Shake. Shimmy. Sigh… How I’ve Learned to Let Things Go
By Tiffany Merritt, 889 Yoga Teacher
I have been a worrier since childhood, and have worked hard over the years to find healthy practices to let go of the worries that make me anxious about what may or may not happen in the future, or regretful about things I could not change about the past. In particular, as for many of us who’ve struggled with anxiety, it’s during times of extreme stress that my ruminating thoughts have felt unbearable and completely overwhelming. During these times of struggle I’ve asked myself how I could let go of this ‘mind stuff’ that keeps me stuck in the past or worried about the future. How could I let go of these uneasy feelings in order to make more space to be here now?
My answer lately is to shake, shimmy or sigh, and yup this wisdom has come entirely from hanging out with my little dog, Tilley. Every day I watch Tilley either shake or shimmy her hips after a stressful moment in the dog park and then exhale a huge sigh of bliss as she sinks into her wee bed after a long day. It seems that over our 7 years together I have naturally incorporated these practices along with many other techniques including practicing yoga asana, and mindfully creating art into my life as a way to deal with life’s constant uncertainty. Therefore, when asked to write about ‘what I’m teaching now’, I thought these practices would be a great place to start.
As an art therapy student I am currently working with children who have experienced either a major trauma, are struggling with mental health issues or are dealing with a chronically difficult life situation. To be completely present and empathetic for each child that I work with, I have needed to embrace practices that help me as a sensitive human being to personally cope with, and let go of some of the difficult emotions that are naturally transferred to me through the therapeutic relationship. By taking the time to mindfully do this, I thereby create a more open and healthy space to ‘be with’ my next client in a fully supportive way.
So what do I actually do to let go of these troubling emotions that arise from the stories that these sweet children share with me? One practice I sometimes use after speaking with a client is to simply wash my hands, and then shake them three times over the sink as I whisper to myself “let it go”. Now this doesn’t mean that I erase what has just happened in that art therapy session, but it supports me to cope with my immediate feelings in a healthy way, which is ultimately what I am trying to mirror to my clients to learn to do. Oftentimes I’ve shared this practice with children who are learning to deal with their anger by suggesting that they stand up and shake their entire body from head to toe as a way to mindfully let go of negative energy or unsettling emotions. I call it the “shake it out dance”, and I sometimes do it on my own yoga mat in downward dog after a challenging sequence as an alternative to a vinyasa, or alone in my living room to really loud music as a release after a particularly stressful day. Other times when I’m on my yoga mat practicing a particularly difficult pose, and I begin to notice my mind wandering away from my mat as a way to run away from the challenge presented in front of me, I simply sigh a dramatic and long exhale to come back to my breath and to being with what is. Dramatic exhales are extremely therapeutic, I suggest you try one right now if you don’t believe me, and/or before your next Savasana practice (relaxation).
Now I can’t share my favourite practices for letting things go, without sharing an artistic and creative way to cleanse your heart and mind. As an art therapist another way that I have artfully learned to cope with difficult emotions or fears is to simply draw a balloon and imagine the worry floating away. Depending what challenges life has thrown at you recently, you might feel you need to draw an entire handful of balloons to let go of some “stuff”, or make it more specific by writing the worry in the balloon if you wish. This is just a simple art therapy practice that has worked for me, and maybe it will resonate with you too.
Working towards completing a graduate degree in art therapy these last 16 months while teaching a full yoga schedule, and completing 800 hours of student practicum has definitely been a stressful and challenging time, but also an ideal opportunity for me to fine tune these supportive practices in a way that I can more authentically share them with my yoga and art therapy community. Be it on our yoga mat or in our life, I believe learning to work with and through the discomfort, rather than running from it physically or mentally is what makes us stronger in the end. So I’m going to shake, shimmy and sigh my way into 2014 embracing the amazing possibilities as well as the challenges that come my way in the only way that I can… one moment at a time. I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR and look forward to seeing you on your mat 🙂
Tiffany Merritt, BFA
Art Therapy student & Yoga Teacher
www.tiffanymerritt.tumblr.com