Teach Yourself to Relax

Here is a simple exercise that can be practised anywhere, can be taught to young and old alike, is painless and free. Does that sound to good to be true? Well it is true and it can work for you as well as it does for me. I have  been telling people about this method of personal self adjustment and coaching them in how to learn this technique and tailor it to meet their personal needs.

The first thing to do when first learning this method is to sit some place quite where you will not be distracted. You’ll need about ten or fifteen minutes to get started. Relax in a comfortable chair. Shake out your hands and feet, do a few shoulder rotations if your neck and shoulders feel tense. Then take three deep slow breaths. Feel yourself begin to relax. Now think back to a place of beauty that you once visited or begin to make up the perfect spot where you would like to go.  Try to imagine everything about this place. What are the predominant colors of your surroundings? How does it feel to be there? Is it warm or cool? Is there a gentle breeze softly caressing your skin or is the atmosphere still or charged with an energizing current. This place can be what ever you want and need it to be. Are there flowers? What do they smell like?  Can you smell fresh bread or spices? You can decorate and arrange this place any way you want to. It is a perfect place for you to go to relax and refresh yourself. Best of all, you can go there any time you want to or feel you need to.

Once you have your place designed, spend some time there and then when you are ready, tell yourself that you will return to this place before you fall asleep at night and then take three more deep breaths, in and out, and then let yourself come back to your full state of being present and awake.

Now notice how you feel. You have just taken a mental mini vacation and perhaps you are feeling refreshed. Now tell yourself you will return to the place you created before you go to sleep and everyday you will spend a few minutes experiencing this healing and soothing space you created. You will always be able to be aware of your surroundings and attend to anything you need to do while you are enjoying this place you are constructing.

Keep practising  and you will find you are able to conjure up the images you have imagined easily. You can begin to experience a deep sense of relaxation while practising this type of visualization. As you get more comfortable with the technique you will be able to use it in typically stressful situations such as standing in lines, sitting it the dentist’s chair, waiting for appointments and other irritating situations where you are more or less stuck somewhere you don’t want to be. 

If you have trouble unwinding or trying to fall asleep at night, don’t get up and walk around or take sleep enablers. Instead don’t try so hard to go to sleep. Go to the place you have constructed with your imagination instead. Let your mind play around a little while and you will drift of into a good nights sleep.

Try this and let me know if it works for you because it does for me.