What is a “Stress Scan” you ask?
A H2T Stress Scan™ is a full-body metaphysical assessment that can assist in revealing any signs or symptoms of energy blockages and muscle tension. The presence of any type of blockage needs to be cleared and released to help alleviate the build-up as a result of stress-related emotional issues. (*Please note; H2T stands for ‘head to toe’).
First and foremost, to best understand the base metaphysical energies of the body, I like to begin by dividing the physical body planes into 4 pain-quadrants or “4PQ”, being Feminine and Masculine (left and right) and head to hips and hips to toes (top to bottom). It has been extensively documented (Louise Hay is the leading expert in this field) that different areas of the body represent particular emotional blockages and subsequent dis-ease and are often the basis for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy programs.
Throughout your working day, I would suggest that mid-morning and mid-afternoon to be perfect opportunities to take 3-5 minutes to undertake a personal stress scan. The 5 steps are very simple, but to be most effective you will need to slow down and sit in the present moment. This way you can maximize the connection to your stress scan which will identify and pinpoint any problem areas affected by muscle tension and/or pain and discomfort.
Trust me, we ALL have muscle tension in various areas of the body, plus differing intensities of nerve and energy blockages. All blockages have a life-span, the longer you’ve had the blockage, the more patience required to clear and heal. I have never treated anyone who hasn’t had a “tight spot”. A long-withstanding nerve or energy blockage can be cleared almost instantly, while stress-related -emotional blockages can take much longer. In today’s computer-based work environment, repetitive overuse syndrome (ROS) affects many employees, creating a state of presentism that most commonly affects data-entry positions and is directly responsible for lowered productivity.
How to do the 5-step STRESS SCAN (in less than 5 minutes)
1. STOP
Sit down and slow down preferably somewhere quiet where you can start to clear your mind and connect with your physical body. It could still be at your desk or perhaps an empty meeting room or even better outside in the fresh air. You want to start to feel your muscles, your joints, and lower your heart rate. Ensure you have good posture enabling you to bring awareness to each body part. (TIP – shut your eyes and play some relaxing type music on your headphones)
2. BREATHE
Now it’s time to apply some ‘Conscious Breathing’ and begin to further lower your heart rate and blood pressure by simply changing your breathing pattern by inhaling through your nose for five seconds deep into your belly and chest. Then exhale out of your mouth and relax for five seconds, let it all fall out. Be sure to consciously connect your breathing, so there are no pauses between your inhale and exhale. Allow your attention to expand to the rest of your body. Feel how your breath moves throughout your whole body and with every in-breath, you can feel how your body expands a little and with each out-breath how it shrinks a little.
3. FOCUS
As you do your 5-10 conscious breathe in and out, now allow yourself to be in the ‘present moment’ and truly connect with your core being. Focus within and block out any outside noises and distractions and ask yourself a few simple questions – “Where am I?” “How am I?” “What am I feeling?”
These questions will introduce awareness of your current experience and begin to promote introspection and feelings of calmness and relaxation. Visualize in your mind’s eye sitting on top of a mountain, or near a waterfall or at the beach (wherever your “happy place” may be).
4. PERFORM
Now that you are completely relaxed and in a state of heightened body awareness, it’s time to start your H2T stress scan to IDENTIFY problem areas. Begin with your head and slowly work your way down to your toes. Take your time, do not rush. Let your attention be drawn to certain spots, use your intuition. Applied awareness of your body’s sensations will help you to pinpoint areas of tension, pain, and discomfort.
(TIP – during your stress scan you are focusing on physical sensations and permitting yourself to feel what you are feeling in the present moment, but often emotional responses arise also and that’s totally fine. Accept it and take note.)
5. ACTION
Once you have identified “areas of concern”, the fifth and final step is to take action in the form of specific stretches, joint mobilization, increased blood flow, self-massage plus application of positive mindset affirmations. (I will cover these techniques in the next article).
Moving forward, it is particularly useful to document your scans so you can better understand your personal stress triggers in more detail and track common themes. Are you stressed more on particular days? Do you find the start of the week good, but by Friday you are a wreck? Are deadlines doing your head in? Look for trends so that you can be pro-active in your personal stress management.
I would suggest at a minimum, to schedule this twice a day, preferably mid-morning (11 am) and mid-afternoon (3 pm). During lunch, you are aiming to do 5-10 minutes or more of “Earthing”, an effective mindfulness technique that can help to reduce stress. That would make 3 distinct times throughout the working day that you can potentially conduct a personal stress scan. The long-term benefits of this 5-step system far outweigh the time you must devote to doing the scan and all employers should be encouraging and fostering this technique within their health-conscious workplace. Even if you are unable to identify any areas of tension and stress, just processing these 5-steps facilitates a state of habitual mindfulness, which is our goal. Stress prevention equals stress management.
As stress often presents itself as muscle tension, pain, and discomfort, it is vitally important to stop and scan regularly. Give yourself the opportunity to address the physical warning signs and signals as you will benefit tremendously.
Metaphysical healing aims to synergistically bring together all 4 Realms of Reality into state of harmony – an energy flow free from blockages. A stress scan helps to enable you to feel any blockages in the form of pain or discomfort and tight-tense muscles. With practice, the 5-steps will become habitual and you will be able to conduct a stress scan quickly, easily, and anywhere! In fact, over time you will become acutely aware of your own energy blockages allowing you to take immediate action.
