Five Accessible Tips for Building Resilience

by Beth

Resilience is the ability to confront, emerge, or rebound from a crisis, tragedy, trauma, or a serious case of ‘stress mess.’ Resilience is a skill, and, like any skill, it can be learned. And like a muscle, resilience can be strengthened.

Resilient people tend to share several common characteristics. We:

• Cultivate self-awareness
• Practice self-care
• Know how to handle emotions
• Keep calm in stressful situations
• Practice gratitude

These characteristics are real life expressions of svadhyaya, the fourth niyama of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. In layperson’s terms this term means self-study. Svadhyaya is especially important to anyone who has ever dealt with difficulty—and who hasn’t! No matter who we are, where we live, or what our current condition or situation is, our ability to witness and understand what is happening enables us to build resilience and respond with greater wisdom and balance to the ups and downs of our human experience.

It’s a good idea to build a capacity for resilience before facing difficult situations. This includes the wisdom to seek professional help when needed. So here are five yoga-based techniques to help you build your capacity for resilience.

1. Body Stretch

I recommend doing this exercise before getting out of bed in the morning.

Instructions:

• Stretch and wiggle your fingers and toes.
• Roll your wrists and ankles in little circles in one direction and then in the other.
• Inhale as you raise your arms overhead and stretch your whole body.
• Roll onto one side and stretch or twist in any way you like.
• Roll onto your other side and stretch or twist in any way you like.
• Roll onto your back.
• Bring both knees into your chest. If that is not comfortable, open your knees toward your armpits (right knee to right armpit, left knee to left armpit).
• Place your hands behind your thighs or below your knees, gently press and hold for a few breaths.
• Release your knees. Find a comfortable position and relax until you are ready to move.

2. Body Scan

You can do this right after the Body Stretch or on its own, anytime it’s needed.

Instructions:

Begin the Body Scan by directing your attention to one body part after the other, looking for sensations, feelings, and areas of the body that feel tight, tense, open, etc. Most scans tend to start with the feet and work upward but this can be done in any order that is most comfortable and accessible to you. Find a comfortable position seated, standing, or lying down and begin by bringing your awareness to your:

• Feet – – – toes – – – tops of your feet – – – bottoms of your feet
• Heels – – – ankles – – – lower legs – – – -knees – – – upper legs
• Belly – – – low back – – – rib cage – – – mid back – – – chest – – – upper back
• Shoulders – – – neck – – – head
• Neck – – – shoulders – – – – arms – – – hands – – – fingers.
• Your whole body – – – notice any sensations or messages your body is sending you. Accept what you notice with compassion and without judgment.

When you feel complete, take a few long deep breaths, stretch your body in any way the body wants to stretch and continue with your activities.

3. The Check In

Checking in with your body from time to time during the day helps you take appropriate action to what you sense and feel. Here are some examples:

• Pay attention to your mouth. You may find sensations of dryness that can be addressed by drinking a glass of water.
• Notice when your focus and attention to a task is faltering. Then take a break to rest and stretch instead of pushing through.
• Notice if your breathing is shallow and centered in your chest. You can try: Relaxation Breathing.
  • Sit comfortably. Close your eyes or if you choose to keep them open soften your gaze and look down toward the floor.
  • Inhale normally.
  • After you exhale hold your breath out and silently count “one thousand one, one thousand two.”
  • Repeat and continue for 2-3 minutes or longer.

This breathing technique automatically brings awareness to the breath, slows the rate of breathing, and lengthens the exhalation. This calms the nervous system.

4. Grounding

To keep a sense of calm during stressful situations, try “grounding,” which can be thought of as both a quality and a practice. As a quality it’s a goal to work toward. As a practice it’s a way of connecting yourself to earth energy—a symbol of stability, safety, and security. Here’s one way to experience this:

Turtle-in-the-Shell

Turtle-in-the-shell is a yoga mudra, a yoga for your hands technique that promotes a sense of safety security and stillness.

Instructions:

1. Make soft fists by folding your fingers (the turtle’s shell) over your thumbs.
2. Rest your fists on your thighs with the back of your hands facing up.
3. Breathe normally.
4. Hold for two minutes or longer if you are comfortable.

This is one of my favorite grounding practices and I often visualize myself sitting in a terracotta pot with my lower body surrounded by rich garden soil.

5. Find Your ‘G’ Spot

Gratitude is defined as being thankful and appreciative for something or someone. Research shows that gratitude can activate the production of dopamine and serotonin, the “feel good” chemicals, that promote feelings of peace and contentment, reduce anxiety, and enhance sleep patterns. A gratitude practice provides these benefits in spite of challenges, difficulties, and disappointments.

Some examples of ways to practice gratitude:

• Appreciate the beauty of a sunset
• Be thankful for your yoga practice
• Be grateful for your ability to relate to yourself and others compassionately despite challenges
• Acknowledge and appreciate the basics of life: breath, food, shelter, optimal health, relationships, work etc.

To be grateful is a form of emotional intelligence that builds resilience. It helps to remember this quote from Lena Horne, singer, actress and civil rights activist:

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”  

Building resilience can help you carry your load and we all have at least one.

 

Beth’s self-awareness newsletter is published six times a year. It features informative, inspiring and entertaining tips for finding clarity, contentment, and resilience in a complicated world. For more information and to sign up for the newsletter go to www.bethgibbs.com.

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