E XERCISES FOR E MOTION R EGULATION

Working with Breath

Learning to monitor and work at regulating breathing can greatly support settling and
rejuvenation. It is often easier to first learn and practice these exercises with a support
person.

General steps for teaching the use of breath for regulation:

1. Practice noticing and describing breathing rhythms.
Pause and notice:
• Where can I notice my breathing? In nostrils or mouth, feeling chest rise and fall?
• What is the pace of my breath like? Shallow, jagged, gulping, even,
smooth, deep, stop and start…?

2. Practice shifting the rhythm of breath

• Place one hand on chest and other hand on abdomen. Practice breathing
into each hand in order to feel the difference between chest and belly
breathing.
• Use an image to help focus on taking a slow, full breath to completely
expand lungs, and then to exhale fully, emptying the lungs.
o Imagine blowing up a balloon and then watching it deflate.
o Inhale at a pace to comfortably suck through a straw and exhale at a
pace to blow off the petals of a flower one by one.
o Use counting at a regular pace to keep inhale and exhale long and even.
Tip: learn to expand the belly when inhaling and allow it to naturally be soft
and empty when exhaling.

3. Continue to practice these techniques at a consistent time in the day (e.g.:

upon waking, before eating, while riding the bus, when settling into bed, etc.).

Tips:
• Sometimes it helps to breathe through the nostrils instead of the mouth
• Regulated breathing moves more into the belly rather
than high in the chest. However it is important not to
push too hard to change one’s breathing. Start with just
one or two longer deeper breaths then allow breathing
to go back to natural rhythm. With gentle practice we
can expand our ability to slow and regulate the breath.

© CTRI Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute Inc. This material is intended for personal use or counselling purposes only. Use of
material by for profit training organizations is not permitted. Please contact us if you have questions.
 Guided Observing Breath Exercise
This exercise is best done if guided by a support person. Alternatively a recording can
be made to continue to follow the guidelines. Once it is familiar a person can guide
themselves through a familiar process.

Guiding instructions:
Get as comfortable as you can in your chair or lying down. Look gently around the room
and bring your awareness to the ceiling for a moment, then to a wall or point far away
from you. Next bring your awareness to the space just in front of you, about two feet in
front of you. Notice how you can move your awareness around to different spots.
Now let your attention go inward – feel free to close your eyes if that’s comfortable.
We’re going to explore your inner mind and take a look around – as if we were floating
comfortably on a calm lake (or sitting in a pleasant meadow, etc.)

Allow your awareness to find your breath wherever you can feel it easily – your nostrils,
chest, belly, lungs… And just follow the wave of your breath… in and out. [pause]
Recognize your breath as the “anchor” for a buoy in the
centre of your lake (or a central spot in your meadow –
like holding on to the string of a kite). Your breath can be
the anchor for the rest of the activity in your mind, such
as your thoughts, any images, etc. So when you notice
your thoughts floating away somewhere else – allow
your anchor (or kite string) to catch and gently pull your
awareness back to your breath.

Continue to follow the waves of your breath for a few minutes. Practise this every day.

Cycle Breathing Exercise

• First take a few breaths to settle your attention on your breath – wherever you can
best notice it – your nostrils, belly or chest.

• Begin to gently structure your breathing: as you inhale count slowly to 4 matching
your full inhale with the count 1-2-3-4.

• Pause and hold your breath for a count of 2.

• As you exhale slowly and until your lungs are completely empty, count so that you
are matching your full exhale with the count 1-2-3-4.

• Repeat several times gradually lengthening your count.

© CTRI Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute Inc. This material is intended for personal use or counselling purposes only. Use of
material by for profit training organizations is not permitted. Please contact us if you have questions.
 Exercises using Movement and Attention to the Body
Strategy: Stretching exercises
Moving and stretching muscles and ligaments allow the release and flow of built-up
stress hormones and chemicals in the body and brain from anxiety.

• Intentionally yawn and stretch the jaw and face muscles. This pairs well with
remembering to do some regulating breath exercises.
• Sit or stand with spine upright, stretching shoulders back, opening up chest.
• Dynamic stretching (exploring full range of motion)
Shoulder and arm circles, going from small to big and exploring directions.
Hip circles – place your hands on your hips and swing the hips forward, then
circling them around – go in both directions.
Knee circles – place your hands on your knees as you bend them slightly,
slowly circle the knees together – go in both directions.
Ankle circles – one ankle at a time either with your toe on the ground or
holding foot in the air – circle the ankle around – go in both directions.

Strategy: Neck rolls

Stand or sit with your spine upright and so you are well supported. Gently release your
head so that it tips forward – only as far as is comfortable. Explore small, gentle neck
rolls from side to side (caution going back) and stretching. Find what is comfortable right
now. Clicks and cracks in the neck muscles are normal as they release and let go. Do
not push or strain this movement—listen to the limit of your body.

Tip: Any physical activity that involves and allows full range of motion of different
muscle groups can greatly aid emotion regulation if it is approached with an attitude of
leisure, relaxation and pleasure. Example: basketball, soccer, running, walking, hiking,
biking, tai chi, yoga, dance, skating, etc.

© CTRI Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute Inc. This material is intended for personal use or counselling purposes only. Use of
material by for profit training organizations is not permitted. Please contact us if you have questions.
 Strategy: Muscle Tension & Release
Inhale and tense each muscle group (hard but not to the point of cramping) for four to
ten seconds, then exhale and then completely relax the muscle group (do not relax it
gradually). Give yourself 10 to 20 seconds to relax.

Slowly move through each muscle group one at a time. Following is a suggested guide
for moving through different muscle areas and how to tense them:

• Hands: Clench and release them both together.

• Wrists and forearms: Extend fingers and bend your hands back at the wrist.

• Biceps and upper arms: Clench your hands into fists, bend your arms at the
elbows, and flex your biceps.

• Shoulders: Shrug them up to your ears.

• Forehead: Wrinkle it into a deep frown.

• Around the eyes and bridge of the nose: Close your eyes as tightly as
possible. (Remove contact lenses before beginning the exercise.)

• Cheeks and jaws: Smile as widely as you can, and open the mouth as wide open
as you can.

• Around the mouth: Press your lips together tightly.

• Chest: Take a deep breath and hold it, then exhale.

• Back: Arch your back backwards. Then relax. Circle your back forward so you
are folding in toward your chest. Then relax.

• Stomach: Suck it into a tight knot.

• Hips and buttocks: Press the buttocks together tightly.

• Thighs & hamstrings: Clench the big muscles in your upper legs hard. This can
also be done one leg at a time.

• Lower legs: Tense the lower legs and feet. This can be done one leg at a time.
Lift each foot up at the ankle to tense the front of the leg.

• Feet: Curl toes down as far as you can. This can also be done one foot a time.

Take a few minutes at the end to breathe through your whole body inviting all muscle
groups to relax as fully as possible.

© CTRI Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute Inc. This material is intended for personal use or counselling purposes only. Use of
material by for profit training organizations is not permitted. Please contact us if you have questions.
 Rhythmic Movement
Activities with consistent physical rhythms help with physical and emotional regulation.
• Walking is a natural rhythmic movement – matching the breath to the pace of
walking supports the body and mind working together to settle. A
1. As you step, inhale and say to yourself “breathing in”.
2. As you step, exhale and say to yourself “breathing out”.
3. Continue – you can also replace these with other phrases.

• Dancing, swinging, jump rope, swaying and stretching can all be intentional
rhythmic movements used to support regulation.
• Play simple rhythms while listening to music using a drum, the floor and your feet,
your hands and clapping or other percussive instruments.
• Collaborative games involving music, drum-beat, clapping rhythms.
• Humming or singing while doing simple movements.

Being Still or Quieting: Practicing Resting

Create a tranquil space by limiting stimulation (light, sound, interruption, etc.) and
practicing stilling the body and the mind. Choosing a simple stimulation to focus the
mind can help, such as a mantra, music without lyrics, soothing visual to look at.
It can be particularly useful to practice this after spending
some time doing more active movement. This supports the
body to release stress and chemicals and then deepen the
state of regulation. Note that this doesn’t have to be
completely still. Some people regulate better with some
stimulation (walking slowly, swimming, gentle movements).

Using the 5 Senses to Connect to the Present

The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 exercise
This is best learned with a support person guiding first. Then a person can easily
remember and guide themselves silently in their own mind.
Guiding Instructions:
• What are 5 things you hear (pause and list); 5 things you see (pause and list),
and 5 things you feel (touch) (pause and list).
Continue in same way:
• What are 4 things you hear, see, and feel (touch)
• What are 3 things you hear, see, and feel (touch)
• What are 2 things you hear, see, and feel (touch)
• What is 1 thing you hear, see, and feel (touch)
This exercise can be repeated. It is most beneficial if done slowly and really noticing
each item as it is named.

© CTRI Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute Inc. This material is intended for personal use or counselling purposes only. Use of
material by for profit training organizations is not permitted. Please contact us if you have questions.
 Self-Soothing Using the 5 Senses

With Vision:
Buy one beautiful flower; make one space in a room pretty; light a candle and
watch the flame. Set a nice place at the table for a meal using your best things.
Go to a museum with beautiful art. Go sit in the lobby of a striking old hotel.
Look at nature around you. Go out in the middle of the night and watch the stars.
Walk in a nice part of town. Fix your nails so they look pretty. Look at beautiful
pictures in a book. Go to a ballet or other dance performance.

With Hearing:
Listen to beautiful or soothing music, or to invigorating and exciting
music. Pay attention to sound of nature (waves, birds, rainfall, leaves
rustling). Sing to your favourite songs. Hum a soothing tune. Learn to
play an instrument. Be mindful of any sounds that come your way.

With Smell:
Use your favourite perfume or lotions, or try them on in a store; spray fragrance
in the air; light a scented candle. Put lemon oil on your furniture. Put potpourri in
a bowl in your room. Boil cinnamon, bake cookies, cake or bread. Smell the
roses. Walk in a wooded area and mindfully breathe in the fresh smells of
nature.

With Taste:
Have a good meal; have a favourite soothing drink such as herbal tea or hot
chocolate; treat yourself to a dessert. Put whipped cream on your coffee.
Sample flavours in an ice cream store. Suck on a piece of peppermint candy.
Chew your favourite gum. Get a little bit of a special food you don’t usually
spend the money on, such as fresh-squeezed orange juice. Really taste the food
you eat, eat one thing mindfully.

With Touch:
Take a bubble bath; put clean sheets on the bed. Pet your dog or cat. Have a
massage; soak your feet. Put creamy lotion on your whole body. Put a cold
compress on your forehead. Sink into a really comfortable chair in your home or
find one in a luxurious hotel lobby. Put on a silky blouse, dress or scarf. Try on
fur-lined gloves or fur coats in a department store. Brush your hair for a long
time. Hug someone. Experience whatever you are touching; notice touch that is
soothing.

© CTRI Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute Inc. This material is intended for personal use or counselling purposes only. Use of
material by for profit training organizations is not permitted. Please contact us if you have questions.
 Visualization Exercise
Imagine a caterpillar. You can watch it crawling about on the tree where it lives.
Attaching itself to a branch of the tree, the caterpillar starts to form its cocoon.
Gradually it surrounds itself with golden, silken threads until it is totally hidden.
Observe the cocoon for a few moments.

Now be inside the cocoon…Surrounded by the softness of silk…you rest in the

warmth of the golden darkness… You are only dimly aware, so you do not know
exactly what is happening to you, but you sense that in this apparent stillness a
hidden, transforming intelligence is at work…

At last the cocoon breaks open, and a ray of light penetrates through a chink… As the
light touches you, you feel a sudden surge of vitality and realize that you can shed the
cocoon.

As you feel the cocoon falling away, you discover that with it you have
shed the defences and supports of your safety and your past… You are
now freer than you ever dreamed you could be; you are a beautiful,
multicoloured butterfly… You soon realize that your boundaries have
extended infinitely… you can fly… You find yourself dwelling in a totally
new realm of colors, of sounds, of open space… You experience yourself
flying…being supported by the air, being gently borne up by the breeze,
gliding down, flying up again…

Below, you see an immense meadow full of flowers of every kind and color…You
settle on one…then on another…then on another still, so gently that the petals are not
even disturbed. You experience each flower as a different being with its own color
and perfume…its own particular life and quality. Take your time in experiencing the
many aspects of your expansion, your freedom and your lightness.

Your own Visualization

Write your own visualization. Think of a place that brings you comfort. What would you
see? What would you hear? What might you smell? What would you feel? What would
you be thinking about?

or...

Draw a picture of place that would give you a sense of peace and comfort. What would
be in this place? Who would be there? What might they say to you?

© CTRI Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute Inc. This material is intended for personal use or counselling purposes only. Use of
material by for profit training organizations is not permitted. Please contact us if you have questions.