For a few minutes, we danced together to the sound of relaxing drums because, as Emma Goldman, Jane Barry and Jelena Dordevic put it: What good is revolution, if we can not dance? Exercise 1. Embrace Fingers We listen to an audio recording. Summary: When you feel a strong emotion, grasp your fingers on one hand with the other hand and hold for 2-5 minutes until the level of emotion drops. For each finger there is a connection of energy that corresponds to an emotion: Thumb: is for tears, pain and emotional pain. Holding fingers does not prevent tears or pain, but allows the energy to move until the person calms down. Grab your thumb, breathe deeply and exhale the pain and the sorrow you feel. Hold your thumb until you feel a pulse of energy. Index: is for fear - it is important to listen to the fear as one would hear a guide. Fear can tell us many things about our environment, our physical well being and our growth. It is what we do with fear that is important. If you are afraid, instead of feeling paralyzed, grab your index finger to make a good decision at critical moments - run away, stay or react. With traumatic stress a person can feel trapped in a spiral of mental and physical panic. Using the index finger is a good way to learn how to work with fear, rather than be a victim of fear. As you hold your index finger, exhale and let go of fear, and inhale courage and strength. Medium: is for anger and rage. Anger is a natural and normal emotion in many situations. Fury can result in violence toward others or toward ourselves. Suppressed anger or denial of our own depths of fury can result in passive-aggressive behavior or many physical symptoms in the body, including arthritis, ulcers, migraines, and knots in the muscles of various parts of the body. Hold your middle finger, exhale and let go of all the fury and anger, inhale energy and creative passion in your being. Override: is for anxiety and nervousness, such as when people unconsciously play with their ringtones when they are afflicted and annoyed by the constant mental noise around them. Annulment helps to discharge unnecessary distress and anxiety, saving energy for action. Take a deep breath and grab your ring finger. Exhale, and let go of all your worries and anxiety. Inhale with a deep sense of peace and security amid the problems of life, knowing that you are spiritually supported and cared for. Little finger: is for self-esteem when one feels victimized by circumstances. Holding the little finger is a way to control feelings of unworthiness and low self-esteem. To stop feeling like a victim, it is important to first recognize what you get when you feel that way - attention, hurt, the concern of others. Placing yourself in a state of power and self-esteem gives you many rewards and a true sense of appreciation in the eyes of others. Hold your little finger, breathe deeply, exhale and let go of insecurity and low self-esteem. Exercises: 2. Download Anxiety Emotional release techniques are very useful to unlock and heal strong negative emotions; fears, anxiety, emotional pain, anger, traumatic memories, phobias and addictions, as well as to alleviate pain symptoms such as headache or body pain. This technique is based on the theory of the energy field of the body, mind and spirit, together with the meridian theory of oriental medicine. Problems, traumas, anxiety and pain can cause a blockage in the travel of energy in the body. Tapping or acupressure at the points connected to the energy channels or meridians can help unlock the congested energy and promote a fluid or healthy flow of energy through the body and mind. Steps: Sit very comfortably without crossing your feet Think of a problem that can be used to measure your level of anxiety: Choose to work on a problem, a concern, a phobia, an anxiety, a traumatic memory, or some negative thinking. Using a scale of 0 to 10 measure the level of anxiety you feel when you think about it. (0 = no anxiety and 10 = maximum anxiety level). Give 7 or 9 taps to the acupressure points identified below Breathe deeply as you tap the fingers with your index and middle fingers at these points: 1. The points where the eyebrows begin 2. The points where the eyebrows end 3. The points on the cheekbones, under the pupils 4. The point under the nose 5. The point on the chin, under the lips 6. The points about 10cm below the armpits 7. The points below the clavicle (collar bone) by the sternum. Touch the dot next to your hand and repeat 3 times: "Even though I have this problem, I'm fine, and I work it!" Repeat the sequence presented in points 2 and 3: Repeat this sequence until your anxiety level has dropped to 0-2 Give a gentle massage on the "sore spot" that lies on the left side of the chest, about 5cm below the left side of the clavicle (collar bone) and 4 or 5cm along from the sternum.