Tap into mental health with tapping – Sonoma County Gazette

I openly talk about how I struggle with my mental health and I am a huge advocate and supporter of May's Mental Health Awareness month. I have to put in the work every day to take care of myself and use the tools I know to self-regulate and manage my emotions. Some days I am not my most resilient self and I give myself grace. How I choose to respond in difficult situations and when my mental health is declining, I remember that my children are watching me.

To be real with you, I honor that I am not always the best role model because life can be challenging. However, I have enough self-awareness and desire to be the best version of myself, so I can show up in those moments for my kids and talk about mental health and the importance of taking care of oneself. I take the time to focus on healing, reaching out, and connecting in safe ways by acknowledging that its okay to not be okay.

There is a technique to help calm the central nervous system I have taught to thousands of children and families, and I'd like to share with you. Bringing your hands up, spreading the fingers wide (yes right now as you're reading this). Tap the index finger to the thumb, middle finger to the thumb, ring finger to the thumb, and pinky to the thumb. Now, adding a 4-word mantra; Peace Begins with Me. With each word tap your finger to the thumb and say it three times aloud, whisper three times, and now in your mind. Do it again and try it with your children. Aside from the peaceful state this mantra meditation provides there are oodles of science-based benefits as well. Tapping each finger to your thumb stimulates the acupressure points in your fingers which are connected to the head, brain, and sinuses, while the ones in the thumb are connected to the pituitary gland, pineal gland, and the hypothalamus. I teach this technique to children in 15 different languages, even the three year old preschoolers get it. It is amazing and I do hope you try it.

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Tap into mental health with tapping - Sonoma County Gazette