CONTROL CENTER
Being the control center of the whole organism, your head creates and solves all the problems and tasks. All information about all body parts is collected in your head. The data is processed and ultimately your head decides on how to respond to incoming information. More often the whole process takes several seconds and allows you to draw back your hand from a hot stove or answer a question. Figuratively speaking, your head is responsible for your mind, it holds memories of the past, present ideas and plans for the future. However, it has a lot more functions and tasks. For example, memories of the past have both pleasant and stressful moments and are directly related to muscle blocks. Thoughts about the present are based on the perception of the world around you and in particular what feelings you have in your body. Your thoughts control your conditions and feelings. Plans for the future can motivate you and they are very useful in solving your problems as they help to see possibilities.
The brain controls your body, emotions and fears, regulates the activity of the organism and determines your reactions to events. Its activity is based on a constant analysis of feelings from the outside world and internal responses to them. Many know the saying that life is not what is happening, but how you relate to it. Your head is the tool that analyzes, criticizes and estimates what is happening in your life. Every second your brain processes incoming information, intentions and desires from the external world based on your system of values, morality, upbringing and stereotypes, and estimates whether this data is good or bad. As a result, this affects future developments and can result in either successful or stressful resolution of the situation. In fact, most of our problems are created by ourselves, but we do not have the guts to admit it. The story mainly starts in your head and then your brain reacts to the situation. From this moment the scenario begins and you live it for a longtime. We can work out all parts of your body, but in controlling everything with your head. The problem lies not in a twisted leg or cold hands; everything is controlled by your head. So, first work those areas of your body that are problematic, then work the whole body, it can prevent problems. Finally, it is necessary to retain the results of the thorough work with your head. Here, all methods are good, for example, consulting a psychologist, art-therapy, working with your body-orientated therapist, various spiritual practices and training. There are also several techniques that are useful to you as self-study and the accompanying exercises will help if you turn to a specialist or attend group classes. They are the final part and complete your body work. While working with my clients, I apply methods of working with your head only at the end. From the point of view of psychology, these methods complete work with your body, improve the perception of the world without over pessimistic or optimistic views of what is happening. These exercises change your attitude to the situations, help you to get out of chronic conflicts and overcome apathy. Regarding the physical side of the work, it helps to improve cerebral circulation, reduces headaches and the impact of bad weather on your health. Moreover, these methods help to decrease and sometimes relieve the pain when you suffer from migraines. They improve the work of all your senses and are the first defense against stress and insomnia. If you have done the exercises for the neck and the nape of the neck, you have already partially involved your head, as they are connected. There are special methods of working with the head: turning, rotating, stretching, massages, working with your hair. - Turning. This technique is similar to rotation and allows you to remove fatigue, be prepared for a good rest, sleep well and cope with information overload, especially if you have had a busy day. It is recommended to perform these exercises in the evening. The only requirement is performing everything slowly and smoothly, avoiding fast and sudden jerks. Sit on a comfortable surface, but avoid sofas and chairs, as it is difficult to keep your back straight there. Straighten your spine. Look straight ahead and concentrate on a chosen point. Then turn your head to the left and find another point of concentration, repeat this process to the right and remember where you focus your attention. Return to starting position and stare at a point for 30 - 40 seconds. Try to relax your neck and shoulders as much as possible. Then exhaling, turn your head to the left, stare at the chosen object for 30 - 40 seconds, relax and breathe calmly. Exhaling, turn right and do the same. Try to concentrate on the selected objects, blocking thoughts about other things. Your attention will be focused on the selected points and your breathing. It is desirable to do this 5-7 times and after that drink a glass of water or a cup of tea. - Rotation. Turning helps to relax and rest, but the rotation sets up a working mood, invigorates and opens your head to new ideas and opportunities. You can do these rotations in the morning or during the day if necessary. The best position for this exercise is sitting with your hands on your knees. The spine should be straight, but without feeling discomfort. If you want to get the best results, breathe deeply and slowly. Be prepared to inhale deeply and exhale longer than usual. Relax. Tilt your head down, and then scribe a semi-circle with your chin clockwise. Don’t hurry; stretch the muscles of your neck and shoulders a little. Feel how they work. Repeat 3 - 5 times, then lower your head and tilt it forward again. Exhale slowly through the clenched teeth, at this moment you may experience a wheeze or a cough. It may happen if your head and nervous systems are overloaded. Stay in this position for 10 - 15 seconds with your head down, restoring your breathing. Then slowly lift your head, close your eyes and sit in this position for10 seconds. This method can help to cope with the overload of ideas or information. It helps to focus on important things, improves memory and concentration. - Pulling. This method can reduce the level of anxiety. Therefore, it is suitable for students who are experiencing anxiety at school, people suffering from hypochondria, those who are inclined to take everything to heart and people who are having hormone therapy. This technique is simple enough. You can either stand or sit. Shake your hands to relax your palms. Then exhale. Make sure the muscles of shoulders and neck are relaxed. Put your left hand behind your head and bend it, then pull your head to your right shoulder without touching it. It will be good if you feel the tension in your neck muscles. Stay in this position for 3 - 5 seconds, then straighten and put your right hand behind your head. Complete these exercises slowly rotating your head. Take a rest for 20 – 30 seconds. Try to practice this regularly to get better results. - Massage. There are several ways to perform self-massage of your head and the easiest is the "rake massage". This is a quick and effective way to relieve headaches, as well as helping in difficult situations. Especially when a decision must be taken quickly and the responsibility is great. For the "rake massage" spread your fingers and tense them as much as possible. Draw your hand back over your forehead and across your head. Touch and drag your fingers through your hair for better results. Also, you can massage your head with tensed fingers, thus influencing main points on your head. You can use the whole palm to cover the maximum area. Pressing points on your head helps to concentrate and refresh mental activity, while massaging using the whole palm helps to relax and switch off mental processes. If you brush your hair very slowly and in different directions, it will be an alternative to massaging of the scalp and it helps to cope with stress, as well as getting rid of the obsessive thoughts. If you massage your head, do not forget to rub the temples with two fingers, massage area behind your ears, as they can remain tensed and bring discomfort. - Work with your hair. When you work with your head, you should not forget about your hair, it plays an important role. The fact is that your hair has an excellent ability to absorb not only the smells, but also all the hormones secreted by your body. They collect, store your emotional state and then exude completely new smells that your body perceives as an external stimulus. For example, after having a cold or flu it is necessary to change your hairstyle and cut 1 cm off your hair. As for more serious diseases, you should have your hair cut considerably. In addition, washing or brushing your hair is the best methods to cope with negative emotions or stress. After visiting a lively event or being in the company of unpleasant people, wash your hair or at least brush it. Besides combing and washing your hair, there is a set of methods for working with your hair such "rake" massage, pulling and gripping. - "Rake" method is performed with tense spread fingers. You should put emphasis not on the scalp, but more on the hair itself. Draw your hair through your fingers along the entire length. Try to grab and pull all the hair moving from ear to ear without missing any parts of your head. This method helps to cope with the blues, bad mood, insomnia or increased anxiety. It helps to work your head and the nape of your neck. This method is especially effective in the afternoon or if you wake up with a "heavy head". - Pulling. It is better to perform this technique in pairs. But you can do it on your own. If you have short hair, grab it as close as possible to the hair tips and pull down until you want to tilt your head backwards. If you have long hair, collect your hair as if you are going to make a ponytail, and pull it back and down. Pulling should be smooth and gentle without sharp jerks or rough grip, as the purpose of pulling is to relax and remove the effects of stress or fatigue. Also pulling works well with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and helps to overcome it. It should not be an independent method, but an additional one. Moreover, it is an effective option for those who are often criticized. It literally pulls negative energy directed at you and accumulated in hair tips. After performing this technique it is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly. - Clasping and pulling. Here you should clasp your hair at the roots. You can work in pairs or on your own. Put your hands in your hair, trying to capture it between your fingers very close to the roots. Then, pull to the sides. Pull your hair neither strongly nor very sharply, but feeling the tension of the scalp. Repeat this process3 to 5 times. The purpose of this action is not only to improve hair growth and strengthen it, but also help remove anxiety, suspiciousness, prevent panic attacks, and cope with intrusive thoughts and feelings. The above mentioned techniques can be performed when you feel the need for them or permanently for prevention. |