Stress Relief with ESR (Emotional Stress Release)

Stress by definition is, according to the dictionary, 1. pressure or force. 2. conditions of hardship, trouble, etc. Hmmm, it’s the etc. bit that sets me thinking!
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I think we all have our own interpretation of what the word stress means to us individually. As a current TV ad informs us, it’s been around since our time began and it’s how we deal with it is what counts. I can agree with that, but not perhaps the ads’ recommendation, although that might be appropriate for some.

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Personally, through being a therapist and also finding my own way in life, I have come across some really useful strategies for when you are having one of those moments or days, or weeks, or months, or...........! Sometimes we can feel as if there is no let up. Constantly being in a state of stress however big or small can only, ultimately be detrimental to our health, and health is paramount to our state of well being and happiness. My own body is a great indicator to me of how things are. Sometimes, out of awareness, there might be something ‘stressing’ me and my body may develop a niggle somewhere that causes me to take notice. Or I might just feel ‘off ‘. Or I may be very aware that I am in a stressful situation and perhaps not coping too well. My first ‘Go To’ remedial therapy has got to be Touch for Health. It is not always possible for me to receive a balance from someone else so I have learnt some effective self help strategies, the greatest of which is a technique called Emotional Stress Release or E.S.R.  According to the Touch for Health Manual by Toni Lilley, this simple technique allows one to feel they are coping in times of stress, trauma, overload, accident, pressure from work or relationships. etc. The technique requires a light touch on the frontal eminences, the bumps on the forehead between the hairline and the eyebrows, above the eyes. The ‘Oh my God’ points. You may have seen people will automatically hold their hand across these points instinctively in times of trouble. The light touch on this reflex point has a harmonising effect on the energy of the forebrain where new options and ideas are processed. It is here that the brain can be creative without emotion being involved. In times of stress, our usual response is ‘fight or flight’, the way we have learned to survive. Translated today, that often means anger or fear, and a reaction based on past experiences. Using E.S.R., we can think of new solutions and choose to change the way we react to stress. Within the context of a Touch for Health balance, E.S.R. can be used for the present, past trauma, future performance and postural stress release. As a self help strategy, holding the points, while taking deep breaths and thinking about what it is that is troubling you, until you feel different, will help you to cope with the situation.  
Charlotte Crook
http://www.dorsettouchforhealth.co.uk/