Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation Exercises a Time for Yourself

The following exercises could be done on a daily basis or before going into a situation that has previously caused much anxiety and stress.Some individuals use these exercises to prepare themselves before a public speaking event or going on an airplane or before attending an important meeting. Others just use it to reduce the tension and stress accumulated during a hectic day or just as an energizing exercise before starting their daily routine.

Deep Breathing exercises are useful in reducing anxiety and stress as it takes the focus away from our tense, adrenaline infused bodies. When we are anxious or worried about a situation we experience a "fight or flight" feeling characterized by a faster heart beat or heavier breathing. By regulating our breathing we return our bodies and our minds to a calm and tranquility that allows us to face the day or a feared situation better. Mental Relaxation exercises allow us to use the power of our minds to eliminate daily thoughts and preoccupations. This mental relaxation can take us to a dreamlike place where we can imagine ourselves fully relaxed. This is another way to achieve relaxation for the busy, racing minds of today. The third exercise called Progressive Muscle Relaxation is used to achieve relaxation in our bodies. We carry stress in various parts of our bodies not realizing how stress causes our muscles to tense up hence leading to stiff necks, back pain, headaches etc. The Progressive Muscle Exercise will allow you to loosen up various muscles and achieve relaxation in the body.

Deep Breathing

1. Select a comfortable sitting position.
2. Close your eyes and focus your attention on your breathing, refraining from all thoughts.
3. Think about inhaling and exhaling and allow your breath to relax your body.
4. Deep breathing involves taking, long and deep breaths and holding the air in for as long as possible.
5. Upon exhaling , release the air slowly.
6. Continue to focus on the air flowing in and out of your body as you feel the calming and soothing effect of your breath.
7. Say to yourself. I am now relaxing, breathing freely, rhythmically. I feel calm and relaxed, renewed and refreshed.
8. Continue using your own soothing words as you breath in and out.
9. Focus on your breathing for a few more minutes allowing your breathing to become deeper and more relaxed.
10. When you are ready, stand up, stretch and smile. Continue with your day with a renewed sense of energy and calm.

Mental Relaxation Exercise

1. Select a comfortable sitting or reclining position.
2. Close your eyes and picture or imagine a beautiful relaxing place in nature where you have been before or perhaps a place that you can create on your own. This place could be a beach, a forest, a hillside. Use your creativity.
3. Start to imagine yourself in this relaxing place and see yourself on the grass or sand. Allow yourself to experience this place fully and see it in your minds eye. This exercise allows you to induce a day dream like state that will allow your mind to relax.
4. It is very important not to allow your mind to stray to other thoughts. Only focus on this beautiful calming place and create a situation in your mind where you see yourself and experience yourself relaxing.
5. Imagine that all your senses come alive in this place and see the colors, hear the sounds and touch the surroundings.
6. Feel the peacefulness, the serenity that is calming your whole body and mind. Allow yourself to stay in this place as long as necessary for you to achieve this tranquility .
7. After 10 minutes or so, open your eyes feeling relaxed and refreshed knowing that the place or relaxation and tranquility is easily accessible within you. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

1. Select a comfortable sitting or reclining position.
2. Loosen tight clothing,, uncross legs and arms.
3. Close your eyes and focus on your body.
4. Begin by tensing your toes and feet, hold the tension and then let go relaxing. Feel the difference between the tensed and relaxed state.
5. Now tense your lower legs, knees and thighs. Hold the muscles tensed for as long as you can and then release, relaxing the legs.
6. Tense the buttocks, hold and then relax. Continue moving up your body.
7. Tense the abdomen, hold the tension and then release.
8. Now tense your chest area, Hold and feel the tension. Then let go, release, relax.
9. Now move to your arms and shoulders. Tense, hold, hold and relax.
10. Now tense your fingers and hands, creating two fists and holding them tight and then relax again.
11. Move towards your back now. First tense the upper back and hold, then release.
12. Do the same for the lower back tense and hold, release, relax.
13. Remember to focus on the difference between your muscles being tensed up and then being relaxed.
14 Now move to your neck, tense the area with your shoulders, hold and then let go.
15. Move towards your face now. Tense your whole face, hold the tension and then let go.
15. Lastly tense up your entire body, all the parts that you tensed up before. Hold the tension for as long as you can and then release, letting go and feeling fully relaxed and refreshed.