S.A.F.E.

The air we breathe is heavy with political news, the pandemic, upcoming holidays in a time of social distancing, and an environment of uncertainty. 

As human beings, we are all experiencing big emotions right now. 

This acronym originates from Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D., author of Uncovering Happiness, and I have added my own explanation of each letter to help apply his teaching to our lives and grow in mindful awareness. 

S.A.F.E.

When difficult or uncomfortable emotions arise, we can practice self-compassion to quiet our bodies and brains. This practice helps us calm our resistance in order to feel the emotion and tune into helpful ways we can soothe our stress. 

Soften - Soften the muscles of your body.

Notice where you hold stress and feel the tension. Is it in your shoulders, hands, jaw, forehead, hips, upper arms? Sadness, anxiety, grief, anger, shame, and stress are all strong emotions that fuel tension in our bodies. Practice deep breathing and soften the tightness you feel throughout your body.

Allow - Allow the body to be as it is without a need to fix anything. 

Allow yourself to feel what you feel. Avoid judgments such as "I shouldn't feel this way." Instead repeat to yourself, "allow, allow, allow." Give yourself permission to feel the way you feel.  

Feel - Feel the emotion and feel what you need: to feel safe, to accept yourself as you are, to find inner strength. 

Explore the emotion you feel with kindness. Put your hand on your heart and feel the sensation of kindness toward yourself. Feel a sense of gentleness as you ask yourself, "What do I need right now?" or "What would help me at this moment?" Pray for yourself, maybe a phrase such as "May I feel loved, may I feel secure, may I feel a sense of belonging." Make this personal to whatever your specific needs are at this moment.

Expand - Expand your awareness and good wishes to all people everywhere. 

Remember that you are not alone in feeling this way. Other human beings feel what you are feeling right now too. You are never alone in your feelings. Imagine others who may feel the same way you do in the same situation or circumstance. Wish them well by saying or praying, "May we all feel safe. May we all feel strong. May we all feel loved." Make this personal, yet communal, in expanding your awareness of yourself and others. 

Then see what you notice. Stay curious and repeat this as often as necessary until you feel a sense of calm, well-being, and safe with the supportive love you can show to yourself. 

Learning to tune into your body and recognize tension is an important tool in your coping toolbox. Your body holds the truth of your emotions.

This practice of self-compassion helps you be intentional about tuning into softening your body, allowing it to communicate with you, feeling a partnership with your body, and expanding your awareness to the feelings of others who feel the way you feel. 

One of my first yoga teachers, Becky Stevens, (who is also an amazing artist) would remind me in her very gentle voice to "soften and let it go." Every time she said it, it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. She helped me tune into the tension I held throughout my body and she helped me learn how to release it. "Soften" in her voice felt like a blessing to me. When I get really quiet, I often feel like that is what God is communicating to me too. Today, "soften" is a word that reminds me to release control. Play with that in your own life and see how it feels to you. 

Releasing tension in your body leads to releasing resistance to your emotions.

Releasing resistance to your emotions leads to listening to your inner wisdom.

And, listening to your inner wisdom leads you to open to new possibilities. 

Sending you a big hug,