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Relaxation
Sleep
Coping with Stress
Stretching for Wellness
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How to Relax
The biggest key to relaxation is taking time for it! We need to give
ourselves permission to take time out and make relaxing a priority.
Below are easy ways to relax throughout the day. They may seem obvious, and
they are, but often the solutions to our problems are right under our nose -- we
are simply overlooking them.
 Stop and “do nothing”.
Take short relaxation breaks often by stopping and doing nothing from time to time. Give yourself room to “simply be”. Rest is the basis of activity, and those
restful pauses will help you reset. One woman once confessed that when she got
home from work, she liked to “sit and stare at the wall”. She thought there was
something wrong with her, but I assured her it was her body and mind telling her
she needed some complete down time.
Take some deep breaths.
“Take a deep breath” has become a cliché – you hear it on sitcoms, in
conversations, everywhere -- and for good reason. It helps! When you are anxious
and tense, you tend to stop breathing, or the breath is very shallow. Taking
some slow, deep breaths helps to break that pattern and gives you an instant
sense of calm. Let your breath go deep into your belly, bringing your
awareness to your abdominal muscles and letting them relax.
Relax with the breath.
Simply bring your attention to your breathing. Observe the natural flow of the
breath. Notice how it moves in and out, how it feels, how your body moves as you
breathe. Take time to become aware of all the details of the experience of
breathing. Not only does this remind you to breathe, but it can be comforting to
connect with this natural rhythm of life. (It’s a lot like watching the waves
washing in and out at the ocean.)
(This is the basis of one of the most common and simple meditation practices.
Read more about
breathing meditations in our Meditation Pages.)
 Stretch.
Simple stretching can do wonders. If you sit at a computer or do any
work that causes you to remain in the same position for long periods of time, it
is highly stressful. Stretch your arms and legs, bring your attention to your
body and notice how it wants to move naturally. Watch little children before
they’ve been trained to “sit still”. It’s natural to move and the body loves it!
Listen to relaxing music or a guided meditation CD.
Make it a priority to have relaxing music on hand -- in your car, at
the office -- and use it! A
guided meditation CD can also be a welcome help -- it's often much easier to
relax with a soothing voice guiding you.
Lie down and rest.
Even five minutes of lying down can be refreshing. Don’t mind if you
feel restless and your mind keeps coming up with reasons to get up. When you’ve
been revving up the engine on a car, it takes a while for it to come to idle
when you take your foot off the pedal. It can be like that when we take time to
relax – we need to let the body and mind gradually unwind.
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Relaxation Tools
Sleep Easy CD
guided meditation for sleep
Stretching DVD
15 simple stretches relax the body, relieve pain, create wellness!
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