Relaxation
Relaxation is helpful for spiritual development because it can help you
to maintain a calm and unhurried attitude that will help you live
according to the spiritual values you develop through meditation.
Different relaxation exercises have effects on different systems in the
body. In this chapter, relaxation exercises are provided for relaxing
or calming the muscles, respiration, the mind, and emotions. By using these
relaxation exercises in combination, all of these mind/body systems can
be relaxed or calmed at the same time. This results in faster, deeper
relaxation than can be achieved by using only one exercise by itself.
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Relaxing the Muscles
Stretching or yoga can be a helpful preliminary to any of the other
relaxation exercises. If there are certain parts of your body which you
find become especially tense, you may want to pay particular attention
to them when stretching. Such areas include the back, calves,
shoulders, neck and jaw.
The jaw can, for some people be particularly difficult to relax. It can
be helpful in relaxing the jaw to repeat the sequence of 1) clenching
the teeth with moderate but not too much pressure while pulling the lips
back in a grimace and scrunching up the eyes, 2) then open the jaw as wide
as possible (and optionally sticking out the tongue), 3) and then forming
the lips into an "o" as if you were blowing out a candle. Repeating
this several times will help relax the muscles of the jaw.
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Progressive Muscular Relaxation
Progressive muscular relaxation can help to relax the muscles of the
body. To do this, tense and relax each part of the body, or gently move
each part of the body one after another.
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(Self) Hypnotic induction
can also be used to relax the muscles. Focus your attention on each
part of the body in turn from the toes to the top of the head and say to
yourself that it is becoming "relaxed and heavy". For example say, "My
toes are relaxed and heavy, my feet are relaxed and heavy, my calves
are relaxed and heavy..." working your way through all the muscles of
the body. As you name each part of the body, take a moment and relax it
and observe if it really does begin to feel relaxed and heavy. Use as
much detail as you feel is appropriate. For example, you may name all
the components of your foot - toes, sole, instep, ankle, heel, Achilles'
tendon - or if you prefer you can be less detailed and just name the
toes and the feet. You have to find out what works best for you and use
that.
A very detailed list of the parts of the body includes:
the toes, insteps, soles of the feet, the ankles, the heels, the
Achilles' tendons, the calves, the shins, the knees, the hamstrings (back
of the thighs), the quadriceps (the front of the thighs), the groin, the
lower abdomen, the belly, the chest, the buttocks, the lower back, the
mid back, the upper back, the shoulders, the fingers, the palms of the
hands, the back of the hands, the wrists, the forearms, the elbows, the
biceps (the front of the upper arm), the triceps (the back of the upper
arm), the Adam's apple, the gullet, the nape of the neck, the forehead,
the eye brows, the eyelids, the eyes, the cheeks, the nostrils, the
nose, the lips, the teeth and gums, the tongue, the
chin, under the chin, the jaws, the ears, the temples and the crown of the head.
Remember to focus on both right and left arms and legs.
It can also be helpful to imagine a white healing light shining on each
part of the body. If you do this say something like, "A healing light
shines on my toes making them feel relaxed and heavy ..." etc.
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Calming Respiration
Rhythmic breathing
Rhythmic breathing can help to slow the heart rate and rate of
breathing. For example: for a few minutes, maintain a ratio 2:1:2:1 of
inhalation 2 heart beats, hold 1 beat, exhalation 2 beats, hold 1 beat.
Use a ratio of 2:1 if that is most comfortable or 4:2 or 6:3 etc. what
ever is most comfortable. Other ratios/values are recommended by
different schools of thought and can work well too.
If you find your heart rate is high,
use a longer count so that you maintain a slow rate of breathing.
As the heart rate slows you may find that you need to use a lower count
to keep the breath rate from getting too slow. Also,
if you are trying to relax after some physical activity and are short
of breath, you should use a lower count. You should not strain to
slow the rate of breathing when doing this exercise.
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Calming the Mind
Concentration Meditation
Concentration meditation will help relax the mind. See the chapter on
Meditation
for more information on
concentration meditation and how to do it.
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Visualization
Visualization is excellent for relaxing the mind and for going from a
relaxed state to an even deeper state of relaxation. Visualization puts
the mind in a "dream like" state.
- One way to use visualization is to
visualize a location that you would find relaxing or pleasant, a natural
scene, or your dream home, anything that would be calming.
- Another way
to use visualization is to visualize each color of the spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and white). You
can visualize either the pure colors or an object of each color - fruits
or flowers are good objects.
Notice how deeply relaxed you get while visualizing. Notice that dreamy
state that is so different from ordinary waking consciousness. You may
feel waves of relaxation spreading through yourself as you visualize.
Visualization has been found to increase the amount of
theta waves the brain produces. Theta waves also have been found to be
co-incident with psychic experiences. This may help explain why in
chakra mediation the successive visualization of each chakra and its
corresponding color have been found by many psychics to be helpful in
psychic development.
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Calming Emotions
Working With Chakras
There are various philosophies about the chakras. The discussion here is
a practical approach that has been found to be useful for relaxation.
Focusing your attention on the chakras and observing any sensations you
feel in them can be used as a relaxation exercise because you have to be
relaxed to feel the sensations in the chakras. In this view, the chakras
are just another part of the body to relax, as well as an indicator of
relaxation.
The chakras are located at the base of the spine, in the abdomen, the
solar plexus, the heart, the base of the throat, the brow, and the crown of the
head. These are regions where you feel sensations that accompany strong
emotions. A lump in the throat, a broken heart, a sinking feeling in
the pit of the stomach, a stress headache, soiling your self when
frightened, etc.
Since the chakras are areas where the physical effects of emotions are
expressed, relaxing the chakras can help in letting go of emotions.
If you notice an unusual sensation or tension in a chakra it may
indicate you are experiencing an emotion. If you are not conscious of
this emotion it may help to focus your attention on that sensation in
the chakra to help you bring that emotion into consciousness. This may
help you in letting go of that emotion since being conscious of an
emotion is helpful in letting go of it.
Working with the chakras is believed to be associated with psychic
development, and raising the
Kundalini.
If you do not want to
develop psychic abilities, or experience Kundalini energy you may want
to avoid this work.
Place your finger a short distance in front of your forehead just above
the bridge of your nose. Do you feel an odd sensation?
This is your brow chakra.
Focus your attention on the other chakras one at a time. Try to notice any sensations
you may feel in them. If you don't feel anything, you can try touching a
chakra and then observing the sensation that lingers after the touch.
Sometimes focusing your attention (or imagining a point or light) a
short distance above the crown chakra or in front of the other chakras
will help too.
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Visualizing a Pleasant Situation
Your emotional state can be thought of as a bodily system
that can be addressed directly with a specific type of relaxation
exercise. One way to do this is to imagine or remember a pleasant
situation. This differs from the visualization section above
because here you are selecting the situation for the emotional reaction
it will induce in you. Try to imagine you are in a place or situation
that fills you with good feelings. You might imagine you have something
you want. It's okay if it is something materialistic like a lot of
money. Or, it could be relaxing in the backyard of your dream house,
or having a special relationship with someone you love. Or, it could be
a memory of a time you felt good, maybe when you were with a cherished
pet, on a wonderful vacation or when you were with someone you love. It
could be anything that happened that made you feel good. Whatever would
make you feel at peace and content. When you think of a pleasant
situation, notice how good you feel. Notice how you are able to replace
whatever emotions you were feeling previously with the good feelings
that you generate with your memory or imagination.
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Combining Relaxation Exercises
Don't just do these techniques mechanically, you must use them
consciously, and see to it that they are working and that you are
relaxing as you do them.
Using these different exercises in combination produces an extremely
deep state of relaxation very quickly. One can also alternate and
repeat techniques during the same session. For example, start with
progressive muscular relaxation, then repeat a sequence of
hypnotic induction,
relaxing your emotional state,
visualization,
rhythmic breathing,
and concentration meditation, until the desired depth of relaxation is
attained. When you combine techniques in this way, spend a short period
of time on each technique and repeat the sequence rather than using one
technique for the entire session.
There are quite a lot of things you can do when you are in a deep state of relaxation.
- A deeply relaxed state is a great time to do
self healing
or
healing of
those not present.
- Sending healing to "where it's needed for the highest good" is a practice that leads to
spiritual unfoldment.
-
You might try using affirmations.
-
You can also try asking questions of God, your higher-self, or spirit
guides when you are in a deeply relaxed state. After you ask a question,
notice the activity of your mind and see if any relevant thoughts or
symbolic images arise that pertain to the question. Notice if the
thought is the first thing that pops into your mind, if it is a train of
associations, or if it is something that you only recognize after you
notice you have been lost in thought for a few seconds. For more information on communicating with spirit guides see the page on
Communicating With Spirit Guides
After a relaxation session, take a few seconds to notice how relaxed
you feel. Try to maintain this state rather than immediately going back
to "normal" out of habit. It can also be helpful to note your emotional
state before you start these exercises and compare that to how you feel
when in a deep state of relaxation and how you feel afterwards. If you
feel that an emotional disturbance is lessened when in a deep state of
relaxation, try to notice if and when the upset returns after the
exercises.
Relaxation exercises do not just help you to relax at the time you
do the exercises. They help you to develop the ability to relax as a
skill, as a habit, that you carry with you throughout out the day.
Then, over time, when you find yourself experiencing tension due to
stress or strong emotional reactions, you will develop the skills and
know how to relax and let go of the tension and emotions as they occur
throughout the day.
Don't drive your car or operate dangerous equipment if you are not fully alert!
However you can take breaks during the day and spend a few minutes to
become deeply relaxed. Use these breaks to help you maintain a calm,
relaxed and unhurried attitude all day long. You may also start and/or
end a meditation session by
doing these relaxation exercises.
If you are especially anxious, nervous, or overly enthusiastic about
something, you can use these techniques help calm yourself.
Start with rhythmic breathing and notice your heart rate.
Your goal for the session will be to lower your heart rate. Use all the
exercises and repeat the
cycle of induction, visualization, and rhythmic breathing
a few times until your
heart rate goes down. At this point you should
feel much more relaxed although you may still feel the effects of
adrenalin.
The advantage to this system is that there is an objective measure of
when you are relaxed: the heart rate. This is more reliable than just
setting a fixed amount of time for doing a certain technique.
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Recommended Reading
More information on
relaxation
can be found in
meditation
section of the
Recommended Reading
chapter.
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