Mindfulness Mondays; Episode 4: Bilateral Stimulation

Welcome to I Will Hold Space For Your Darkness; a First Responder Mental Health Podcast hosted by Erin Jane. A former Australian Police Officer and Detective, wife of an American Firefighter, previous crisis counsellor for a suicide prevention organization and current CISM trained, trauma-informed certified Life and Wellness Coach for First Responders, Emergency Services Members, Spouses and Loved Ones. This episode is part of a bonus series, Mindfulness Mondays. This week, I share a resource to activate or induce a state of calm and relaxation in our body, called Bilateral Stimulation. More specifically, the auditory cued kind. Similarly to how I shared in the last episode about the the benefits of Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing and how it can be utilised to return our bodies back to equilibrium, from a stress response into a relaxation response, Bilateral Stimulation can act in a similar way, by stimulating each hemisphere of our brains in an alternating fashion, activating our parasympathetic nervous system. I discuss how Bilateral Stimulation forms part of EMDR therapy and that it's been shown to be significantly beneficial to those experiencing the after effects of trauma exposure, particularly those in the First Responder and Veteran communities. However the auditory kind I'm sharing about is not the same used in that kind of therapeutic setting, but rather a kind of music that is readily available and easy for you to access, should be you interested or inclined to see if it's an appropriate resource for you. I share the benefits of B.S and the positive effects it has on our bodies, the unique benefits it could offer someone in a First Responder role and how it interacts with our brain. In this episode I also share the exciting news that I am joining The Thin Line Rock Station as one of their Hosts, every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, 2-4pm EST. This is a radio network dedicated to those serving on the front lines in the First Responder and Emergency Services community and I couldn't be more thrilled! So check them out on the socials, their website via: ⁠https://www.thethinlinerockstation.com/⁠ or you can download their app and listen in! I hope you find something interesting in hearing about Bilateral Stimulation in today's episode and if you choose to give it a try, let me know how you go! As promised during the episode, here is a playlist from Spotify for you to check out: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1E4wueTsxIfFXI?si=0t4h2MgBQFaEV7KNa_D3kg⁠ and one from YouTube has soft music with actual lyrics, but the same bilateral sensation: ⁠https://youtu.be/efcuh7wRomo?si=IzFM14Rm4AZLgFgp⁠ I'm excited to continue this bonus series of episodes, to compliment (not replace!) the wonderful conversations I am privileged to have and to share some brilliant resources with you, moving forward. If there's some kind of practice you'd like me to share on here, or a particular mindfulness narrative you would find beneficial, please reach out. Otherwise, please feel free to reach out if you'd like a topic discussed, would like to be a guest or are interested in receiving coaching services from Erin Jane. Email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.erinjanecoaching.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/erinjanecoaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Call or Text: +1 617 396 4695 You can watch the episodes as video on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@Erin-Jane-Coaching?si=XI8q0z3mhmzO_a7_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Feel free to watch, listen, share and subscribe!