282 • PART iii: YogA foR EduCATing foR SElf-REgulATion And EngAgEmEnT
To create space
between feelings,
thoughts, words,
and actions
use breath and awareness.I say...I do...I think...
I feel...After emotion problem
solving ask,
“Thumbs up
or
thumbs down?”figuRE 12.5 Emotional problem solving in the palm of
your hand.
Source: Adapted from Cook-Cottone et al. (2013).Equanimity and
Integration
The brain works best
when we use the
Thinking and Feeling
parts of the brain
together to make choices.The Feeling part of our
brain is the emotional
part of our brain.
It allows us to feel our
feelings and is strongly
connected to our bodies.
Breathing helps this part
calm down.The Thinking parts of
our brain help us
understand and make
sense of things, put
things in order, connect
ideas, and make
plans. Breathing helps
us pay attention to
this part (even when
we are upset).
T FfiguRE 12. 4 Equanimity and integration: The thinking and feeling brain.
Source: Cook-Cottone (2015); informed by Cook-Cottone, Kane, et al. (2013); Cook-Cottone,
Tribole, & Tylka, (2013).(continued )PRACTiCE SCRiPT 12.3: You CAn SolVE YouR PRoBlEmS WiTH
YouR oWn HAndS
(Approximate timing: 2 minutes for the introduction; 30 minutes for practice)
One of the best ways to get the thinking and feeling parts of our brain to work together is by breathing.
Breathing in and out with long, deep, smooth breaths helps the feeling part of the brain relax and gets
the thinking part of your brain to pay attention to how the body is feeling. When breathing, put one