21 – >> ALLERGY ACTION PLAN.  In 90-minutes you’ll discover how to use self-help acupressure for your allergy situation and other health benefits for the rest of your life. Share this with your fellow allergy sufferers!

Spring into Positivity

Are you ready? Are you feeling it?

Spring is HERE!

Spring is the season of renewal, warmth, and fresh energy. Spring symbolizes growth, new beginnings, and a chance to reset.

Yes, spring is about trees budding, daffodils popping up, irises saying hello to the sun, and all the beautiful colors around every corner of your yard, garden, and trail or road you walk or hike on.

I love all those colors, the glorious songs of the birds, and the precious new young animals that are showing up.  It brings me joy and big smiles.

Especially right now. We all want and need the uplifting experience of spring amid everything happening in the world. If you’re feeling stress, distress, a state of unknowingness of what is next, or maybe even the angst of confusion and frustration, you’re not alone.

I’m spending time with clients who want to live easily and calmly – even amid all the craziness.

So, this is what I’m discovering, and here are my ideas for you!

Embrace the Energy of Spring

First, let’s recognize that the change of seasons, especially spring, can inspire personal growth and positive changes. The mind and body can step into a discovery of rejuvenation and regeneration so you can focus on new goals.

Part of the effects of this seasonal shift are the psychological and physical effects of moving towards longer days, increased sunlight, and more outdoor activities.

Find Your Full Body Smile

To uplift your mood and promote well-being, get your mind and body connected. And do so with easy self-help acupressure and Jin Shin Jyutsu. Your body wants to smile, and you can help your body “feel the smile and experience it as overall positivity.”

The trick is to find the smile within you and to help it show itself.

I’m talking about the smile that your body wants to experience when it’s in a state of balance and harmony, when your energy is FLOWING. The flow helps all layers and parts of you to live in a place of being prepared for what you’re going to ask your body to do and be prepared for whatever might be coming around the corner – physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

I’m talking about KNOWING where that smile is located WITHIN you. You can discover where the smiles are by doing your energy balancing daily, so you and your body are on the same page – knowing and believing that you’re working together to bring health, happiness, joy, peace, quiet, calm, ease, and overall “loving life.”

An Emotional Uplift

When your body feels an Emotional Uplift, the effects of stress can be reduced, your mood can be improved, and your energy can be increased. These specific acupressure points will promote positive emotions:

1. Give yourself a hug by touching your upper arms. That energy balance area is all about breath, calm and heart health (both physical and emotional).
2. Touch the inside of your knees or upper thighs will access breath and “being able to go forward with whatever you want.”
3. Hold the outside of your knees will allow your body to feel rhythm, strength, and peace. HERE is the ultimate positivity!

Feel your Body’s Joy

When your body Feels the Joy, it will “smile from the inside out.” To help that happen, use these energy points:

1. Touch your forehead, right fingers on the right side, and left fingers on the left. You will be connecting with “all-knowingness.”
2. Hold your fingers at the base of your skull, your right fingers on the right side, and your left fingers on the left side. You will be connecting with “consciousness and awareness.”
3. Jumper Cable, which is gently cupping each thumb and finger in turn, for several good breaths. This stimulates energy flow, and it balances all emotions.

The practice of acupressure is all about Self-Love and Body Connection.

When you tune in to your body’s needs and foster a deeper connection with yourself, you are indeed the best partner you could ever be with your body. The one person you will have the longest relationship with is yourself, so make it the absolute best ever!

Now make your body SMILE!

Let me help you! To book an in-person or virtual acupressure session, visit my online calendar and choose your time. https://calendly.com/deborahmyerswellness

How to Ditch Your Anxiousness

Oh my! There is so much going on around us, and it’s so easy to be in a state of reaction.

Are you experiencing any anxiousness, especially since there’s a significant place of not knowing what will happen next?

That kind of anxiousness and uncertainty can affect your overall body’s health and wellness during your waking hours and sleep time.

It’s essential to keep up your body’s ability to care for you. Your body, physically, mentally, and emotionally, needs to know that it’s prepared for what you’re going to ask it to do and prepared for whatever might come towards it.

You need to know that your body is there for you – and that you are capable of handling everything in your day-to-day personal and business life, family, community, and the world.

You and your body are phenomenal partners, and YOU can make a difference by having simple daily practices that cultivate well-being.

From that place comes the confidence that “I’ve got this!”

No matter what is going on in your body and your days, you and your best partner (your body) can be in rhythm, strength, and peace.

Are you ready to have access to information that gives you the confidence that you KNOW what YOU can do for yourself?

I have an answer for you!

IMPROVE SLEEP HABITS

Let’s address your sleep first because if anxiousness and uncertainty affect your waking hours, they also affect your sleep.

Are you sometimes waking up feeling low on energy and vitality and not having had enough rest? Some self-help acupressure can help.

Here is an energy tip that can assist you in moving through your life more invigorated by improving your sleep patterns. It will help you fall asleep and help you go back to sleep.

It may take time to repattern your body if it’s been “stuck in not giving you good rest” because of the old pattern your body has been in.

My suggestion is to be patient and keep on

• Do the Daily Clean Your House Flow® before or at bedtime

• When your head is on the pillow, hold your fingertips at the base of your skull (right fingers on the right side, left fingers on the left side). Hold for several deep breaths.
• Then start doing the “Jumper Cables”. Hold each thumb and finger (gently cupping) for at least several deep, calming breaths. If you’re not asleep by the time you finish holding the fingers of the second hand, repeat the sequence until you fall asleep.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for what you can learn to help your body when it’s awake and moving through the day or when it wants to give you a good night’s sleep.

Are you ready to learn a LOT more about supporting your body?

I invite you to my upcoming 10-week comprehensive course!

GPS for Body, Mind & Spirit 2025 will give you tons of information and energy management approaches to become a true partner with your body.

Discover simple and easy self-help acupressure techniques that you can use anywhere, anytime, simply by using your fingertips.

Feel how you can:

• Balance emotions
• Increase self-esteem
• Reduce stress and tension
• Relieve pain
• Recover from trauma
• Improve vitality
• Elevate mental and physical performance

During each class, we’ll take a deep dive into the elements that open and move energy pathways, so you can have a comprehensive understanding of how and why Jin Shin Jyutsu and acupressure work:

1. How energy pathways function in the body
2. Improve your ability to “listen” to the energy
3. Unlock your ability to balance the energy flow
4. Make positive changes in your whole being

Head on over to this web page to get all the event details and to register:

GPS for Body, Mind & Spirit Details

For a limited time, you can save $500 with an Early Bird ticket. When you check out, use Promo Code GPS_EARLYBIRD to get your discount.

Give your body, mind and spirit this gift for a less stressful and more vibrant life.

Using Acupressure Through a School Gun Threat

Let’s face it. School staff shouldn’t need to figure out what to do if something goes haywire, like a gun threat. That craziness shouldn’t be happening at any school, especially a Kindergarten-Grade 6.

But that’s what did happen at Penngrove Elementary School when the staff received a call during recess from a guy who said he was coming to the school with a gun because he was not being allowed to speak to his kid. The call immediately created a two-hour lockdown in which the students were led into rooms with their teachers.

Two hours must have felt like ten when trying to keep a room of kids quiet and calm.

The teachers pulled it off.

The story is that they made it into a game for the younger children to ease tension and avoid scaring them. The games continued when it was time to evacuate by school buses to the local fire station, which became a “field trip”.

That was the “event” day.

But what about the residuals? What about how the parents felt after they were told about the threat and then they had to wait for their children to show up at the fire station?

Understandably, those parents were anxious because they had no way to assist in the situation. What about what some kids were dealing with that night and the following days? What about the staff who managed to keep it together and keep their students engaged and calm during the fiasco but then had to deal with the aftereffects?

Even when it seems like everyone is holding it together, the emotions running under the surface are fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. A child who suddenly gets anxious can easily create a stream of reactions that spreads to others. If an adult who is one of the supervisors get anxious, then the kids will quickly pick up on that feeling.

The key is maintaining a calm and safe environment, which comes from almost everyone there BEING in that peaceful space. It was lucky that the Penngrove staff were exceptional at fulfilling that goal.

Post Event Acupressure Support

Many of the older students also remembered what to do to keep calm, even in a stressful situation. They recalled how to do self-help acupressure I’d taught them at a previous school assembly. Their parents and school staff had also participated in related workshops.

About a week after the school fiasco, I had the opportunity to spend time with the kindergarteners and some older students. I was there to connect with anyone feeling residuals from that crazy day.

The purpose was just to be there, listen to their stories, and help them understand that their feelings were natural reactions. And teach them self-help acupressure, which people of all ages can use to handle stress, relieve anxiousness, and let go of being overwhelmed.

Acupressure can help you accomplish that because it helps your body experience energetic balance, expand the breath, create calmness and grounding, feel safe, and rediscover joy and peace by letting go of the pattern of reaction to trauma.

The kindergartners were engaged and interacting as I showed them how to breathe deeper, even when something scary happened. One little guy, who was having a pretty hard day, was even able to calm down when I showed him and his classmates how to do the “jumper cables”.

Doing the jumper cables is the last step in the Daily Clean Your House Flow®, a nine-step self-help acupressure flow I wrote years ago for my clients and students. It’s easy to learn and easy to do.

Here’s a fun, animated video you can download to learn the easy steps. Get the Daily Clean Your House Flow video.

What those 5- and 6-year-olds experienced was a way to find calm and expansion of breath. They didn’t need to know everything else they were accomplishing. They just felt the space of ease.

To do the jumper cables, gently cup each thumb and finger, starting with the thumb on one hand and doing all the fingers. Then go to the next hand. When you do this, you’re connecting with all emotions and helping your body let go of anything jamming up the breath.

When I was with the older students, many KNEW what I was talking about and showed ME what they do for calm and expanded breath! I heard comments like, “It works even when it’s a really bad day, like what happened last week.”

They knew because I’d been with them for that school assembly, and I taught them the Daily Clean Your House Flow, as well as several other acupressure movements they could do to help with clarity and focus, to succeed at whatever they wanted to do better, and to feel healthier.

This was the most popular acupressure pose for calm and breath:

• With one hand, cup the sternum directly below the collarbones.
• With the other hand, hold your fingers on your tummy.

This pose works so well that it can even make a difference when you feel super anxious, like a student who doesn’t feel safe in a drill and has to go under the desk.

So, imagine offering this information and tool for your students’ toolkits. Take it further and imagine offering these same techniques to your educators, staff, and parents. Imagine your entire school community having a toolkit that allows them a way to get on the other side of stress, anxiousness, overwhelm, fear, worry, anger, and even sadness.

Imagine THAT information making a difference if something terrible happens in your school. We don’t want the bad to happen, but it’s all about being proactive to be able to manage stress in high-anxiety situations.

And, no matter what, your students will be more empowered with a toolkit that enhances focus, clarity, and performance, supports a cooperative learning environment, and helps them achieve their potential.

Please contact me to get more acupressure information for yourself, your family, or your school community.

Watch the Demonstration

This video is an excerpt of a previous assembly I did, showing the kids some tips on how to balance their energy and prepare for anxious moments. You’ll even see a 7-year-old share what she does when preparing for working through a drill.

Is pain taking over your life?

I understand all too well about life altering pain! I’ve had times when a part of my body hurts so much that it’s all I can think about.

I remember what transpired in my garden when I lifted too many heavy pails of water one afternoon. I should’ve known better. Right? Well, I injured my shoulder and arm by doing too much.

We’ve all done it. And afterwards, we can be so hard on ourselves! “Why wasn’t I smarter than that?”

But when the pain really kicks in and starts to affect how you’re thinking and what you decide to do and not do, it’s time to investigate possibilities of “what can I do about this pain and help my body heal?”

It’s one thing to have pain resulting from a physical injury like what I just described, or pain from a physical ailment. We can usually wrap our minds around those kinds of issues that create pain in the body. And if we don’t push our body to keep on doing, and if we help the body let go of the inflammation, we can often help healing take place.

It will usually take some extra attention, and of course, I’m suggesting you make use of self-help acupressure to help get on the other side of a pattern of pain.

Emotional Anguish

What if you’re living with the pain for so long, and it just becomes what you expect? And then what happens if your mind and emotions play into that way of being?

What if the pain is happening because of emotional trauma, like losing a loved one or exposure to violence? Or what if the pain is a result of feeling lost and isolated and maybe anxious and depressed?

That kind of pain can be just as debilitating because it’s often harder to figure out what is hurting and how to fix it.

Pain can create such deep, intense feelings that the senses get all caught up in “this way of living.” Well, your body would appreciate if you had another way of dealing with it and helping it not go in that direction.

You CAN change the patterns of how you talk to yourself and how you treat anything going on in your body and help it release old physical, mental, or emotional traumas.

Read on…

Self Conversations

Here are some possibilities of conversations you could be having with yourself about emotions and feelings in association with living with pain:

** Concern and worry

“What is happening with my body?  What do I need to do to get rid of this pain?”

This state of unknowing can lead to extreme nervousness and then confusion. And then it becomes almost too easy to go to “what am I doing wrong?” And, when you get caught up in that place, you start questioning yourself about almost everything?

When you’re stuck in that negative mode, it’s important to change your way of thinking to “what are some other possibilities?” That way you’ll increase your chances of getting answers as to how to take care of the pain and many other issues going on in your life. You and your body are now living in the space of believing that you ARE doing everything right to take care of you.

** Major fear that life is going to get really impacted

“What will happen if this pain doesn’t go away? What if this leads to something even worse?”

That sense of “feeling and being out of control” can lead to anxiety. And that’s one pattern we want to help our bodies not experience because it will cause aggravation of pain. Anxiousness is more like a “moment in time.” Being in a state of anxiety can become an issue that can become a project that then needs to be remedied.

The key is to help your body recognize that you and your body together CAN change the trajectory of thought patterns and improve your emotional state of being.

** Frustration and anger

 “This pain is driving me crazy. I’m so frustrated that I can’t do what I want to and need to do.”

Significant irritation at how you have to live day-to-day with pain can create belief patterns that cause you to feel like you’re unable to change something that could make a difference in your activities, relationships, and life – personal or business.

** Sadness and grief

“Life is so empty, and I can’t find a way to be happy.”

When pain takes over your day-to-day existence, you can all too easily begin to “miss how things used to be.” When the energetic body recognizes that you’re missing an integral part of yourself and can’t locate what you’re searching for, the body starts feeling like something has been lost. Then comes a state of sadness and grief for what’s missing.

A life that doesn’t seem happy creates an unhappy body. A body that’s experiencing lots of pain is most likely not in a state of experiencing joy and happiness.

** Trying too much and trying too hard – efforting

“My body doesn’t want to do what I need it to do. Everything seems too hard to do, and there’s just not enough time to do it all.”

When pain takes over the body and causes life to feel overwhelming, even expected and often simple daily activities take too much energy and can deplete your overall vitality. If you had vitality and the ability to be an “energizer bunny,” and now that’s missing, you and your body are experiencing a significant sense of loss and not knowing how to live in the world.

Energy Balance

So why this lengthy description of emotions and feelings when we’re discussing pain?

Pain causes so much “stopping us in our tracks” that emotions need to be addressed as we travel the journey of helping our bodies release the symptoms of pain and what is holding the pain IN the body.

When you dive into all that can be affecting your body, you’ll travel through all the systems and places that are being reactive –

• Respiratory
• Digestive
• Elimination
• Muscular
• Skeletal
• Vascular
• Cognitive
• Emotional

Additionally, you will connect with your

• Adrenal
• Endocrine
• Immune
• Lymphatic
• Nervous systems

so they can easily support your WHOLE body fully.

For instance, you may notice that when you’re experiencing a stretch of pain, it’s harder to get a full inhale and exhale. Your breath MUST open up to help spread the energy and be able to let go of ALL that’s in the way of change and healing.

Breath

Do this energy flow to open your breath AND to release the tendency for inflammation to be present in the body when there is injury, ailment, trauma, distress, and the emotions that are talking back. Doing this energy flow will also help your body rediscover easy and comfortable movement:

Right hand – hold fingers on the left elbow

Left hand – hold fingers on the right elbow

Left hand – move fingers to the base of the right front ribcage

Right hand – move fingers to right chest below collarbone

Inflammation Release

Do this simple energy hold to remind the body that inflammation can let go and not be a pattern.

Left hand – hold fingers on the outside of the left knee

Right hand – hold fingers on the outside of the right knee

Be in Flow

Follow with this simple energy flow to remind your body to be in flow and breath and calm!

Right hand – cup your sternum directly below the collarbone

Left hand – hold your fingers on your tummy below your navel

Use these acupressure flows using light gentle touch to get back into an energy balance for your body, mind, and emotions.

What I just shared with you is just the tip of the iceberg that I will be covering in the upcoming THE GREAT PAIN ESCAPE workshop!

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Be Ready to Adapt (a family camping story)

I recently returned from a magnificent 10-day camping vacation with my family, but I’m having trouble BEING home. It was so much fun I want to be back there – camping, experiencing everything again, and seeing what other adventures we can create.

Writing these words and seeing the photos bring me back to the magical spots that entertained us daily. Northern California is truly a beautiful place.

Although I hadn’t been tent-camping for years, I was prepared. We’d planned the locations and logistics for weeks, and with self-help acupressure I prepared my body for what I was going to ask it to do.

I was super lucky I was with my ‘kids’ who set up my tent and got me situated. In many areas out in the boonies, we experienced supreme quiet as we talked around the camp fire and gazed at the stars. We created delicious meals in our campsites, and even treated ourselves to a few delectable dinners out.

We just hung out at camp a few times during the day, but we usually went on excursions, heading to some of the most amazing and phenomenal destinations imaginable.

Day One – Host Tent

GLORIOUS DAY ONE

Our first campsite was over five miles off the main road on a dirt road that was bumpy and rutted and thoroughly worked my Subaru. The destination was off the grid in a glorious spot in the forest where we enjoyed tents set up for us. And the camp hosts made us wood-fired paella for dinner!

What a great way to start our journey!

Deborah with binoculars

Shelter Cove

SHELTER COVE

We left our boonies campsite the next day and headed to Shelter Cove on the Lost Coast. I’d never visited before and was excited to find this to be truly one of the most magical places on earth! Many enthusiasts partake in a 2, 3, or 15-mile hike along the coast.

We chose to just hang out on the beach. That’s where we experienced true magic because the “normal” is fog, cold, and wind. But not for us! Shelter Cove was crystal clear, sunny, and warm.

Klamath River

KLAMATH RIVER

The next campsite was on the Klamath River. We opted to take a short drive to the Salmon River to enjoy a river beach and hang out.

The river was cold, but we were taking plunges into the pools. Yep – even me, who doesn’t like cold! I had to talk myself into it when everyone around me was diving into the water.

But I did it. And now I can say, “I did it, and I’ll do it again.”

We enjoyed it so much we returned to that same beach for a second day. Listening to the water and feeling the moisture in the air was so beautiful, especially when the overall temperature was pretty intense.

Fossil Cliffs

TRINIDAD CLIFFS

Another exceptional excursion was outside of Trinidad, where we investigated a beach cliff known for fossils. And there we sighted two otters playing in the water.

Check out the sunset we enjoyed at the end of the day.

Sunset View

AGATE BEACH

The last campsite was at Sue-meg State Park, formerly named Patrick’s Point State Park. The highlight was beachcombing along Agate Beach.

Agate Beach

We reminisced about the times 30 years ago when we’d hang out at the beach and collect agates that were memorable in quantity and size. This time there were fewer, and they were smaller, but it was still a fun adventure.

It was another magical moment because it was crystal clear, sunny, and warm, unlike the usual fog and cold. We were wearing multiple layers of clothing that got peeled off as the sun heated the air and the sand.   

Village houses

We also walked to Sue-meg Village, a reconstruction of the Yurok village, and we investigated the buildings and garden. We enjoyed hiking up to the top of Ceremonial Rock. That was another walk down memory lane! You can easily imagine the Yurok people creating, living, and loving all parts of their village.

Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park

The second morning at Sue-meg, we drove north to experience one of the most beautiful drives through the redwood forest you could imagine. In fact, I requested that we drive through that stretch for a second time. We were in the Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park, and no one could ask for a more gorgeous way to fully experience the majestic redwoods.

FERN CANYON

The last morning of our ten days of camping was spent driving to Fern Canyon. I’d been told that it was magical. And it was! Situated in the Murrelet State Wilderness area, it’s a destination you don’t want to miss.

Deborah on fern forest trail

Fern wall

Imagine walking on a trail through this narrow canyon with steep cliff walls that are totally covered by ferns. And flowing down the walls, you see and hear gentle waterfalls seeping out of the canyon walls and flowing gently into the creek below. The sound of the water was beautiful and soothing.

BE READY FOR THE UNEXPECTED

Can you see why I didn’t want this 10-day adventure to end?

Every day was filled with magic. Plus, I got to spend it with my adult children. What parent could ask for anything better?

This trip was truly incredible, but it’s not totally where we initially planned to go.

Originally, we were to start in Lassen National Park for some hiking and fly fishing, but it was closed because of major fires. Trinity River was next on our list for more fly fishing, but the heat and smoke forced us to head west toward the ocean.

Agate Beach and the redwoods were in the first plan and were amazing to wrap up our memory-building trip.

And although I didn’t get any fishing in, the opportunity sparked my desire to return to that blissful experience. I will once again stand in a river in my waders and cast my fly rod! And hopefully, to more camping and enjoying quiet, joyful family time.

So, the message that I got was loud and clear — be ready to accept that change is always a part of life, even a vacation, and be prepared to go with the flow, no matter what you’ve planned.

Nicole and Deborah

And experience the FUN that life is ready to give you if you just allow yourself to be available for the possibilities and open to the opportunities!

And remember, be good to your body as you take it to new destinations and experiences. Prepare it for what you want to do, and know how to help it heal from any incidents that happen along the way.

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The Great Pain Escape

Check out my October workshop “The Great Pain Escape” to discover how to reduce and prevent pain in your body and build emotional balance.

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