Ways to Relax: Aromatherapy, Meditation, Tai Chi and Music

Relaxing needs to be a conscous decision – you need to set aside a period of time each day specifically for unwinding and refecting on the day. It doesn’t need to take hours, and it’ll make you feel a lot more centred and in control of your life.

One of my favourite ways to calm down is a bath – turn the lights of, light a candle and add some lavender oil to the water. If you have one, put on one of those relaxing instrumental CDs they play in spas and at beauticians. Try to turn off all the noises of the outside world and sink into the silence. Use this time to reflect on any problems and try to find a solution that will make you happy, or just turn off for a little while – close your eyes and forget about everything that’s worrying you. Aromatherapy can have a profound effect on the senses. Lavender and tea tree will help to reduse stress and vanilla can have a calming effect. It’s really all about what you like – Jasmine and water lilies are personal favourites or mine.

Meditation can help you bring all the wild and recalcitrant aspects of your life under control. By centering yourself, it gives you a solid foundation from which you can reach out and solve problems. Meditation doesn’t have to be complex. The Big Circle form of meditation is easy to learn. Just sit comfortably and turn all your senses off. Don’t be distracted by noises or lights, and don’t think about being uncomfortable or tired. Turn all your distacting thoughts off too – if you hear that voice in your head chattering, just switch it off. Turn all your focus to breathing deeply and regularly. This should take no effort at all. Picture your centre as a ball of light. This is located just below your belly button and a few inches inward – this is the centre of the body. Don’t tell this ball of light what colour to be, let it take whatever form is natural. Now with each breath in, drag some of that light up your spine to the top of your head. Keep it there, then with the exhalation, drop it down like a waterfall in front of your face and down the front of your body, back to where it came from. This arc of light is the Big Circle. This process should take up all your concentration, so there’s no room for outside influences or stressful thoughts/plans etc.

Tai chi can also be a great way to relax. The deep breathing that Tai Chi requires will improve your health and leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated after just a few minutes. Your body will also loosen up and become stronger in relaxed postions. The increased strength gained from Tai Chi will also help you feel better in yourself and more confident in your abilities. Endorphins are also released when you exercise, which will improve your mood.

Music can be a big factor in influencing how we feel. There is not one style of music that will relax everyone as people have different and unique tastes. I’m a big fan of rock music, so when I need to relax I’ll dial it down a little and go for something cool but mellow, like All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix or something folksy like The Times They Are A Changin by Bob Dylan. But that might no be your thing, you might prefer something like Enya or maybe you relax when you hear The Unforgiven II by Metallica. Whatever the case, just find something you love, sit down, close your eyes and really appreciate it. These days everyone is trying to multitask, they’re cooking while the TV is on, studying while they’re listening to their Ipod…its a different experience to actually focus on music and it can be very calming.

Everyone will have their own way of relaxing, the important thing is to take some time out of your schedule and do someting you want to do, that will make you happy. Best of luck!