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.
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.
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.
Upcoming Workshop – December 4
Are you overwhelmed by the demands of the holiday season?
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!
Give yourself the gift of joy and calm.
In just 90 minutes, using only your fingertips, discover how self-help acupressure can
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Balance your emotions
- Get and keep you healthy
- Improve your sleep
- Create ways to be in gratitude and appreciate yourself
This Ultimate Holiday Survival Bootcamp is for the whole family, people of all ages. It works for both kids and adults and will give you the tools you need to become centered and grounded even during holiday events.
NO CHARGE! This event is Free!
Get all the event details and register today.
Stress in Summer – What a Bummer!
Summer is SUPPOSED to be FUN! Right?! That’s what we all plan for.
From our early childhood, most of us couldn’t wait for school to be over. Then we could do all the fun activities we wanted to do, and not the things we HAD to do, especially studying, tests and exams, and being in bed at a particular time.
My memories as a kid included bicycling daily, going to the lake to fish and swim, hanging out with friends, and reading all the fiction I could get my hands on.
Remember those days? What did you look forward to every summer – where you could almost predict the weather and how your days would unfold?
Now, here we are as adults. We definitely do things differently in the summer. Our activities revolve around being outside and using the longer daylight hours. And of course, most of us are all about enjoying the sun and the warm, balmy weather.
But we seem to now be living with extremes, which can bring on a lot of unexpected mental and physical stress.
MOTHER NATURE 2024
Because of the heat and wind, many are dealing with uncontrolled fires that create havoc, cause loss of homes, and result in losing a sense of well-being. I know that many areas of Canada and the United States are experiencing all that and much more because of fires and drought.
All that smoke affects the quality of air and our breathing. Instead of enjoying being outside, people are forced to stay indoors. Many people are having major respiratory issues show up. Other health issues create the need for medical intervention.
On the other side, many areas are experiencing intense rain. The weather is taxing their infrastructures – properties are flooded, roads are torn apart, and water systems are failing. Because of drainage and flooding issues, people are forced to boil water until the water systems are repaired.
Yep. Mother Nature is demonstrating that we have absolutely no control over our regular summer routines or the special activities and trips we have put into our calendars.
RECOGNIZE THE STRESS
So, why my dissertation about Mother Nature and our hopes and plans for ‘normal’ weather to enjoy our summer?
Did you plan a fun adventure for yourself or your family but it got disrupted because where you were going is no longer feasible, or unforeseen weather events have occurred in or near your home that are thwarting your plans?
You may very well be experiencing the stress of figuring out how to deal with it all, what options you might have, or how to look after yourself and your family.
To support your mental, emotional, and physical stress, it is essential to help your body FEEL at ease and calm, to have your body experience expansive inhale and exhale, full vitality, and the ability to go with the flow no matter what is happening in your world.
What your body wants more than anything is the ability to be prepared for whatever you’re going to ask it to do and be prepared for whatever might come towards it. That could be physical or mental or emotional.
We don’t plan on experiencing stress, but we live in a world where stress exists, and when your routines and plans are impacted or blown up, they CAN be stress-inducing.
HOW TO GET THROUGH IT
So, here is the key. YOU can help your body feel prepared, cared for, healthy, and vital no matter what happens around you.
Spend time each day balancing your energy by doing:
- self-help acupressure
- meditating
- breath exercises
- doing yoga or Qi Gong
- walking
- gardening
- forest bathing
- beach exploring
Do what you can do under your circumstances. When you can, create physical experiences as you discover or rediscover the beautiful places you can visit and enjoy near where you live.
And if you have plans and maybe even a vacation that just got reconfigured because Mother Nature or something crazy took place, just recognize that YOU can help your body avoid the consequences of stress.
Instead, help your body recognize that change does not mean there is a space for anxiousness to be created.
GET YOUR FINGERTIPS READY
Here are some self-help acupressure tips I’ve been using for myself for the last few days.
I’m one of those folks having to accept that we need to change our plans. Our family camping vacation is now being redefined because of fires in Northern California. And, as I’m doing my energy flows, I’m also sending ease and calm and balancing flows to those who have been impacted by the traumatic experiences they’re going through.
You can do the same by using the following simple energy tips. Use your fingertips and hold the suggested acupressure points with a very light, gentle touch as you do them. And remember, there is no wrong because there is no right.
- The Daily Clean Your House Flow™. Doing the Daily Flow brings me balance and a firm foundation for my physical, mental, and emotional well-being. (If you don’t know the Daily Flow, you can get it here).
- Jumper Cables. It’s the 9th step of the Daily Clean Your House Flow. My body immediately experiences deeper breathing and brings calmness as my body says, “You don’t need to go to worry, fear, frustration, sadness, or trying too hard or too much. In fact, your body doesn’t want to live in any of those spaces.”
- Cup your sternum under the collarbone and hold your other hand on your tummy. This simple energy hold brings breath and calm and lubricates all your tissues, including your throat, sinuses, eyes, and ears, as well as your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This simple energy tip will help with shortness of breath and dry throat.
- Hold the base of your skull and the outside of the wrist to connect with the entire nervous system. It will bring calm, the ability to connect with focus and clarity and let go of any anxiousness. It looks like this:
Right hand – hold the right base of the skull
Left hand – hold outside of right wrist on little finger side - And use your Thermostat Controller if you need to cool down!
Hold the outside of your knees. This is how you can regulate your body temperature. It’s also an anti- inflammatory point. So, it’s a great energy point to have in your “remember to do this off and on throughout the day”.
I wish for you a fun-filled and safe summer, whether it’s planned or spontaneous. Stay stress-free and remember to GO WITH THE FLOW!
The Lights and Color of the Holidays
The holidays are here in all of their glory!
How are YOU doing with this time of the year? Do you enjoy the season with all that is going on? Do you need an extra boost to make it through the day? Read on! I have some energy tips for you! AND this will work for ALL ages, young and old!
Mrs. Claus
I love Christmas — the energy and joy of the season bring a smile to my face. Walk into my house, and you see a tree laden with hundreds of lights and ornaments. Stockings on the mantle. Hundreds of Santas and happy elves populate my house. There’s a reason that a four-year-old was walking into my home with his mother for his session, and he looked at the tree and then at me and said, “Are you Mrs. Santa Claus, too?”
Deck the Halls with Lights and Love
I love the color and the lights just as much as I do the Christmas theme. There’s something about those lights that are so important this time of the year when the days are short, and there is more darkness than light in our twenty-four-hour days.
Our Bodies Crave Light during this winter-time holiday season
Our bodies are so hungry for more exposure to light and vitality. Here are several super easy ways to give you and your body that extra boost. And when you share this with the kids in your life, they will remind YOU what to do!
5 Steps to Give Yourself an Energy Boost
- To bring extra breath — hug yourself, gently touching the upper arms
- Create alignment, posture correction, and vitality — sit on your hands (hold your sit bones)
- Enjoy breath, ease, and calm —
Right hand — cup your sternum directly below your collarbone
Left hand — hold your fingers on your tummy below your navel. - To manage feelings — Jumper Cable — gently cup each thumb and finger and balance ALL of your emotions. Get rid of worry, fear, anger, sadness, and trying too hard.
- To let go of confusion and bring in clarity
Right hand — cup base of skull
Left hand — cup forehead
Best Wishes
So, with that, I give you my joy of Christmas and lights and color! And I wish for you and yours a magnificent holiday season and a super new year of fulfilled dreams and lots of magical moments that surprise you daily!
All my best to you,
Deborah
I’m Truly a Kid at Heart!
I’m truly a kid at heart!
I saw Santa last week with some good friends and I know I had a really big smile on my face. I was right back at that place of total excitement that Santa was coming to town. As a kid growing up in a very small town in Minnesota (population 500), it was a big occasion with lots of planning and hype about the event. And, of course, sitting on his lap and telling him what I wanted for Christmas was a super big deal.
So, this year I didn’t tell him what I wanted when I sat next to him on his sleigh. Instead, I told him “thank you” for creating so many happy smiling people, both children and adults. He was the ultimate Santa — red and white suit, white beard, twinkling eyes, nose like a cherry, and a big smile in the midst of those rosy cheeks.
I felt like I was a character in ’Twas the Night Before Christmas and I found myself laughing in spite of myself as I watched him being Santa.
He and Mrs. Claus have created the ultimate Christmas Winter Wonderland. The outside is beautiful with all of the lights and decorations and the sleigh that he pops in and out of. But what is different from any other decorated house in any other neighborhood — they open their door to thousands of visitors every year. The entire house is filled with Christmas music and some of the most beautiful displays I’ve ever seen — Santas, villages, snowmen, a holiday train, a carnival, a whole room of angels.
Edmundo, Mary Jo and Kathy start decorating in September to prepare their Christmas House. And they do it because they love to create magic and see the smiles and hear the laughter. Last year they had 44,700 visitors. How do they know? They handed out 44,700 candy canes.
Most of us aren’t going to go to that extent to bring the magic of the season into our homes and neighborhoods, but we can create the energy of joy by just being in the space of happiness and love.
Ready to see the Rombeiro’s Christmas House and get filled with magic? Their address is 34 Devonshire Drive, Novato, CA . They’re open every night through January 6th, including 12/24, 12/25, 12/31 and 1/1/2016. And every single night Santa will turn on all of the lights at 6:00 pm, walk out to his sleigh and greet his visitors. Kathy waits at the front door, welcoming each and every one who walks through the door. Mary Jo (Mrs. Claus) waits in the kitchen to see the smiles and have short conversations with those who just want to say thank you.
Yep. This Santa and his family are remarkable. They share the joy of the season and you can’t help but accept their gift. I hope you and your family have found ways to experience the magic of the season!
Joy and Magic
And remember — each of your family members can have balance and harmony by spending time every day doing self-help acupressure. You will find it much easier to have everything on the list done, to be rested, and to see smiles on each and every face. Keep it simple. Do the Daily Clean Your House Flow and remember to Jumper Cable as often as you think of it.
Sending you lots of balancing energy!
Don’t Be a Deer in the Headlights
Have you ever felt like you were a deer caught in the headlights?
Yesterday I walked outside and surprised a deer that was near my garden fence. She freaked out, jumped the deck railing and I thought for sure she had jumped into the garden. But as I walked around the garden, there was no sign of her. That poor girl must have run across the deck and jumped off the high side.
Granted, it was daylight and there really weren’t headlights, but the deer must have felt like her life was in jeopardy. Her reaction was “get out of here fast no matter what I have to do to make it happen.” She also could have gotten “stuck in the moment and not been able to move.”
I know I have had times like that: “needing to make an immediate decision and follow through right now.” It’s real easy at the moment to go into flight or fight mode, or paralysis and not be able to do anything.
Jumper Cables Tame Big Emotions
One of the best ways to tame big emotions is to Jumper Cable each of your fingers, even if it’s just holding the thumbs or index fingers. Spending time holding the thumb is all about letting go of worry and anxiety, the emotion/attitude that our bodies will go to if things aren’t going the way you want or expect. To get the results you want and to “get to success,” hold those thumbs!
Holding the index fingers will allow you to move away from fear and move towards taking action with confidence. When there is no fear present, there is a sense of safety and security and ability to “deal with it” and know that all is well.
So, when you have a surprise that could easily take your breath away and cause you to get caught in the headlights, Jumper Cable! It will work much easier and faster if you’ve already balanced your body by doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow.
