Elizabeth A. Stanley, PhD

Resources

Starting a Mind Fitness Practice

Building an allied relationship between the thinking brain and survival brain requires training our attention in a systematic way. That’s because where we direct our attention has profound ripple effects through the survival brain, nervous system, and body.

For this reason, initially it’s important to choose target objects of attention that help the survival brain feel safe. The first exercise in the MMFT® sequence is the Contact Points Exercise. (You can get a free download of this exercise by joining my mailing list!) By directing your attention to the sensations of contact between your body and surroundings, your can show your survival brain that you’re grounded, stable, and safe.

Practicing each day in the same place and at the same time—such as mornings or after exercise—can help build the habit. In the morning, the mind tends to be receptive before the day’s busyness has begun. Research shows how cardiovascular exercise encourages beneficial brain changes, so practicing right afterwards can help. There is nothing more important for building the new habit than consistent practice. It’s much better to practice for just five minutes each day than to binge and bust.

Especially when you’re experiencing a lot of stress arousal, it can be helpful to sit in a stable chair, with your back facing a solid wall rather than a door, window, or open space. This can help your survival brain feel more stable and secure. However, if you find the Contact Points Exercise to be significantly distressing, it’s best to back off and seek some help from a therapist, preferably someone trained in body-based trauma techniques. See the links below.

Finding A Somatic Therapist

If you’re confronting profound dysregulation, working with a therapist trained in body-based techniques is essen­tial—especially when you’re beginning mindfulness practice. These practitioners can help you pace your survival brain’s bottom‑up processing, so that it happens gradually and safely.

I strongly recommend that you seek out a trained profes­sional to help you navigate your way through the process, so that you don’t inadver­tently flood your system, retraumatize your survival brain, and exacerbate your symptoms of dysregulation.

Here are links for finding a certified practitioner for Somatic Experiencing and sensorimotor psycho­therapy. Both kinds of practitioners can skillfully assist your survival brain and nervous system in coming back into regulation.

In addition, I can recommend two certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioners who are also MMFT Trainers. In addition to providing Somatic Experiencing sessions to guide your survival brain and autonomic nervous system back into regulation, they could help tailor your use of MMFT exercises to slow down and support your survival brain’s bottom-up processing in tandem with this therapeutic work.  Both practitioners work in person or remotely via Zoom: