ODOS: Lawyers in Balance

Text: Lawyers in Balance Photo: Hand drawing with colored pencils

Benefits of Mind-Body Exercises

Up to ten different skills are presented in class.  Each skill focuses on slightly different goals and are listed below:

Autogenic Training

  • Reduces stress, counteracts the "fight or flight response"
  • Teaches self-regulation of the autonomic nervous system
  • Provides symptom relief for a variety of chronic conditions

Dialogue with a Symptom

  • Tool for self awareness
  • Helps access subconscious information about a problem or symptom
  • Strengthens awareness of inner wisdom

Drawings

  • Tool for self-awareness
  • Helps group members to access unconscious information
  • Provides pre and post information about group members; a way to evaluate changes brought about by group experience

Eating Meditation

  • Tool for developing awareness
  • Promotes harmony between the food we eat and our body's actual needs
  • Identifies emotional issues related to food

Forgiveness Meditation

  • May be helpful in making peace with the past
  • Fosters connection rather than isolation
  • May facilitate profound emotional healing

Inner Guide / Wise Self / Spirit Guide Imagery

  • Helps to access subconscious information and guidance
  • Fosters trust in one's own inner wisdom

Mindfulness Meditation

  • Reduces stress
  • Decreases anxiety
  • Increases self-awareness
  • Increases ability to access inner wisdom

Shaking and Dancing

  • Raises energy
  • Releases tension
  • Breaks up habitual physical and emotional holding patterns

Special Place Imagery

  • Reduces stress, increases relaxation
  • Reduces anxiety
  • Strengthens the capacity to draw on one's own emotional resources
  • Provides a foundation for other imagery exercises
  • Provides a "safety net" in the event of abreactions during other experiential work

Writing a Personal Oath

  • To formulate a personal commitment to law
  • To express the purpose and meaning of a career in law
  • To rekindle in one another the commitment to service