PREVIOUS: Saboteurs #7, 8

FROM : “POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE” — Shirzad Chamine

9. The STICKLER accomplice
⛓️Description
 It’s about Perfectionism – the need for order & organization taken too far.
⚙︎ Can be irritable, tense, opinionated, sarcastic
⚙︎ Highly critical of self & others, AND too sensitive to criticism
⚙︎ Punctual, methodical, reality oriented
⚙︎ Strong need for self-control & self-restraint
⚙︎ Works overtime to make up for others’ sloppiness & laziness.

10. The VICTIM accomplice
⛓️ Description
⚙︎ An extreme focus on internal feelings, particularly painful ones
⚙︎ Fairly dramatic reactive. When things get tough, want to crumble & give up. Repressed rage results in depression, apathy, & constant fatigue
⚙︎ Get attention by having emotional problems, or being temperamental & sullen
⚙︎ Martyr streak. If criticized or misunderstood, tend to withdraw, pout & sulk.
⚙︎ Unconsciously attached to having difficulties.

PREVIOUS:
Internal Saboteurs #5, 6

List from :
“POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE” –  Shirzad Chamine

PREVIOUS:
Types 3 & 4 

SITE : Take the Free ASSESSMENT

FROM : “POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE” Book & Stanford lectures, based on the research of Shirzad Chamine

5. The HYPER-RATIONALIST accomplice
⛓️ Description
Its exclusive & intense focus is on the rational /mental processing of everything, including relationships.
⚙︎ Can lose track of time because of intense concentration
⚙︎ Mostly show feelings through your passion about ideas
⚙︎ Prefer to just watch the craziness around you, analyzing PPT (people, places & things) at a distance
⚙︎ Too private, not letting many people into your deeper feelings
⚙︎ Very strong penchant for skepticism & debate (argumentative)
⚙︎ When in the grip of this Saboteur you can be experiences as cold, distant & intellectually arrogant &/or or secretive

 ⛓️ Beliefs
“The rational mind is where it’s at”
⚙︎ Emotions are distracting & irrelevant
⚙︎ I need to shut out all intrusions from people or ‘situations’
⚙︎ Most people are so irrational & sloppy in their thinking (cognitive distortions?)
⚙︎ Other people’s needs & emotions distract me from my projects
⚙︎ Self worth is attached to mastering info & competence
⚙︎ What I value most is knowledge, understanding & insight.

⛓️ Emotions
⚙︎ Anxious about preserving personal my time, energy & resources against intrusions
⚙︎ Feel different, alone & not understood
⚙︎ Frustrated with others being (too) emotional & not rational enough
⚙︎ Often distrust other’s motives, or & doubt their sincerity

⛓️ Justification Lies
✑ The rational mind is the most important thing
✑ It should be protected from the wasteful interruptions of others’ messy emotions & needs, so it can get its work done.

⛓️ Original Survival Function
⚙︎ This Saboteur is a useful survival strategy in early childhood, from emotional turmoil & in chaotic environments
⚙︎ Escaping into the neat & orderly internal world of the rational mind creates a (false) sense of security or of intellectual superiority
⚙︎ It can provide attention & praise for being the smartest person in the room. Sometimes it can cause envy & being marginalized.

⛓️ Impact on Self & Others
🪄Intimidates less analytically focused people, such as the highly intuitive & ‘sensitives’  (INFPs?)
🪄Limits the depth & flexibility of relationships at work & personal life by analyzing rather than experiencing feelings

⚙️ ACoAs posts
Enneagram Type 5s,  Satir’s COMPUTER Role , perhaps having  Alexithymia, MBTI – the ISTPs

6. The HYPER-VIGILANT accomplice
⛓️ Description
It’s burdened by intense worry about all the dangers in life, & what could /will go wrong. The Vigilant can never rest.
⚙︎ Always anxious, with chronic doubts about self & others
⚙︎ Constantly expecting accidents or attacks
⚙︎ Extraordinary sensitivity to danger, real or not (paranoia?)
⚙︎ Suspicious of what others are up to, since they ‘always’ mess up
⚙︎ Seek reassurance & guidance from authorities & institutions about rules & procedures

PREVIOUS:
Saboteurs – the Master & Type 2

4. The HYPER-ACHIEVER accomplice
⛓️ Description
⚙︎ It makes you dependent on constant performance & achievement for self-respect & self-validation
⚙︎ Highly focused on external success, rather than being touch with deeper emotional or relationship needs
YOU
⚙︎ are competitive, image obsessed & status conscious
⚙︎ good at covering up insecurities & showing positive image, keeping people at a safe distance
⚙︎ adapt your facade to fit what will most impress other, to perfect a public image
⚙︎ are goal-oriented & self-promoting, with an unsustainable workaholic compulsion

⛓️ Beliefs – I :
⚙︎ “am worthy only as long as others think well of me
⚙︎ can be anything I want to be
⚙︎ focus on thinking & actions – Emotions get in the way of performance
⚙︎ must be efficient & effective – the best at whatever I do
⚙︎ won’t bother if I can’t be successful & outstanding”

⛓️ Emotions
⚙︎ I avoid emotions as much as possible & don’t feel them for too long when they do crop up
⚙︎ I’m afraid of intimacy & being vulnerable – can’t let others see who I really am (weak & needy)
⚙︎ Sometimes I feel empty & depressed inside, but don’t linger

⛓️ Justification Lies
✑ life is all about achieving & producing results
✑ my feelings are just a distraction & don’t help anything
✑ portraying a good image helps me achieve results

⛓️Original Survival Function
⚙︎ validation, self-acceptance & self-love are all conditional — based on continual performance
✒︎ it’s usually the result of conditional or altogether absent validation from parental figures
♥︎ Even with very loving, approving parents, it’s easy for children to conclude they’re mainly loved for achievements, obeying family rules…. rather than unconditionally.

⛓️ Impact on Self and Others
🪄Peace & happiness from brief achievement celebrations – is fleeting or short-lived
🪄Self-approval is very limited, & based on the next success
🪄Lost touch with True Self ‘s deeper feelings, & so have a weak ability to intimately connect to others
🪄Others can be pulled into your ‘performance vortex’ & get as lopsided in being focused on external achievement.

⚙️ ACoA posts
See all 4 posts, & Actions = Healthy opposites (part 1, ¶ f)

NEXT : Saboteurs # 5, 6

PREVIOUS: Our Saboteurs,  Intro #2

SITE : “We are our own worst critic”

NEXT: Saboteurs, Typs 2, 3

PREVIOUS  : Saboteur INTRO – #1

🔴 The Judge is Our Master Saboteur, the mental torturer that afflicts just about everyone, making us unhappy, reducing our effectiveness, & harming our relationships, along with its accomplices.
By the time we’re adults we no longer need all the saboteurs, but they’re deeply entrenched in our mind, having become soft-encoded in our brain through neural pathways.

Saboteurs & the Sage live in very different regions of the brain. Advances in functional MRI (fMRI) studies, which measures how neural activity changes blood flow, allow scientists & psychologists to pinpoint areas in the brain involved in producing different thoughts or feelings, & so identify the neural functions that activate Saboteurs or the Sage.

🔵 The SURVIVE Regions : Our Inner Saboteurs
Saboteurs are the voices in our head that create pailful emotions when faced with internal buttons &/or life’s challenges. They’re generated by the interactions of the brainstem, limbic system & parts of the left brain.
They produce much of our self-doubting chatter (toxic self-talk) & distressing emotions (anxiety, anger, shame, guilt, frustration…..) which are only “helpful” for a second —-> as they alert us to real or potential dangers. However, staying trapped in these thoughts & feelings prevents us from thinking clearly & choosing the most productive responses to stress.

Saboteur Interceptor “Muscle”
Beside painful emotions, Saboteurs generate constant stress by self-defeating behavior patterns & attitudes such as avoidance, procrastination, insensitivity & discontent.
Because of our damaged upbringing, we automatically & unconsciously make the mistake of trusting & accepting them into our “inner circle”, making them our (false) sense of self & our negative view of the whole world.

♥︎ Saboteurs do the greatest damage if they can convince us they’re our friend, just trying to protect us & only wanting our best!
Each of them has very reasonable-sounding justifications for its ‘truth’- saying why it’s good for you. But their rationalizations are all well-masked lies.
EXP: the Judge, Controller, Hyper-Achiever & Stickler insist that without them you’d turn into a lazy, unambitious, worthless couch potato.

♥︎ While their constant whiplashing (as if we’re a stubborn mule) may seem to have been the only source of our accomplishments in some area of life. And their big lie is that any & all our successes came exclusively by them pushing & pushing.

We know that being able to feel physical pain is useful – teaching us what to avoid. Similarly, painful emotions alert us to danger, but are only helpful for a quick second. However, if we get stuck in self-hating beliefs which lead to constant emotional pain — it’s because the Saboteurs are forcibly holding our mental hand to a hot stove, making us complain that life is so hard!

🟡 The THRIVE Regions : Your Inner Sage
Our Sage lives in an entirely different region of the brain : the middle prefrontal cortex, anterior insular cortex (“empathy circuitry”), & parts of the right brain.
It generates pleasant feelings even when handling life’s challenges, allowing us to calmly take clear-headed laser-focused choices.
❣️ Activating this combination of brain area releases endorphins that counter the negative effects of stress-induced cortisol. It’s wired for artistic ability & big picture awareness of what’s important for the best outcomes.
“Positive” emotions include curiosity, compassion, empathy, gratitude & joy of creativity.

In terms of successes – the Sage is much more creative than the Survivor Brain. By empathizing with ourself, exploring what caused the Saboteurs, & coming up with creative solutions, we get energized to take decisive action, & not waste an ounce of vitality suffering the painful drama of beating ourself up.

Both Saboteurs & the Sage may help achieve goals, but by very different paths. 🔻 Saboteurs push us into actions & accomplishments through anger, anxiety, fear, guilt, obligation, regret, shame ….
🔺 Instead, the Sage pulls us into action through compassion, curiosity, intuition, the joy of self-expression, a desire to contribute to & create meaning, & the excitement of moving forward.
Only the Sage lets us achieve successes without sacrificing happiness & peace of mind. (More in later posts.)
Consistently implementing S.A.G.E. tools can result in :
Increasing the grey matter in the PQ Brain region, where our Sage lives
Decreasing the white matter in the Survivor Brain region, where Saboteurs live

NEXT : Saboteurs, Judge & Type 1

PREVIOUS : Attachment – Spirituality #4

BOOK : “POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE” book & lectures, from Yale & Stanford professor Shirzad Chamine’s extensive psychology & neuroscience research.

The 10 SABOTEURS are negative psychological ‘constructs’, automatic belief patterns that are part of the False Self, governing our every move. They represent our brain’s automatic mental habits of limiting beliefs & assumptions about how to handle life’s challenges.

They started off as mental  guardians, developed in childhood to help us survive real threats to our physical & emotional self. They were psychological attempts to manage the distressing environment we were in, trying to provide a sense of safety for ourself – or at least some control.

Instead, they have steered us in the wrong direction, so we end up undermining ourself. These harmful ‘protective characters’ are so pervasive that we don’t realize they’re running us, influencing the way we think, feel & act – each with its own motivation.

SYNOPSIS
PRIMARY
♦️ The Judge – the ultimate saboteur, activates & works with one or more Accomplice Saboteurs to hijack our thinking, causing most of our setbacks in life. When we’re triggered by some current event, we activate whichever Saboteur shows up to react according to pre-set but invisible patterns. They :
❗️ keep beating you up over mistakes or limitations
❗️ warn you obsessively about future risks
❗️ wake you up in the middle of the night worrying
❗️ get you fixated on what’s wrong with others or your life. You over-think, obsessing over mistakes, & worrying about the future (projecting negative outcomes)

REINFORCERS / Accomplices:
▪︎ Avoider – puts off unpleasant tasks & conflicts
▪︎ Controller – needs to take charge & manipulate situations
▪︎ Hyper-Achiever – thrives off of constant performance & achievements —> for validation

▪︎ Hyper-Rationalist – intensely focused on processing everything rationally, which comes off as being uncaring
▪︎ Hyper-Vigilant – intense anxiety about dangers, real or not
▪︎ Pleaser – tries to get acceptance & affection by constantly helping, rescuing, & flattering others

▪︎ Restless – constantly chasing more excitement, the next activity, only happy when always busy
▪︎ Stickler – perfectionist, with a desperate need for “order”
▪︎ Victim – over-focused on painful emotions, always the martyr. (Details for each in following posts)

♥️ Alternatively, the SAGE is our native wisdom, without the “bad voice”. It provides the ability to be emotionally balanced, a guide to deeper insights, & helps us make good decisions. The SAGE is the counter to harmful defense mechanisms, & can be developed by applying Cognitive Reframing, Mindfulness & Self-Compassion.

By the time we’re adults we no longer need the saboteurs, but they’re  deeply entrenched in our mind, having become soft-encoded in our brain through neural pathways.  Saboteurs & the Sage live in entirely different regions of the brain. Consistently applying S.A.G.E. tools can result in :
Increased grey matter in the PQ Brain region, where your Sage lives
Decreased grey matter in the Survivor Brain region, where your Saboteurs live (more in Part 2)

Which saboteur shows up?
Saboteurs were copied from our very damaged parents (+ others), who had their own ingrained defenses which we absorbed during the first 15-20 years of life when we were subjected to daily neglect & PMES abuses.

Characteristics of our parent’s personality & dysfunction decide which saboteurs show up as the negative energy :
💚 that motivates us to function, and what is —
💙 — our personal style of handling challenges.

3 main motivations underpin survival needs
☙ Acceptance  –  to maintain a positive image in the eyes of others, so we can be validated & gain their affection
☙ Independence  -  to have boundaries with others, & maintain personal separateness
☙ Security  – to control unsafe things in life & push away or minimize them.
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⬆️ 3 styles of handling any given situation re. acceptance, independence or security needs :
☞ Assert  – take actions that fulfill our needs (strongest & most active)
☞ Earn  –  work hard to insure achieving those needs
☞ Avoid –  protect those needs by withdrawing ourself or our attention from activities, thoughts & feelings, or from other people.

DEVELOPING Self-sabotage (“behavioral dysregulation”), includes :
✓ not forming a legitimate goal to pursue
✓ having a deep fear of failure AND of success
✓ cognitive dissonance – internal imbalance or discomfort when words or actions do not align with one’s beliefs & values…. (SEE  7 common signs of self-sabotage)

NEXT : SABOTEURs – Intro (#2)

PREVIOUS : Creativity – 4 Types 

💝 If we think of Creativity as only about producing ART, we exclude other types of people from being considered as Creatives, & limit our ability to think creatively about any other arena – such as business, education, medicine, science…. & family dynamics!

If you say, “But I’m not creative!”,  ask : “What product am I referring to? What process could I need to use to become creative?”
Maybe you are innately, but are in the wrong environment or not encouraged to express themself.

FROM ‘anotherbrigida’, 2024 : some principles associated with idea-generation & creativity are : collaboration, curiosity, flexibility, originality, persistence, and broken rules (freedom). They are part of the equation but not the foundation. The fusion of these powerful pillars rests on : Think, Respect, Humanize, Create.

IN BUSINESS – to succeed, organizations NEED the ability to foster innovation, develop exceptional talent & leadership, with a high degree of brand recognition. This is affected by its creative people, perspective, practices, and culture.
The 4 Ps (from work of Mel Rhodes) ⬆️
🔹 Person: the characteristics, habits & thoughts what makes someone creative.
🔸 Product – the ‘things’ that are the result of creative activity. What makes one product creative (a song)  & another not (grocery list)? What products are the result of creativity?
🔹Process –  HOW creative people do what they DO. But Processes can also be Products – new ways of doing old tasks
🔸 Press – the environment around the creative person. If it’s not conducive to creativity, it soon dies. (MORE info…)

COMPONENTS
A report from the “Center for Childhood Creativity” lists 7 critical components of creativity in children :
💮 Physical = Action & movement
💮 Mental = ⇓
• Imagination & originality – combining 2 or more different ideas to create a new one
• Decision-making skill – intersectional thinking, to refine ideas & choose the best possible answer for problem solving
• Flexibility – combining & modifying previous ideas or strategies
💮 Social / Emotional =
• Communication & Self-expression – exhibiting one’s unique perspective to others with confidence, from a connection to one’s authentic feeling & desires
• Collaboration – exchange of ideas when working together to find a solution for a project or to a problem. Explain & expand ideas
• Motivation – the core of development, being inspired to explore & satisfy one’s curiosity ☛ ☛ acting without expectation or promise of reward.

According to Guilford (1986) Creativity is “divergent thinking“, a way of solving problems by more than one approach, with :
▫︎ Fluency – generate numerous ideas or solutions by the smooth flow of objects or emotion that resonate with unique symbol or norm.
EXP : list possible ways to use a rope or scarf  (think Robin Williams)
▫︎ Flexibility – shift between different types of ideas. Flexible thinkers might suggest various categories shift between different types of ideas. EXP : suggest various categories for the same object (practical, social, artistic….).

▫︎ Originality – produce uncommon or unique responses that are not obvious, as in a number of statistically infrequent ideas
▫︎ Elaboration – develop ideas in detail, adding & elaborating. EXP : “What would it be like if no sleep was needed?”
▫︎ Sensitivity – identify overlooked challenges & potential opportunities
▫︎ Redefinition – see familiar items or problems in new ways, which promotes innovative solutions.
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STAGES of Creative Activity  (CHART ⬆️ )
1. Idea generation – interest or curiosity about a specific problem to area of study
2. Preparation – develop clarity about what one wants to achieve with a novel idea, & how to accomplish it
3. Incubation – reflective thought, often subconsciously, working in the background
4. Illumination (Insight) – when the idea resurfaces as a realistic creation
5. Verification – double-check that the chosen idea is realistic & useful, by evaluation & experimentation.

BLOCKED
Anyone doing creative work has experienced the ebb & flow that comes with it. But like weather, most turbulent spells eventually pass, & though we can’t will them away, we can work with & through them until sunny skies return.  (Explanation for each tool  ➡️)
Q : Creative blocks keep us from taking pleasure in our work. SO – what can we do when clouds darken our eyes?
A :  While there could be other root causes to creative blocks (illness, abuse, severe loss….), IF possible – a starting place is removing external & internal clutter allowing oneself to be becoming vulnerable, still, gentle & self-forgiving.
ALSO :  “14 Tips for Getting out of a Creative Slump”

 NEXT : Internal Saboteurs, #1 

PREVIOUS : Stress & Body Parts + Relaxation

SITEs : • Several Creativity CHARTS
• “How can we see images in our minds?”
• GOD’S View of CREATIVITY – why it matters to Christ

DEF : “The use of imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.”
ALSO, from California State U : “The tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities —> that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, & entertaining oneself & others.”

TYPES 
Neuropsychologist Arne Dietrich’s research paper on creativity in 2004  ▶︎ indicated that the creative process is not always linear – it can go back & forth between different stages, as needed.  ▲

🍃 Deliberate & Cognitive
This type comes from hard work in a specific area.
The key aspect of this creativity is having an already formed body of knowledge that can be combined in new, innovative ways.
Gathering a wide range of in-depth information obviously takes time.  So, for these people it’s essential to have lots of opportunities for research & learning. Then, to have enough time to develop a creative solution.

☞ ☛ The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is home to this type of creativity, one of 3 cortex regions, the space right behind your forehead. It’s the source of language, memory, reflexion & superior executive functioning. The 2 main things it provides : ➣ Focusing your attention and ➣ Making connections among stored info in the brain.
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EXP : Edison, the inventor of the telegraph & the electric light bulb (improved from the invention of Joseph Swan). He repeated & repeated his experiments, making tweaks along the way, until something finally worked. This process followed him throughout his brilliant career, as he continued to contribute to the modern world.

🌷 Deliberate & Emotional
For others, creativity comes from sitting quietly & reflecting on their situation. These types likely have “a-ha” moments where they seem to pull a solution out of thin air. However, the clever idea doesn’t actually come from nowhere, but rather from time spent pondering & asking questions, instead of research & studying.
☞ ☛ This type of creativity comes from the cingulate cortex – an area of the brain that connects our emotions to the PFC.

To help such people, it’s important they have time to think. Asking “Why & How”questions will not produce immediate solutions. Instead, it develops insights, then allow them to come back later to share their thoughts.
EXP : If something bad happened to you or a loved one, you ponder, trying to understand the decisions & events that led to this situation. You naturally want to figure it out so you can cope with the stressor, learn what can be gathered from the situation, & be able to move on.

🗼Spontaneous & Cognitive
Someone who falls into this category needs time to be doing something else – away from the project or problem – allowing their subconscious to keep working in the background. This style of creativity also requires an existing body of knowledge, but used indirectly.
Solutions may come while washing dishes, driving, taking a shower, walking the dog…. EXP : how Isaac Newton thought of gravity while watching a falling apple.

For these people, it’s essential to develop stages of creativity over time. EXP : on day 1 they may think up the problem, then come back sometime later (a week, a month….) to solve it.
☞ ☛ This style uses the brain’s basal ganglia – a part of the brain where dopamine is stored, & operates outside conscious awareness. It’s also the part that’s primarily involved in processing movement-related input.

❣️Spontaneous & Emotional
It’s what’s considered the most elusive form of creativity ——> something you either “have or don’t have“.
EXP : Great artists & musicians such as Mozart, Baudelaire, or rap singers like Eminem….
They often experience powerful emotional moments (☞ ☛ from the amygdala) that seem like an epiphany, even a religious experience. It’s much harder to deliberately inject these moments into our regular life, because a high degree of native skill is often required.

IN BIZ – When dealing with team members of this type, it’s essential to create an environment that helps to collect their creative ideas & hone their specific skills, even if the applications aren’t immediately obvious.
« CHART explained ⬇️

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NEXT : Creativity – Components

PREVIOUS : Self-Regulation – GROWTH

SITE : BODY SCAN – ask yourself about your emotional state
• “A Comprehensive Overview on Stress Neurobiology”
• “Stress effects on the body” – 8 areas, extensive info

⬆️ CHART ” for self reflection ”
The emotional body pain chart offers an intriguing prompt to explore links between where & how you might be feeling physically pain – with correlating emotions – energetically. This can provide valuable insights.

Nurture both Body and Spirit with loving awareness, tuning into any pain you may feel with curiosity, self-compassion & a willingness to unpack layers of healing. While your experience is subjective, use the chart as a tool for self-care, not as absolute truth.

REMINDER : Physical pain can be caused by real health conditions, not just emotions. (pain meds guide)

❀ Are the emotions listed absolute for each body part?
√ They’re not definitive for everyone. The chart provides guidance to reflect on, based on collective wisdom, but your personal experience may differ or have nuances.

❀ Can I create my own ‘meaning’ from my pain?
√ Yes, tap into your own intuition about what your body pain is trying to signal emotionally, beyond what any chart indicates.

❀ What if I have pain in several places?
√ Look up each spot on the body to get clues about the blend of emotions that may be showing up for you in this time. See if there are any inter-connections, & if they relate to past traumas.

❀  Will the pain instantly go away if I process the emotions?
√ Releasing the emotional layer can bring relief, but built-up tension usually takes time to fully unwind from your body – especially if it’s been with you a long time. Be patient with the process & keep nurturing your whole being.

 Focus of EXTERNAL body part, & EMOTIONS

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Some INTERNAL EFFECTS of too much stress
Stress triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response. Chronic stress can cause negative health effects on emotions, your cardio-vascular, immune & digestive systems…

RELAXATION
For best results, combine the emotional body chart info with other well-being practices to provide holistic support while processing any pain. They can include:
☼ Body-work like massage to relax muscle tightness
☼ Breath-work to calm & focus (◀︎ “Lazy 8″ exercise :  Start on it’s side)
☼ Emotional release, like EFT tapping
☼ Exercises to release physical tension (stretches)
☼ Healthy diet to reduce inflammation
☼ Journaling to express ‘hard’ emotions & thoughts
☼ Therapy/12-Step Programs to process & heal

4 Square BOX BREATHING  (BB)- calms the nervous system. This technique reduces stress & restores overall wellness by balancing the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Multiple studies have shown that breathing exercises are highly effective for reversing our fight-or-flight state. They counteract hyper-ventilation, which is the body’s distress response of increasing carbon dioxide and decreasing oxygen levels. BB can guide your breath into a steady rhythm, promoting relaxation & potentially aiding sleep.  (Other breathing exercises….)

1. While sitting upright, slowly exhale thru your mouth, getting all the oxygen out of your lungs.
Focus on this intention, being conscious of what you’re doing

2. Inhale slowly & deeply thru your nose – to the count of 4 (seconds) – very slowly in your head.
Feel the air fill your lungs one section at a time, until they’re all completely full & the air moves into your abdomen

3. Hold your breath for another slow count of 4
4. Exhale thru your mouth for the same slow count of 4, expelling air from lungs & abdomen.
Be conscious of how the air leaving your lungs feels

5. Hold your breath for the same slow count of 4. Repeat.
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NEXT : Creativity – 4 styles