The Self-Care Program
The sound that Self-Care makes…
Before the pandemic started, I experienced a sudden panic attack, followed by several haunting weeks of its after effects: fear, worry, and anxiousness that manifested as agonizing bodily sensations on a daily basis.
The cause of it is unknown, but if I were to guess, it may have been the mounting stress from multiple career changes, moving to a new city and unresolved emotions from relationship breakdowns. I was already experiencing daily stress and fatigue for many months before this, so perhaps this was the tipping point.
Although I have a generally optimistic mind and access to lots of resources to see that there was nothing actually wrong in my immediate life, I felt that I was not going to be able to resolve the restlessness and angst by trying to manage the thoughts in my mind.
Through research and sustained practice, the methods presented in this Self-Care program were the contributing factors to helping me overcome this challenging period and eventually experience what I would describe as a deep and profound relationship with myself.
Message to attendees:
With the 12 years of combined professional experience as a 500hr Yoga Instructor / Teacher Trainer and Certified EFT Practitioner facilitating these methods, I will be instructing live classes to show you how to apply these techniques into your life and walk side by side with you in the Journey back to yourself.
My belief is that with your sincere efforts and genuine desire to learn and grow personally through this program, we can uncover the roots of your stress and experience dramatic shifts in your physical and emotional well-being.
My most surprising takeaway, which continues to bear great fruit is the Relationship that I have with myself now. What this exactly means is deeply personal and difficult to describe in words, however, the experience of such connection is very real. I will continue to create opportunities for you throughout the program to inquire, explore and get in touch with this Relationship.
One other aim of this program is that the design and instruction of these methods would be effective enough that you would be able to use them as self-regulation tools on your own and no longer be constrained by the dependency of attending a studio class, watching online videos or following the instructions of a teacher (unless you wanted to).
Rather, you would have the freedom and autonomy to be self-guided in your home practice and further deepen and enliven this Relationship to Self and be able to connect with your true needs and desires. This is meant to empower and educate you in your ability to create and sustain your own health and well-being by trusting in your innate capabilities.
The Possible Outcomes:
Through my research and discoveries, the science is demonstrating that the 3 methods in this 8-Week Self-Care program can produce a significant reduction in stress levels (cortisol) and reduce the feelings of negative emotional states like fear, anxiousness and anger.
In turn, the studies indicate an improvement in one’s brain functions, increase attention and focus and promote positive emotional states of self-esteem, happiness and confidence.
My anecdotal experience with this program is through spending focused time with these practices, I noticed a remarkable difference in my connection to my internal states, whereby experiencing joy, fulfillment and well-being derived from the sustained use of these tools.
The techniques and their corresponding research is below. This is by no means a comprehensive list of what is available, however it is a starting place if these are points are of interest to you.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT):
Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health. D. Bach, G. Groesbeck, P. Stapleton, R. Sims, K. Blickheuser, D. Church. J Evid Based Integr Med. Feb 19, 2019
Reexamining the effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry: A randomized controlled trial. Stapleton, P., Crighton, G., Sabot, D., & O'Neill, H. M. APA PsycArticles. 12(8), 869–877. 2020
Mindfulness Based Yoga:
A study on effect of yoga on emotional regulation, self-esteem, and feelings of adolescents. Yasmin Janjhua, Rashmi Chaudhary, Nishant Sharma, Krishan Kumar. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. Jul 30, 2020
Effect of a Yoga Based Meditation Technique on Emotional Regulation, Self-compassion and Mindfulness in College Students. Naresh Kumar Patel, L Nivethitha, A Mooventhan. Explore. 14(6):443-447 Nov 2018
Diaphragmatic Breathing:
The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults Xiao Ma, Zi-Qi Yue, Zhu-Qing Gong, Hong Zhang, Nai-Yue Duan, Yu-Tong Shi, Gao-Xia Wei & You-Fa. Front. Psychol. June 6, 2017
The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human Marc A. Russo, Danielle M. Santarelli, and Dean O’Rourke. 13(4): 298–309. Dec 2017
Program Details:
Date: June 7th - July 29th (8 Weeks)
Zoom Classes: Every Mondays & Thursday (6-7pm PST)
Group Zoom Calls: June 24st, July 8th, July 22nd (7-8:30pm PST - following after the class)
WhatsApp Group Community: Discussion, shares and questions will be facilitated in a WhatsApp Group.
Cost: By Donation (must be able to fulfill the below requirements)
Requirements:
To attend at least 13 of the 16 classes
To attend at least 2 of the 3 group zoom calls
Participate as often as possible in sharing and discussing your personal experience in the WhatsApp group with other members (post comments, reply to the discussion, post pictures)
