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Touch - Pat - Shake

What do you need: Safe and quiet space with a place to move freely.
What can it help for: Promotes mindfulness, concentration, grounding, feeling the body boundaries and relaxation.
How much time do you need: Up to 5 minutes.
How to do it?
When you are ready, stand in the centre of the free space with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Take a deep breath in and out. 
Raise your left hand in front of you at eye level and stretch it out. With your right hand swipe up from the fingers of the left arm to the shoulder of the left arm and back down to the fingers, covering the entire surface of the skin. Repeat the movement three times.

Repeat it on the right side. 
Now swipe up and down on the legs with both hands. Start from the toes and work your way up the legs to the top of the thigh and back down until you cover the entire surface of the
skin.

Repeat the movement three times.
Now gently swipe your hair, nape, face, and neck. Continue across the chest and try to swipe the lower back as far as you can reach. Finish with circular swipes on the belly.
Put your hands on your belly and take a deep breath in and out so that your belly moves outwards as you inhale and inwards as you exhale.  
Starting with the left hand, gently pat it with the right hand, moving up from the fingers to the shoulder and back down, covering the entire surface of the skin. Repeat the movement three times.
Repeat it on the right side. 
Now pat up and down the legs with both hands. Start at the toes and work your way up the legs to the top of the thigh and back down until you cover the entire surface of the skin.
Repeat the movement three times.
Now gently pat your crown and face with your fingers, then nape and neck with your hands.
Continue patting with your hands across the chest and lower back as far as you can reach.
Finish with gentle pats on the belly.
Put your hands on your belly and take a deep breath in and out so that your belly moves outwards as you inhale and inwards as you exhale.

Shake your left hand about 3 seconds, then your whole arm.
Repeat on the right side. 
Shake your left foot for about 3 seconds and then the whole leg for the same amount of time.
Repeat on the right side. 
Very gently shake your head for 1 to 3 seconds.
Shake your whole body for about 3 seconds.
Put your hands on your belly and take a deep breath in and out so that your belly moves outwards as you inhale and inwards as you exhale.
Would you like to try some variations?
● You can experiment with touches of different intensity: rubbing instead of swiping, patting harder, and adding jumping to the shaking.
● You can try the same activity while sitting.
 

 
Now you can reflect: 
What is different now?  You can think about your current physical sensations, feelings, and thoughts.
● What movement did you enjoy the most?
● How can you bring the sense of this exercise to your daily life?
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