A Simple Exercise to Reduce Feelings of Despair with Peter Levine, PhD

As the pandemic continues, it’s not uncommon for clients (and sometimes practitioners) to become overwhelmed by feelings of despair.

And those feelings may grow even stronger this holiday season as many people won’t be able to share it with their loved ones.

So in the video below, Peter Levine, PhD, shares a quick, simple exercise that your client can use if they begin to feel overwhelmed by despair.

Have a listen.

Click here for full transcript

Dr. Levine: I was recently online with a nurse who was working at a hospital where there was a lot of people coming into the emergency room and being put on ventilators. She just couldn’t get these thoughts out of her mind, these images of somebody being wheeled in with their children crying, and then pleading for help then they’re not even able to make real contact because they’re wearing these hazmat suits. She was in such despair, so we did a series of these awareness exercises, and at the end she said, “I really feel settled.” So, we did a session about a week and a half later, and I asked her how things were going, and she said “There’s just as much illness and death that I’m exposed to on a daily basis, but it doesn’t bring me down, I’m not in despair. I know what my job is, I do my job as best as I can, and then I go to the next person, and it’s a lot, but it doesn’t put me in despair.” She also said that a lot of times, she would just go to the women’s room and do some of these exercises if she felt that she was starting to get too much stress, and then come back. So, even just taking those few moments was enough to let her be helpful, and then other people on the team noticed it, and so she guided them with some of these exercises after their shifts, so the whole group of people around the emergency room were doing these kinds of exercises. This is an exercise which is really helpful when you have a sensation that seems strong. It is a very simple exercise, but very powerful. It can also bring up different emotions and of course different sensations. The idea is to take an easy full breath, and on the exhalation to make the sound “voo”, as though it’s coming from the gut. Then, allow the breath and the sound to go all the way out and then allow a new breath to come in, filling the belly and the chest, and then again continue the “voo” sound, directing the vibration from the belly. Anybody who is watching this online, you’re invited, but just know it can bring up certain feelings and emotions and sensations that may have been there for a long time but not acknowledged. So, again, I take an easy full breath, and on the exhalation, make the sound “voo” coming from the belly and sustaining the sound and the “voo”, letting the breath and the sound go all the way out. Then I allow the new breath to come in, filling the belly then the chest. Vibrating it down here, in the belly. And just rest and notice sensations, feelings, thoughts, and images, and returning them to the sensations. So, noticing those images or thoughts, and then coming back to the body sensation, and just doing that as an exercise.

Do you have clients who could benefit from this exercise? What approaches have you used with clients who are feeling despair as the pandemic continues? Please leave a comment below and let us know.

If you found this helpful, here are a few more resources you might be interested in:

How to Help Clients Transform Helplessness into Hopefulness

What Can Help COVID-19 Frontliners Who Are Exhausted and Overwhelmed?

When the COVID-19 Pandemic Leaves Us Feeling Helpless, with Bessel van der Kolk, MD

50 Comments

Carmen Rosenbaum, Coach, DE says

simpel and very usefull,thanks for that Information Dr.Levine
Carmen Rosenbaum ,Therapist,Germany

Anonymous says

Thank you very much. It is clear and easy to do. Ik could feel how mijn belly stersfull was. With this excersie it became soft again.

Mary Lewis, Counseling, USA says

I used it just a moment ago at the dentist…
Been in a lot of pain due to their poor handling of a machine breaking down. Helped with both the pain & the frustration!
Thank you, Dr Levine!
You helped me calm my inner tiger! 🙂

Dawn Zivanovich, Social Work, CA says

Lovely!

holly cromwell, Medicine, Jamestown, RI, USA says

nice

Joyce Weaver, Other, Lancaster, PA, USA says

Thank you! Simple. Brief. Focus on breath. Effective! Wow!

Anonymous says

Cats comfort themselves by purring like this!

- Sandra Ainsley, Counseling, CA says
  
  Ha! I love your cat wise
  comment, it’s so true!
  
- Elaine Cochrane, Clergy, CA says
  
  It is funny I was just looking at my cat and thought the same thing like purring
  How lovely Thanks
  
Ashwini Mehta, Other, IN says

I’ve always found this very helpful

Helen Lomas, Psychotherapy, GB says

Thank you Peter ??

Nereida Serrano, Psychology, PR says

Excellent. Thank you ??

Kalma White, Philadelphia, PA, USA says

Thank you Peter Levine. Thank you Ruth Buczynski. So many things pile on each other as this pandemic and crazy political/world events unfold without let-up plus whatever is going on in our individual lives — Even if you and yours are spared the worst. I will use and share this exercise.

Bobbie Wells, Coach, Boston, MA, USA says

In my experience, if I do these exercises by myself they only lead to more separation. If I do them with someone who can meet and hold my experience, I feel met and so does the trauma. So, is it really the exercise or is it the appropriate person who can hold what is going on for me and attune to that?

Denise Joan Thompson, Nursing, GB says

Thank you for that. I like very much the way Peter Levine communicates with his listeners. Of all the presenters at the last course “How to work with clients who are stuck” I was very taken with the way he spoke (and of course the content!)

I’ve found in the past that slow breathing has helped me enormously in times of stress, but adding the sound while breathing out improves the experience.

Following my husband’s suicide , with four small children and few resources, at that time, I had many periods of l….let’s call it sheer terror as to how Id cope, and deep slow breathing did help .

(Fortunately I had robust physical health and a stubborn nature , and huge love for my children ,which pulled us all through, but
it gave me first hand experience and understanding of PTSD, Depression etc, to apply to starting a care home for psychiatric clients , from which I retired after 30years.) How I wish in retrospect at my most vulnerable that I had available the help of someone like Dr Levine !! Thanks so much .Happy Christmas to you .

- Marti Howard, Another Field, Auburn, ME, USA says
  
  What a beautiful story of post traumatic growth, Denise. Wow, thank you for your wonderful work and for sharing this story!
  
Marianne Walsh, Pleasantville, NY, USA says

Eyes open or closed?

Judy Cantwell, Counseling, Atlanta, GA, USA says

Thank you Peter — the technique of the sound vibrating in the belly is wonderful — I am going to teach it (Among others, I work with front line medical workers).

Nancy Gutfreund, Marriage/Family Therapy, Santa Barbara, CA, USA says

Will use with myself and as needed with clients. I have been in intermittent despair.
Thank you.

Raquel Habib, TR says

loved it – so so useful many thanks

Brooke Dearman, Counseling, Northumberland, PA, USA says

I can’t make my stomach feel any kind of vibration. My vibration sensation is trapped in my throat. What am I doing wrong?

- Jessica A, Another Field, Anchorage, AK, USA says
  
  Try to really focus on your stomach and on really pushing the sound and breath down there – I’m feeling it very lightly in my stomach- mostly in my throat – so really bring your awareness down to your stomach as best possible may help
  
Linda Ch says

A wonderful source of assistance that validates and enhances other information about the power of breathing

Charlie Stevens, Psychotherapy, IE says

I do have to smile sometimes when I see science catching up with yoga as in this sounding and breathing exercise. I’m also aware of yoga catching up with science. Charlie Stevens, Cork Ireland

- Tatiana Sibilia, Counseling, ES says
  
  Hi Charlie! So incredible seeing your name here as I scroll down! Hope you are doing well…love, Tatiana, once from west cork, now in Barcelona.
  
Nancy Graham-Cork, Teacher, CA says

Thank you Peter…lovely feeling after the large breath and vuuuuuu…

Anonymous says

Thank you. I’d like to know more about what’s behind why this seems to work. What’s the origin of this ‘vuuuuu’ and why does that sound resonate and seem to help.

Mary vB, Other, VT, USA says

Thank you, Peter! I am going to work with this.

Anonymous says

Thank you Peter for all you have given to us!!!!

Anonymous says

Thank you Peter, I am a Early childhood educator (4_5 years old) and I practice yoga and also teach to these children. You are absolutely right! Breathing exercises are one of the best techniques to help to calm body and mind. Thank you very much:)

Johanna Ortiz, Psychology, PR says

Excelente, muchisimas gracias!!!!

Alice, 28803, NC, USA says

Thank you – I work in health care as a mental health provider I will spread this gift to us.

Anonymous, Another Field says

This really is powerful! Thank you, Peter <3
Flow Fenton, Other, GB says

This is a great exercise, I’m going to try it myself and also give it to people who might benefit. Thank you Peter.

Ulrike Senicourt, Psychotherapy, FR says

I do that a lotttttttt with my patients, since i follow Peter . and it is very powerful and easy . . we do other breathing exercises like breath in along the “more comfortable side” of the body and breath gently out all along the uncomfortable side breathing infrom feet to head and out from head to feet etcetc ;

Barbara Dan, Psychotherapy, DE says

Thank you, Peter, for bringing this up in these days. Almost no SE session in my practice without this wonderful and gentle exercise. It perfectly works for Mums and Babies as well. Babies immediately notice the shift of their Mums – helps both to get into contact again when things are overwhelming. Great regulation tool.

Barbara, HP Psych, SEP, SSP Provider, Germany

Rachel Buchholz, Clergy, IT says

Thank you so much!! This was very helpful for me!!

Elisa Inchisciano, Coach, IT says

Peter Lavine’s kind spirit, knowledge, and experience are such a gift to humanity.. Thank you for this simple and yet very efficient exercise.

Lesley Vlietstra, Social Work, NZ says

What a kind man Peter Levine is. It’s obvious he truly cares for those who come to him for help. He has a profound understanding of the human emotional makeup.

Brenda Sedgwick, Psychotherapy, CA says

I’ve been using Marty Seligman’s “3 Good Things” and I have one client who let me know “On the days when I don’t use it, things aren’t as well for me”. And, she’s using it twice daily – as I tasked – once each morning and again each evening. I augment the task just a bit by asking clients to also pair the exercise with Peter Levine’s “Felt Sense” exercise. So that is for each “good thing” to “feel it” in the “felt sense way”, as they reflect on it.

- Elisa Inchisciano, Coach, IT says
  
  Amazing Brenda, thank you for sharing!
  
Adriana DiGioia, Another Field, NY, USA says

Thank you. A little trouble doing this since I am congested ( cold weather has this effect ). I do practice “ha breath “. This is similar.

W Hall, Teacher, NC, USA says

This is very similar to yoga breaths, and/or what I’ve always practiced of breathing in ‘blue’ and breathing out ‘black’ …. thank you for this.

- Elisa Inchisciano, Coach, IT says
  
  Hi W.! It’s very interesting what you wrote about the breathing exercise. I’m curious, could you explain more on what breathing in “blue” and breathing out “black” means? Thank you
  
Larry Potalivo, Student, PA says

It combines pursed-lip breathing with a vibratory chant or sound

Used for thousands of years to slow down incessant thinking. Hijacked by religions… but effective none the less 🙂

- Allison Cassidy, Psychotherapy, CA says
  
  YES – so interesting as it also is a way of massaging the vagus nerve system. Wonderful for people to get such a simple and effective ‘tool’ for grounding and keeping our bodies in a parasympathetic state. I appreciate Peter’s work so much for it’s breadth, if that makes sense?
  
Astrid Hoang-Brown, GB says

Thank you so much Peter ,for all these things ideas thoughts ,feelings ,reflections lessons….. which you share with ongoing compassion and generosity.
Thank you.
Astrid Hoang-Brown, Psychotherapist
London

Mary Reher, Another Field, CA says

Thank you, Peter.
Interesting….I just did this yesterday as the breathing warm-up with my small community singing group (which has had to move online). I chose it specifically because of the darkness of the days right now and the heavy continuous rain, as backdrop to the confusion and stress struggling to conceptualise and deal with Christmas – a time that has always been about families coming together. These people are not on the front lines as your example, but probably suffering in their own way, as many are.

Toinette Keeling, Stress Management, AU says

Thank you Peter Levine, from Australia. This exercise is great. Much appreciated. Wishiny you all Happy Hannukah or Happy Christmas. Dec 2020

Carol Kalvelage, Rochester Hills, MI, USA says

Excellent advice and wisdom shared here. I did the exercise and yes, felt the difference. Thank you for this information.

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50 Comments