Self Suggestion

A number of people have a surprising response to relaxation techniques. As soon as they hear the word ‘relax’, they tense up, not because they are being difficult but because they are trying so hard to relax. If this sounds like you, consider self-suggestion, an excellent method of relaxation method of relaxation which is also known as the autogenic method of relaxation.

1.      Get into a comfortable position and notice any sounds that are outside the room. Allow them to be there and refocus your attention.

2.      Notice any sounds that are inside the room: for example, the ticking of a clock or the sound of your own breathing.

3.      Now focus your attention on your breathing. Take a deep breath in, hold it for a moment, and exhale slowly. Repeat this three times.

4.      Continue to observe your breathing. Notice how it slows down and how the breaths are smooth. Remember to keep breathing throughout the exercise. Imagine you are breathing in warm air and breathing out muscle tension, so that you feel more relaxed with every breath.

5.      Concentrate on feeling heaviness in your arms and legs. Say to yourself, ‘My right leg is warm and heavy... warm and heavy...’ and work your way up through the whole body.

Deep muscular relaxation

For some people, progressive muscular relaxation is not recommended as tensing the muscles can raise the blood pressure. For those suffering with hypertension, this should be avoided. Instead, deep muscular relaxation can be practiced. This is a similar technique, except that the muscles are not deliberately tense before relaxing. Allow about twenty minutes for this and, if it helps, practice the technique while listening to a relaxation audio tape or to soft tranquil music.

1.      Choose a quiet warm room free from all distractions. Close the curtains and turn off the light.

2.      Lie on a comfortable, flat surface with a pillow supporting your head and another under your knees if you wish. Close your eyes. Settle yourself into the most comfortable position you can find, legs apart and hands loosely by your side.

3.      Now focus on the muscles of your abdomen. Feel the tension unwinding and flowing away. Let the small of your back touch the floor and the muscles go completely limp and loose.

4.      Breathe slowly and deeply. Let all thoughts leave your mind. Concentrate solely on the music and how weightless you feel. Relax and feel at peace.

5.      Now focus on the muscles of your arms, let them feel heavy yet weightless. Allow them to hang loosely by your sides and feel the tension flow from your fingertips. Relax and breathe slowly and deeply. Feel all of your body completely relax. Breathe slowly and deeply.

6.      Now focus on the muscles in your legs. Let them lie completely unsupported on the floor. Allow them to be heavy, dull yet weightless. Be completely aware of the lack of tension is all of your body. Breathe slowly and deeply. Feel calm and relaxed.

7.      Now feel how all of your body is completely relaxed. Suspended in weightlessness. Completely relaxed. Breathe slowly and deeply.

8.      Allow your breath to leave your lungs completely as you breathe out each time. Allow your chest to collapse and then take a new deep breath.

9.      Repeat the process over and over again. Always slowly. Breathe deeply and slowly, relax and savour the sensation. Now you have achieved complete relaxation and are free of all tension. You will feel both relaxed and content.

How to prepare for relaxation

1.      Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed by anyone, or by the telephone, Make sure this place is warm and quite.

2.      Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor, relaxing your shoulders and sinking back into the chair which supports you.

3.      Slip off your shoes, uncross your legs and rest your arms on your lap.

4.      Consciously slow your rate of breathing taking deep, regular breaths.

5.      Breathe out for twice as long as you breathe in, controlling the rhythm by counting silently to yourself.

6.      Close your eyes and as you continue to breathe rhythmically, clear your mind of all thoughts and worries.

7.      Carrying on with the deep breathing, concentrate now on where the muscular tensions are in your body.

8.      Stop the deep breathing at any time if you begin to feel dizzy.

9.      Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, expanding your abdomen as you inhale and raising you rib cage to allow more air to flow in, until your lungs feel completely filled. Then hold your breath for five or six seconds before breathing out again slowly, allowing your rib cage and stomach to relax, empty your lungs totally.

10.  Carry on with the breathing exercise for five minutes or so.

11.  You are now ready to start a muscular relaxation technique but contemplate a while longer if you wish to concentrate on anything which you know will relax you further. Think about fond memories, happy events and wonderful holidays. Concentrate on events that have made you satisfied and fulfilled in the past. This combination of thinking relaxing thoughts and deep slow breathing means that the next step will be even more effective.

Real-time relaxation

Heart math has very successfully promoted a quick relaxation that interrupts the distress cycle, triggers relaxation and prepares you for more resourceful action. I have included it here, with some small modification:

·         Identify the moment of distress. This might be a flash of frustration, anger, sadness or even boredom. This sounds easy bit it takes some time to be able to recognize the first signals of a distress reaction.

·          Pause! Stop the mind racing around the issue. The negative feelings associated with distress undermine useful thinking. Better to stop these thoughts.

·         Exhale! And as you exhale drop your attention to the area of your heart, using the lower ribs and abdominal muscles to slowly squeeze the air out. Use a count of five to exhale and hold the exhalation for three seconds.

·         Recall a positive mind – body state. These memories are called anchors and you should always have a handy list of five. This may be your love for someone, a great moment in your life, favorite sport, best beach, etc.

·         Inhale low and slow with the diaphragm. Allow the experience of the moment to fill your physical and mental state.

·         Now Refocus on the challenge. Use the constructive thinking that associates with optimal to walk out the best solution.

·         Act on the solution. The quality of thinking and emotional energy associated with positive anchors is always more effection.

Exercise

Action list: daily relaxation practices.

·         NOTE: If you really want to master stress, the health math website is an excellent reference. www.heartmath.com

Progressive muscle relaxation

Another technique for calming the mind involves calming the body. This exercise can be done in bed when you retire, but you can also do it sitting in a chair or laying on a sofa or the floor.

To begin, get as relax as you can while reclining or sitting. Feel the pull of gravity on your muscles. Close your eyes and take two deep, slow breaths. Exhale slowly and, as you exhale, notice the tension leaving your body. After a few seconds, begin the progressive muscle relaxation by tensing each muscles group in sequence. Hold the tension in each area for a count of three, and then release it. Pay special attention to the sensation of release each time you relax your muscles. Pause for ten to fifteen seconds between muscle groups. Tense and release your muscle groups in the following order.

1.      Feet and arms

2.      Calves and lower legs

3.      Thighs

4.      Buttocks (squeeze them together)

5.      Abdomen

6.      Lower back (arch your back gently)

7.      Chest (take a deep breath and hold it)

8.      Hands (make fists)

9.      Upper arms

10.  Shoulders (shrug your shoulders up towards your ears and hold)

11.  Face (squeeze your eyes closed, purse your lips and hold)

12.  Face (open your eyes and mouth as wide as you can, then hold)

It may help to go through this sequence twice a day for ten to fifteen minutes each time as you familiarize yourself with the exercise, especially if you notice yourself experiencing a lot of physical tension during the day. You’ll find that as you become more familiar with doing it, you’ll reduce the time you spend doing the exercise to four to five minutes, instead of the ten to fifteen needed to do when you first start.