Believe it or not, for many students, early August now means back to school time. Sometimes this transition can be hard on kids, but never fear, Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) can come to the rescue to calm fears and anxiety, as well as help kids focus in the classroom. The following exercises can be completed at home or modified for school, and can also help adults in an office setting or anytime you need a little balancing throughout the day.

When we get or feel out of the loop and unfocused, oftentimes it’s because our energies are not crossing over. Think of how the left hemisphere of the brain governs the right side of the body, and vice-versa. Doing exercises and techniques that encourage that crossover pattern even more can help us maintain focus and better coordination, as well as give us more energy overall.  One way to do this is with the Crossover Shoulder Pull and Cross Crawl.  Start with a shoulder pull by placing your right hand on your left shoulder. With a little pressure, push in and drag your hand across your body to the opposite hip. After repeating on both sides a few times, move to an exaggerated walk as you cross over each hand to the opposite knee. Continue this cross-over march a few more times to cement the pattern.

As a sixth-grade teacher, I realize that it would be mortifying for many students to get up in the middle of class to do this (though I sometimes have my students do it as a class). Luckily, there are some other ways to cross our energies when we are stuck at a desk. The eight pattern is a great way to crossover, and though you don’t want to draw them all over your paper, you can draw a few sideways eights or just trace over that pattern a few times. You can even trace that pattern with your fingers on your desk or imagine it in your mind. Simply crossing your legs and/ or hands is also another way to get that crossover pattern going.

When your head feels clouded and you need to think more clearly, the Crown Pull can help. Place your thumbs on your temples and your fingertips in the middle of your forehead. With pressure, stretch your forehead by moving your fingers to your temples. Repeat at your hairline and move over your head until you reach the base of your neck. Pull across it and place your fingers behind your shoulders. Squeeze your fingers over them to the front, and with a deep breath, pull your hands off. You can also pull out your ears by simply moving up and down the outside of your ear and squeezing lightly as you pull. To make this something easy to do in the classroom, just scratch your head from front to back. I do this often throughout my day at school and it does wonders for clearing out my thinking.

What if it’s test time, and you need to calm down and focus? Placing your hands on the points right above your eyes (the Main NV Reflex Points) can help. To do this inconspicuously, simply prop your elbow on your desk and lean your head in your hands stretching your hand across your forehead and resting on those points. I wish I had room to add more to this column, because when it comes to school, every little bit can help make the school day a less anxious place. Please check out the videos on this website for more exercises.

(Published in Front Porch Magazine- Aug. 2019)