Life supplies us with a never ending stream of potential stressful situations. Whether you're at work meeting deadlines, on the road fighting traffic, or at home raising a family, stress has a way of finding and affecting everyone.
The following relaxation technique can help you to unwind, relaxing your mind and body. This can lead to more restful sleep, calm nerves, and feeling centered.
It's easy to do, doesn't require any special equipment, and can be done in a few minutes. 5 Easy Steps:
1. Prep your surroundings
No distractions. Shut off your cell phone, tv, dim the lights, etc.... Remove any outside factors that may increase your stress and be distracting.
2. Position
Lay down on your back, preferably on a carpet, thick towel, or yoga mat. Not a soft bed or very hard floor. Laydown with a flat pillow under your head and a bigger pillow under your knees. The pillows are for comfort and support, so your body can completely relax.
3. Breath
Take long, slow, deep breaths in and out. Try breathing in all the way down to your belly, hold for a couple of seconds and release.
4. Feel
Feel the firmness of the ground beneath you. Let it push up against your body and support it. At the same time allow your muscles to melt into the ground. Do this while deep breathing. Remember to breath into your belly, hold for a second or two and release.
5. Action
Physically relax your body. Take it slow. Start at the top of your head and go down inch by inch. Stop when you reach your toes. Gently open your hands all the way to stretch you fingers, then relax. Do the same with your feet and toes.
This is the most important part, so take your time. As you get more familiar with this relaxation technique you can always go faster.
Here are a few tips:
Try to visualize your body as an ice sculpture and watch/feel it melt. Any areas that won't melt are places that need some more attention.
Take a scan of your body for any place that still has tension. You'll often find some places relax very easy and some do not.
Some places to look for hidden tension.
Behind the eyes, the jaw, hands/fingers, feet/toes.
If you find an area of hidden tension, try one of the following methods:
- Gently flex the muscle for a second or two then relax it.
- Visualize a pair of hands massaging it for you.
- Visualize it melting, like a piece of butter
Allow yourself to lay there in your current state of relaxation. If you feel tension again in an area, go back to it and use one of the above techniques to release it. If it won't release all the way, don't stress about it. Let it be. At this point it's ok to let your mind wander, focus on your breath, or just feel the sensations in your body.
All done
That's it! This technique can be done in 3-5 minutes. If you have more time try spending 20-30 minutes, you will be amazed at how peaceful your mind and body will feel.
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