Just Relax

Photo of Philip Hilton taken by Raine Hilton

Relaxation techniques are used worldwide and are also incorporated into every major religion and belief system. This is often experienced as praying, chanting or deep meditation. When we are truly relaxed all of our senses work in harmony with each other. By utilising these senses in a deeply relaxed state, such as specialist breathing techniques, words, visualisations, guided meditations, music, and other sounds, we can positively affect ourselves and raise our vibratory level accordingly.                                        

Techniques fall into three different areas; some that will work on relaxing the mind, such as Biofeedback, others for relaxing the body, such as Progressive Relaxation, and the third kind which focuses on creating harmony and balance of the mind, body and the spirit, Yoga for example. Some techniques work physically by completely relaxing all the muscles, while others work at relaxing the mind, reprogramming and retraining the thoughts running through the mind with visualisation techniques and positive affirmations to increase self esteem and confidence. This can help in releasing emotional baggage, cutting negative ties with the past and examining how past influences are affecting us in the now. By cutting down on the “monkey chatter” running through our minds we can hone our concentration skills and increase our awareness of the world, positively change our perceptions of how we relate and communicate with each other in a proactive manner.

The same primal reactive responses that kept our ancestors alive, have little place in today’s society, except in the cases of true life or death situations. Today when those same urges arise, maybe while caught up in traffic or after a show down with your boss in the office, we have no viable outlet for them, so we push them down and allow them to seethe and fester deep down inside of us causing all manner of harm. Over time this can result in increased stress levels, raised blood pressure, insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, ulcers or heart disease. When we apply relaxation techniques this reduces our stress levels, calms our minds and helps us to objectively observe and examine our reactions and approach life proactively.

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Physically as we slow our breathing rate and relax our muscles our “action nerves” quieten down allowing us to think before we act. This gives us the ideal opportunity to examine negative self limiting patterns and traits and replace them with positive and proactive ones. Aside from consulting professionals skilled in relaxation techniques, there are also many books and audios available outlining different techniques that you can try. 

We all have the opportunity everyday to give our mind, body and spirits a boost by taking a little time out to; listen to some beautiful uplifting music, partake of a favourite hobby,  take a walk in nature, spending time with loved ones who have a positive effect on us, meditating, praying going within, and really getting to know ourselves. The changes that these will bring may take time to manifest, maybe as long as it took to get yourself into that state to begin with, so it’s important to be committed and dedicate a set time just for you every day. Good health and peace of mind is the most precious gift we can give ourselves.

A Word of Caution

There are so many different style of relaxation therapy the choice can be quite bewildering to the newcomer. It is important to thoroughly research any that you are drawn to carefully and with caution. Examine the pros and cons as it were, ask friends for recommendations or ask for an introductory session with your future therapist or coach, many of these are free. Its important that there is good rapport between you and that what they are offering you is the same thing that you had in mind. This is important as many therapist combine techniques when healing or coaching. If you are claustrophobic for example, then a therapy involving the use of a floatation tank may not be for you, however, if you were looking to heal a broken leg then the heavy concentration of Epsom salts, suspending the effects of gravity would do wonders to relieve pain as well as increasing the flow of endorphins.

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Deep physiological relaxation is wonderful for really going within and getting to the root of any long standing problems, self limiting beliefs or dealing with traumas in the past. This kind of therapy is best undergone under the guidance of an expert who can monitor and counsel you accordingly. With the increase of self help books in this area it is easy to think you are capable of making this journey alone, but once old and painful memories begin to resurface it can be very difficult to remain objective and integrate these experiences in a positive manner into your life. This can lead to an over sensitivity in your day to day exchanges with others, or nightmares and flash backs as your conscious mind tries to make sense of this sudden flood of confusing emotions.

The Danger of Religious Cults and Followings

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While feeling low, vulnerable and unloved, it is all too easy to jump on the band wagon of the next great thing. This could be a type of spiritual development group, “new way of thinking” group or a religious following. While many may find comfort, support and the perfect spiritual path with their new “family” it is easy to fall into cult type scenarios, even some religions can be very restricting and controlling. Expert mind control and mind washing techniques for prolonged periods of time in isolation, often with the promise of showing you the path of enlightenment all for the exchange of the deeds of your house, the contents of your bank account and turning your back on friends and family.

The Pros and Cons of Meditation

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Meditation in any form can be wonderfully freeing for the mind and the psychological benefits can be amazing. Just allowing yourself to take a break from all your problems, circumstances, the day to day treadmill, can really help to put things in perspective and give you a fresh new outlook on life. This will of course transfer itself physically, promoting peace of mind, a good night’s sleep, lower stress level, blood pressure, and any other stress related symptoms. This sounds wonderful, but as with anything else, taken to extremes it can be just as damaging to your health, wellbeing and state of mind. For anyone who has undergone a traumatic event in their lives such as; the death of a loved one, or the break up of a marriage or relationship, it is very easy to abuse these relaxation techniques by using them as a shield or a way of withdrawing from the world. Sitting there feeling wonderfully serene, deep in a meditative trance will not stop the bills from piling up, or help you find a new job or relationship. Moderation is the order of the day.

Photo of Philip Hilton taken by Raine Hilton