CALMING BREATH
Our intention in the first video is to help trauma survivors begin to associate a calm emotional state with several unfamiliar sights, sounds, breathing, arm movements and tapping gestures.
Then, by tuning and retuning into this benign, multi-sensory emotional anchor, people can relax themselves before attempting to dissolve the disturbing feelings associated with traumatic memories.
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HUMMING TUNE
So, in Video 1, we recommend the slow humming of simple, unfamiliar tune in the key of C Major to help extend the length of our exhalations.
Slow, deep exhalations encourage a "parasympathetic," relaxing response in the nervous system, slowing the heart rate and improving digestion.
This opposes our usual "sympathetic," anxious response to real or imagined threats, when our hearts race, our guts churn, and our breathing becomes rapid and shallow.
The recommended arm movements also help to completey exhaust stale air from the lungs, increase the supply of oxygen and decrease feelings of anxiety.
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EMOTIONAL ANCHOR
A positive emotional anchor can be any specific life event, that leaves you relaxed and contented whenever you recall it from memory.
In Video 1, we supply such an anchor by recommending people imagine a humming bird with an unusual whistle, feeding at a blue flower.
Humming birds, which are found only in the western hemisphere are usually thought to be attracted to red flowers.
For most people, they are small, harmless creatures, and in Native American mythology they are often associated with joyful messages and healing.
Since the qualities of this visual/auditory anchor will be unfamiliar to most people, it is unlikely to be associated in any way to the person's traumatic memories.
To maintain a distinction between the calm, clear emotional tone of this anchor and the cacophony of traumatic feelings, it is important to regularly re-tune yourself with a calming sessions before each emotional tuning practice session.
Note If you have difficulty imagining the sights and sounds of a humming bird, recall instead any other scene that you find particularly relaxing. The emotional anchor can also be strengthened by applying a relaxing fragrance under your nostrils, while practicing the calming breath.
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