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Relaxations
Begin with a posture that allows your muscles of respiration to be relaxed. This includes any posture that allows you to sit up straight or to lie flat on the ground. Begin to breathe using your diaphragm. Focus on making your breath smooth and even; without any pauses between your inhalation and exhalation. Pay attention to the breath, and with each inhalation or exhalation count sequentially until you reach the number 50. When you reach 50 you will have completed 25 full diaphragmatic breaths with your attention drawn inward, away from stressful thoughts and activities. This simple relaxation can be done whenever you have 5 minutes free at work, at home or in the car before you leave the parking lot.
The body scan is a simple version of the 61 points exercise. Begin by lying down on the floor in corpse pose. It is a good idea to cover your body with a shawl or thin blanket to keep the body from losing energy, heat, and to stop any sensations caused by airflow in the room. From this position close your eyes and begin to focus on the breath. Bring your breath to your diaphragm and make it even, slow and smooth. Once you have settled into the pose for a few breaths you should be able to feel if there are any last kinks and uncomfortable pressure points anywhere in your body. Adjust yourself so that these last few distractions are removed and you are completely comfortable in the pose. Bring your attention to your forehead and visualize that you are breathing in a warm white or blue light that flows to your forehead on your inhalation. Visualize that the heat warms this body part and melts away all of the tension in the area. You can feel your muscles releasing their tension. With each exhalation visualize all of the tension and stress in your body and mind leaving with your breath. After you feel your forehead is completely relaxed, usually after 1-4 breaths, move your attention down the body to the next area. Simply repeat the exercise for as long as you have time, but no more than 20 minutes at once. If you want, you can simply do major body sections for a quicker scan or you can pay attention to every joint that you come to. One other option is to simply start with the area that is most tense in your body and as that area is gently relaxed, move to the next tense area as it makes itself apparent during the relaxation. As you are ready to end your body scan simply bring your attention back to the forehead a second time. Keep your attention here for about 5 breaths as you bring your consciousness back to your mind. This will help you to feel alert and rejuvenated after this exercise instead of groggy and unfocused. When you are fully back in your mind, bring your hands over your eyes to shield them from the light as you open them and then slowly pull your hands away. Remember that this is a relaxation exercise and not a way to put yourself to sleep every night. The object is to refocus your energies and rest quickly when you need to during the course of your day so that you can be at the top of your game all day, every day. If you feel yourself falling asleep or if you find that you can not keep your attention on your practice you should not force yourself to keep going. You should not try to perform a relaxation practice when you need sleep, they are different. If you find that you are having trouble keeping awake during your relaxation practices don't worry. It will take a while for your body and mind to become accustomed to the practice. Making an effort to eat good foods and maintain a regular routine will also increase your ability to achieve deeper rest in a shorter period of time. Remember, you get better through regular practice. Enjoy!
This practice was developed by Swami Rama of the Himalayan Institute International and is considered to be one of the finest everyday relaxations because it provides us with a practical and simple method of focusing the entire mind on vital points of the body. Through this practice you allow your body to relax and cleanse itself in a very profound and meaningful way. Begin by lying down in corpose pose with your head slightly elevated with a head cushion and a shawl covering your body. This keeps your skin free from any sensations of wind as you rest your nervous system and bring your concentration inward. Begin breathing diaphragmatically in a smooth and even manner. Allow your body to adjust itself after a few breaths so that the last kinks and pressure points are removed. Now the body is prepared to rest, with as little stimulation from the sensory nervous system as possible begging for your conscious mind's attention. Bring your attention to the center of your forhead and for one full breath, inhalation and exhalation, focus your minds eye and see a sky blue star or number 1 there. Focusing on a color brings forth the resources of the right brain hemisphere, while focusing on something analytical such as a number or a geometric figure demands the resources of the left brain hemisphere. By using the technique of focusing on an object that engages both sides of your brain, we achieve even greater results than we would with normal resting. Not only are the hemispheres brought into balance, but the total concentration allows no room for disturbing thoughts of the world to stress us out. After each full breath, move on to the next point. We start and end with the point in the center of the forehead.
After completion of this practice, gently awaken your body by moving all of the joints slightly. Then roll onto your left side and allow your body to awaken for three or four breaths. When you are ready, sit up and move on with your day. This practice usually takes about 15 minutes to complete. You may fall asleep at first, so plan accordingly either by preparing a gentle wake up alarm or practicing at a time when you will not miss anything important if you should fall asleep.
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