So you have decided to take some time to relax. We're happy about your decision and are pleased to pass on some relaxation tips that we think you will find useful. The art of breathing correctly in order to feel more relaxed is easy. Practice is necessary for maximum results. BREATHING FOR RELAXAT ION Sit comfortably on a chair or on the floor. Straighten your spine. Picture a string attached to the top of your head that is pulling your head up toward the ceiling. Don't pull or strain your muscles. Just be aware of your neck and shoulders being pulled upwards. Hold your chin straight in front of you. Rest your hands and arms comfortably on the arms of a chair or on your lap. Relax your facial muscles. Begin breathing in through your nose and then exhale out through your mouth. Listen to the sound your breathing makes. Do this a number of times. Do not try to alter your breathing by taking in too much air. Make sure you are breathing normally and listen to the sound each breath makes as you inhale and exhale. When you focus on something rhythmic, like the sound of your own breathing pattern, your mind is drawn to the sound and tends to focus on that sound. The act of breathing becomes a focal point for your brain, helping to distract it from feelings of worry or anxiety. BREATHING TO PREVENT A BUILDUP OF ANXIETY This is an exercise to help prevent the buildup of anxiety throughout the day. Think of a balloon. If you keep blowing air into the balloon eventually it will look as though it could "blow up". The stress of everyday living can make us feel that we are becoming more anxious as the day progresses. We will attempt to "let some of the air out" in order to prevent a buildup of anxiety. This exercise can be done anywhere while sitting, standing or even lying down. For maximum benefit it is recommended that the exercise be done in the morning, the afternoon and in the evening or anytime you feel you are about to encounter a stressful situation. Take a normal breath of air in through your nose. Have your top and bottom teeth touch as you exhale the air in three short spurts out through your teeth. The sound you will make will sound like a snake hissing or someone letting some air out of a balloon. Repeat this process three times. This will be a total of three inhalations and nine spurts of exhaled air. As stated above, you can do this exercise anytime you feel stressful or are about to encounter a stressful situation. As a maintenance exercise it is recommended you perform this exercise three times a day as stated above. Note: You may also want to perform this exercise at the onset of headache pain to help reduce stress. This may in turn help to reduce the pain, especially if you picture the pain leaving your body as you exhale. When you picture the pain leaving your body you are using a technique called guided imagery. Cool! Prayer A lot of people use prayer or meditation to promote a feeling of relaxation. If you already are familiar with prayer then you know what this means. If you don't know how to pray, simply state the truth, "I don't know where to begin". Congratulations, you have just said a prayer. Be up front. Ask questions. Just be yourself. This is a wonderful form of prayer and an easy one. Praying is talking to the Higher Power as much as you like for free. You are not charged for overages! Meditation Obtain an interesting picture and put it in front of you. Look at the picture and notice the details. This can be an easy way to clear your mind of unwanted thoughts. Notice the colors, the shapes, the style. Whenever an unwanted thought enters your mind just ask yourself a question about the picture and then come up with an answer. It's easy and fun. Give it a try and see what happens. Each time your thoughts start to stray or you begin to think about the worries of the day, just focus again on what it is you are trying to meditate upon. Be kind to yourself and don't get mad at yourself for being human and getting off the subject. Gently guide yourself back onto the meditation at hand and begin where you left off. You'll get better as time goes on. Remember, patience is a virtue! Note: We will give special attention to panic attacks in subsequent pages. This is an important topic and it needs its own page! I'm proud of you for taking the first steps toward a more relaxed self which will hopefully lead to a happier and more artful life! Blessings, Diana Ray |
The Art of
Relaxation
Relaxation
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"There is a lesson to be learned from the events in your life. Ask yourself, "What can I learn from this experience?" You may be surprised at what you will discover." Diana Ray |
Live in the Moment. It is a GIFT! That's why we call it "the present". |