A few years ago I did some training and for a year or so took referrals from an agency that funded Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). At the time research was showing that reading self help books about CBT and doing the exercises yourself was as effective as doing them with a professional so I satisfied the funding requirements by handing out printed CBT exercises to take home and talking through the experience later.
However I found that discussing the exercises slowed our work. Our focus shifted towards the exercises, and away from problems and preoccupations. Communication tended to stay superficial and task oriented. Subconscious communications and subtle feelings were easier to miss.
I also experimented with handing out other exercises and lifestyle information sheets. But even where they were useful, the little time spent on them disrupted our focus and connection. On balance they seemed more hindrance than help.
However sometimes an exercise is life-changing or information is essential for survival. So I experimented with handouts that anyone could use themselves and saved me repeatedly providing information and intruding into valuable consulting time.
So here are a sample of the myriad that are available in books and online. These exercises and suggestions aim to help expand the intelligence of the whole body to experience more clearly what is going on. They use senses and knowledge that are mostly overlooked in the confusion of modern life.
The strategies on the top menus are from old and modern cultures. There are practices from the Vedic traditions. And the modern binaural meditation used to enter deep trance, concentrate, relax or expand mental capacity.
There are exercises to still the mind, explore subconscious thoughts and feelings and find new perspectives in overwhelming situations. If you already know some that work, this may be a reminder to try them again.
Some are obvious and some take a while to understand. There are several just in case one is a circuit breaker.
Just reading them may not get far. They only really work when put into practice. Same with the lifestyle suggestions on the top menu.
There may be some false starts. If something isn’t working first time, put it aside and try again later.