Relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques - Relaxation exercise

1 Lie on the floor with your feet about 45 cm (18 in) apart, your legs rolling outwards slightly. Make sure your back is comfortable with your shoulders lowered, not tensed. Hold your arms straight but relaxed, your hands about 30 cm (12 in) away from your body with the palms facing upwards. It may seem more comfortable palms down, but when they are uppermost, the upper back and shoulders are more relaxed. Close your eyes. Feel your whole body heavy on the floor.

2 Take three long, slow, deep breaths, concentrating on the exhalation so that your body feels quite empty before you breathe in again. Starting at your toes, and working up through your legs and body, tense each group of muscles in turn, then relax them and move on to the next. Do not expect your muscles to relax completely at this stage, simply become aware of them. Move some parts of your body, such as your shoulders and your head, by rolling or rotating very slightly, rather than tensing. When you have become aware of all parts of your body, simply lie still for a few moments, still with legs slightly apart and hands by your sides, and then begin step 3.

3 Starting at your toes, begin to feel the relaxation spreading through your body, moving upwards like a wave. Put all your concentration into each area in turn, first the toes, then the feet and ankles. Feel the wave spreading up into your legs, through the shins and calves, the knees and into the thighs. Let your legs roll outwards from the hips. Let the hips and buttocks go —a surprising amount of tension is often stored here. The whole body is softening and the effect now reaches the abdomen, which drops down further against the back, while the lower spine relaxes further into the floor.

4 The stomach, waist and ribs all expand and soften. The breathing is now quite light. As the relaxing wave flows through the torso and into the back, they fall deeper into the floor. The relaxation comes into the shoulders and neck and out along the arms to the very fingertips. The back of the neck is almost touching the floor, the scalp softens, almost loose against the skull, and the whole face - jaw, chin, throat, cheeks - melts away. The lips part and the tongue rests gently behind the lower teeth. The eyes sink gently back into the head; temples and forehead smooth out.

5 The whole body is at rest. Enjoy this sensation, be aware of it. As thoughts come into your mind, watch them and see them float away like clouds. Float any doubts or worries away in the same way. Stay in this place for three to five minutes. Now see the sun in your sky and feel its life-giving light and warmth. Feel the air around you and, as you take a deep breath in, feel that you are drinking in from the sun's vast source of energy, making you calmer and stronger.

6 Deepen your breathing, letting the ribs expand and the lungs fill. After three breaths, begin to feel your toes and fingers coming to life. Wriggle them. Still with your eyes closed, lift your arms above your head and stretch your arms and legs away from each other. When you are ready, roll on to your side and open your eyes. Take a few
moments before you get up, and take things easy for a while.