Relaxation Techniques

Common Relaxation Techniques

There are several Relaxation Techniques that have been shown to help you achieve a restful night's sleep, which can largely affect the influence that outside stressors have on your body. Using one of more of the following techniques can help you on the way to a more fulfilling night's rest and period of rejuvenation:

1. Progressive Relaxation: This Relaxation Technique requires you to sit very still in a comfortable chair, or lie flat on your back at bedtime. Close your eyes and make a conscious effort to feel your toes, feet and ankles; relax them and allow them to sink into the floor or your bed. Continue doing this exercise with your legs, hands, torso, arms, neck and head. You may also choose to record these instructions and play them back during this exercise.

2. Toe Tensing: Using a combination of Relaxation and tension, you can induce a state of Relaxation as well. Close your eyes and focus wholly on your toes, then tense them and flex toward your head for a count of 10. Relax them for a count of 10, then repeat for 10 entire tension/Relaxation cycles. This Relaxation Technique allows tension throughout your body to be drawn away via your toes.

3. Deep Breathing: This is a great way to relieve tension and physically allow the entire body to relax sufficiently. You may start using the progressive Relaxation Techniques described above before performing deep breathing exercises.

The key to deep breathing is to breath deeply from the abdomen, to get as much fresh air into your lungs. You will inhale more oxygen when you take deep breaths from the abdomen, rather than shallow breaths from your upper chest. By getting more oxygen into your lungs, the less tense, short of breath and anxious you will feel. The next time you are feeling stressed, take a minute to slow down and breath deeply.

• sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.

• breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.

• exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.

• continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. This inhalation should take between 8 and 10 seconds. Hold the breath for a couple of seconds, then exhale through your mouth very slowly.Count slowly as you exhale.

These Relaxation Techniques can be repeated as many times as you like and are an excellent method of coping with stress, they are easy and can be performed anytime, anywhere.

4. Guided Imagery: This technique is commonly used by psychologists to establish a state of total relaxation using the power of visualization. You can achieve this yourself by imagining a positive place that you find to be peaceful and relaxing.

This may be the top of a mountain range, a tropical beach or your own home. Guided imagery requires you to mentally picture everything around you, as well as imagining sounds and feelings to complete the exercise.

5. Quiet Ears: While you're lying flat, close your eyes and place your hands behind your head, placing your thumbs in your ears to close them. You will hear a soothing sound, much like that experienced when placing your ear next to a sea shell. Listen to this sound for 10 to 15 minutes, lower your arms and actively relax them, and you should almost immediately go to sleep.

6.Massage: A massage is one of the most effective Relaxation Techniques and provides deep relaxation, and as you feel the muscles in your body start to relax, you will find your overstressed mind does also. You don't have to visit a spa or massage therapist to enjoy the benefits of massage. There are many simple self-massage techniques you can use to relax and release stress.

One of the most common types of massage is Swedish massage. This massage is a soothing technique specifically designed to relax and energize. Shiatsu, also called acupressure, is another common type of massage. With the Shiatsu massage, therapists use their fingers to manipulate the body's pressure points.

                                     Here are some self massage techniques you might like to try.

Self-massage is good for stress relief, however, receiving a massage from a professional massage therapist can be tremendously relaxing and more thorough then what you can do yourself. You might like to try different types of massage such as Swedish or Shiatsu, which promote overall relaxation. Sports and deep tissue massages are more aggressive and often target specific areas. They may leave you sore for a couple of days, making them less effective for relaxation and stress relief.

7.Meditation:

Meditation can wipe away the day's stress, and bring with it inner peace. See how you can easily learn to practice meditation whenever you need it most. 

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years and was originally meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. Meditation is one of the most commonly used  Relaxation Techniques and for stress reduction these days. Meditation can be practiced by anyone, it's simple and inexpensive, and no special equipment is required. The benefits are you can practice meditation just about wherever you are -you may be riding the bus, waiting at the doctor's office or out for a walk, even in the middle of a difficult business meeting.

Considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine, meditation produces a tranquil mind and a deep state of relaxation. During meditation, the idea is to focus your attention and eliminate the many jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process results in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.

During meditation you may experience a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both your overall health and your emotional well-being. And these benefits don't end when your meditation session ends. Meditation is one of the most beneficial Relaxation Techniques and can help carry you more calmly through your day and improve certain medical conditions.

Using  Relaxation Techniques from any of the above can help you to fall asleep faster and experience a more fitful rest period, enabling your immune system to recover and fend off illness and stress effects. You may also choose to employ Relaxation CDs to enhance your experiences, or record any soothing sound you choose to play as background music at bedtime.