The Anchoring Hold
"To perform the anchoring hold, simply place one hand on your forehead, as if you were feeling for a fever, and the other hand in the opposite position, cupping the back of your head.
"Well known in such disciplines as craniosacral therapy and chiropractic as the frontal-occipital hold (or simply F/O hold), this deceptively simple position works powerfully on a number of levels at once.
"First, we are mildly increasing blood flow to the prefrontal cortex (front area of the brain), stimulating the areas responsible for imagination and our capacity to envision our future. At the same time, we are also stimulating circulation to the occipital or rear portion of the brain, where the vision center is located. Increasing blood flow increases function.
"Holding the forehead is a natural destressing gesture that we all know intuitively. If you've ever taken care of a child who was ill, you've probably had this experience: you automatically place your hand on the child's forehead. Yes, it's one way to check for a fever — but more than that, it's also soothing and calming. We instinctively do the same thing to ourselves, too. For example, if we receive some shocking news, we might place our hand on our own forehead as we exclaim, 'Holy cow!' (or whatever other expletive pops out), and sink into our chair.
"In addition to blood circulation, we're directly addressing key functions in our biofield. For one thing, the areas of the face and back of the head are both rich in acupoints, lying along several different key meridians, that have a calming and centering effect.
"In a more general way, we are also treating the energy center corresponding to our head and brain. In previous chapters we talked about the various energy centers of the body (traditionally called chakras, from the Sanskrit word for 'wheel'). The anchoring hold is a way of literally holding one of these centers in the palms of your hands. Each chakra or energy center has a distinct character and is associated with a different set of functions and effects on our overall well-being. . . .
"The effects of charging and balancing this specific center include:
"• Putting the past in perspective
"• Getting grounded in the now
"• Gaining a clearer picture of one's future
"The anchoring hold, in other words, helps to anchor the shift in thinking, beliefs, and mental images that we are working to effect through the Four-Step Process itself.
"In terms of imagery — and remember, images are the language of the subconscious — we are also evoking a strong sense of containment. . . .
"Thus the anchoring hold works powerfully on the energetic level, the cognitive level, the metaphoric and subconscious level, and the physiological level, all at the same time."
