TOP Five technique for Relaxation

The ability to relax at will is an important ability that everyone should possess, in my opinion. Todays life in the western world is very tense, stressful, both mentally and physically. This is true for high-tech and computer workers, who sit long hours in front of the screen, creating constant tension in some muscles and joints, for many hours a day. This is also true for other workers, such as those who drive a lot, especially in dense traffic, when the mental pressure is high. Stress is a very common word these days, as people blame stress for many of their problems. People have a hard time to relax. In this article I'd like to summarize the best 5 ways for a healthy (and legal) relaxation, in my opinion. Relaxation technique 1: Breathing to relax and to calm down The most basic skill you need to allow yourself to calm down quickly and relax is controlled breathing. Taking your breathing under conscious control for some time distracts from other stressful thoughts you might have. Some breathing techniques have fast tranquilizing effect. I suggest the following breathing exercise:

If possible, lie down or at least sit comfortably. Close your eyes and concentrate your attention on your nostrils, where air enters the nose. Take a slow and deep breath in through your nose. Notice how the air is cold, entering your nose. Hold your breath for a seconds holding your attention on the same spot. Breath out slowly and quietly through the nose. Notice how the air is warm on your nostrils on the way out. Do this for a few minutes, until you let disturbed thoughts go and feel relaxed.

The above exercise uses several techniques to calm you:

Closing eyes and getting in a comfortable position already induces a little relaxation. Slow breathing with a stop in middle reduces the heard rate. It is especially useful when you feel agitated for some reason and need to calm down fast. You might do this at times of pressure, without all the preliminary steps, if theres no time or place for them. Concentrating on the cold and warm air moving through the nostrils occupies the mind and distracts you from other, negative thoughts, you might have. See also technique #8, Thought substitution for calming and relaxation.

Relaxation technique 2: Progressive Muscle Relaxation Progressive muscle relaxation is a known relaxation technique. It was developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson around 19391. The argument is that since muscular tension accompanies anxiety, relaxing muscular tension will reduce it. While performing the exercise, dont tense the muscle too much and dont tense muscles that are not at the specific group mention at each step. The muscles should be more relaxed after releasing tension than before it was applied to that group. Sit comfortably in a chair or lie down. Do a number of slow breaths. Then move in the following progression2: 1. Hands. The fists are tensed; relaxed. The fingers are extended; relaxed. 2. Biceps and triceps. The biceps are tensed (make a muscle but shake your hands to make sure not tensing them into a fist); relaxed (drop your arm to the chair). The triceps are tensed (try to bend your arms the wrong way); relaxed (drop them). 3. Shoulders. Pull them back (careful with this one); relax them. Push the shoulders forward (hunch); relax. 4. Neck (lateral). With the shoulders straight and relaxed, the head is turned slowly to the right, as far as you can; relax. Turn to the left; relax. 1

5. Neck (forward). Dig your chin into your chest; relax. (bringing the head back is not recommended you could break your neck). 6. Mouth. The mouth is opened as far as possible; relaxed. The lips are brought together or pursed as tightly as possible; relaxed. 7. Tongue (extended and retracted). With mouth open, extend the tongue as far as possible; relax (let it sit in the bottom of your mouth). Bring it back in your throat as far as possible; relax. 8. Tongue (roof and floor). Dig your tongue into the roof of your mouth; relax. Dig it into the bottom of your mouth; relax. 9. Eyes. Open them as wide as possible (furrow your brow); relax. Close your eyes tightly (squint); relax. Make sure you completely relax the eyes, forehead, and nose after each of the tensings. 10. Breathing. Take as deep a breath as possible and then take a little more; let it out and breathe normally for 15 seconds. Let all the breath in your lungs out and then a little more; inhale and breathe normally for 15 seconds. 11. Back. With shoulders resting on the back of the chair, push your body forward so that your back is arched; relax. Be very careful with this one, or dont do it at all. 12. Butt. Tense the butt tightly and raise pelvis slightly off chair; relax. Dig buttocks into chair; relax. 13. Thighs. Extend legs and raise them about 6in. off the floor or the foot rest but dont tense the stomach relax. Dig your feet (heels) into the floor or foot rest; relax. 14. Stomach. Pull in the stomach as far as possible; relax completely. Push out the stomach or tense it as if you were preparing for a punch in the gut; relax. 15. Calves and feet. Point the toes (without raising the legs); relax. Point the feet up as far as possible (beware of cramps if you get them or feel them coming on, shake them loose); relax. 16. Toes. With legs relaxed, dig your toes into the floor; relax. Bend the toes up as far as possible; relax. Relaxation Technique 3: Calming visualization Visualization is a powerful mind tool. Research showed that the subconscious mind cant differentiate between real events and visualized ones. Because of that visualized imagery can have a profound effect on the mind.

Sit comfortably or lie down. Close your eyes and do a number of slow breaths. Allow yourself to be undisturbed by turning off communication devices near you. Imagine being in a quiet, calming place of your choosing. It could be on a quiet beach, in the woods, sailing on a boat or any other place that generally makes you feel relaxed. Hold that image and imagine experiencing the bliss of the moment, all the positive feelings that come being at that place. The more realistic your imagination is, the more positive you will have. When you feel comfortable and more relaxed, slowly get out of the visualized world and return to the real one.

Relaxation Technique 4: Inducing alpha and theta levels using audio programs The human brain operates at different states of consciousness and attention. The different levels differentiate by the frequency of the brain waves, as can be seen on EEG (Electroencephalography 1). These are called using letter of the greek alphabet. The general agreement regarding the brainwave patterns is as follows:

Beta 14Hz and higher. Alert, active state of mind. Associated with thinking and being awake. Alpha 8 to 14Hz. Relaxed state of mind. Associated with daydreaming, general relaxation. Theta 4 to 8Hz. Deeper relaxed state. Light stages of sleep. Hypnosis. Meditation. Delta below 4Hz. Deep sleep. No conscious awareness. 2

The alpha state was discovered to be a very healthy state of mind as it is associated with relaxed brain activity. It is also used a platform for advanced mind control techniques such as meditation, Jose Silva Method, and similar. It is possible to induce alpha brainwave activity using special audio recordings, utilizing binaural beats2 effect to directly affect the brain and bring it to work at the desired frequency. One such recording that gives good relaxation results is Immrama Institutes Insight CD. It provides the benefits of binaural beats to reduce stress layered over the sound of falling rain, which by itself has a tranquilizing effect. There are many other recordings available that utilize similar technology but some are said to be better than the other. Relaxation Technique 5: Entering alpha state of mind by yourself It is also possible to learn and enter the alpha state of mind by yourself, without the aid of special audio recordings. Of course, it requires some learning but has the benefit of allowing you better control over your brain. Jose Silva1 has dedicated his life to develop a technique to better utilize the human potential. His work is based on knowledge to enter and stay in the alpha state of mind. There are several ways to induce alpha state. Heres one that works well for me: 1. Sit comfortably or lie down, closing your eyes. Perform a number of deep breaths. 2. Visualize the number 3 and say to yourself Three 3 times. 3. Visualize the number 2 and say to yourself Two 3 times. 4. Visualize the number 1 and say to yourself One 3 times. 5. Visualize the number 10 and say Im relaxing 6. Visualize the number 9 and say Im calming down 7. Visualize the number 8 and say Im relaxing more and more 8. Visualize the number 7 and say Im calming down more and more 9. Visualize the number 6 and say My consciousness is clear and tranquil 10. Visualize the number 5 and say My whole body is relaxed 11. Visualize the number 4 and say Im so relaxed so that I cant feel the weight of my body 12. Visualize the number 3 and say Im totally calm 13. Visualize the number 2 and say Im totally relaxed 14. Visualize the number 1 and say Im totally calm and totally relaxed. Im at alpha. When you get to this point, youll be at alpha and should feel very relaxed. Note, that if you perform this while lying in bed and a bit tired, you can fall asleep even before your reach the end of this exercise. If you have trouble falling asleep, this is a good exercise to do every time you lie down and intend to sleep.

Proper breathing techniques will ensure that you get enough air with every single breath you take. Plenty of fresh air is an important part of health. Deep breathing exercises will help you get lots of oxygen while you are doing the exercises. Being able to breathe deeply all the time will make sure you are always taking in enough oxygen. The best way to breathe is through your nose. That may seem pretty obvious, but a lot of mouth breathers exist out there. There are a number of reasons why breathing through your nose is important: The inside of your nose is lined with a special layer called the mucous membrane. This lining is full of tiny blood vessels which help to warm up and add moisture to the air you take in. The cells in this lining produce mucus. The mucus is designed to trap any dirt and particles that may have gotten into your nose. These same cells also have tiny hair-like projections called cilia. These tiny cilia work together to move the mucus either to the front of your nose or back towards your throat so that it does not go down into your lungs. Together, the mucus and the cilia act as a filter to clean the air you breathe in. If you breathe through your mouth you miss out on this filtering and cleaning process. The correct way to breathe is to take in slow, deep breaths. Ideally, you should use the muscles of your diaphragm to move air into the lower part of your lungs and your abdominal muscles to push the air out. What Happens If I Don't Breathe Deeply? If you are a shallow breather, the air may not be getting into the lower portions of your lungs. You may not be getting enough oxygen for optimal health. Over time:

your lungs may lose their capacity to expand your blood may become sluggish your digestion may slow down your brain may begin to feel confused and foggy you may start to feel down and depressed

Are You A Deep Or Shallow Breather? Take This Simple Test 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Place one hand on your chest. Place the other hand on your stomach. Breathe normally for a few moments. Pay attention to each hand as you breathe in and out. Which hand rises up the most?

Does the hand on your stomach rises up the most? Congratulations! You've got great breathing habits. Does the hand on your chest rises up the most? You may be a shallow breather. Take some time to learn some deep breathing exercises. Keep reading for some exercises you can try right now! Practice them often until deep breathing becomes second nature. 4

Your Posture And Deep Breathing Maintaining good posture will help you breathe properly. Pay attention to your posture when you are sitting down and while you are standing up. When you are sitting try not to slouch down in your chair. Having a droopy posture while sitting will prevent you from taking deep enough breaths. If you tend to get tired after sitting down for a while, this could be the reason why. You may not be getting enough oxygen due to your posture. Try sitting up with your back straight. If you are used to slouching, this may feel a bit awkward at first, but you will get used to it if you make a point of sitting up straight each time. Don't forget to breathe deeply! Soon it will become a good habit. If you have to sit for long periods of time, try to get up from time to time to walk around or stretch. Try to take in a few extra deep breaths. Stand in front of an open window if you can.

And Now For The Deep Breathing Exercises!

Practice these deep breathing exercises in the morning when you wake up, during the daytime whenever you need a break, or at night just before bed. Do some deep-breathing whenever you need an oxygen boost! For best results, try these exercises OUTSIDE in the fresh open air: Deep Breathing Exercise One Lie down with a small book on your stomach. Practice breathing deeply so that the book moves up and down each time you breathe in an out. This is an excellent way to practice deep breathing. Deep Breathing Exercise Two Find a nice comfortable position to sit or stand. Keep your back straight and breathe out deeply through your mouth. Try to breathe out as much air from your lungs as possible. Then, take in a deep breath through your nostrils. As you take in the air, allow your stomach to expand. Once your lungs are filled up, slowly breathe out through your mouth. Do this exercise five or six times. Deep Breathing Exercise Three Stand straight. Place your hands along your lower ribs with your fingers pointing down and inward. Take in a slow deep breath through your nose. You should feel your lower ribs move outward. Fill up your lungs with as much air as possible, then try taking in another puff of air. Next, let the air out slowly through your mouth. Keep your lips partly closed so that there is a small amount of resistance. Try to breathe out all the air you possibly can. You can gently push in your lower ribs to help you do this. 5

Three Breathing Exercises

"Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stressrelated health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders." Andrew Weil, M.D. Since breathing is something we can control and regulate, it is a useful tool for achieving a relaxed and clear state of mind. I recommend three breathing exercises to help relax and reduce stress: The Stimulating Breath, The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise (also called the Relaxing Breath), and Breath Counting. Try each and see how they affect your stress and anxiety levels. Exercise 1: The Stimulating Breath (also called the Bellows Breath) The Stimulating Breath is adapted from a yogic breathing technique. Its aim is to raise vital energy and increase alertness.

Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise. Try for three in-and-out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellows. Breathe normally after each cycle. Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try. Each time you practice the Stimulating Breath, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute.

If done properly, you may feel invigorated, comparable to the heightened awareness you feel after a good workout. You should feel the effort at the back of the neck, the diaphragm, the chest and the abdomen. Try this breathing exercise the next time you need an energy boost and feel yourself reaching for a cup of coffee. Exercise 2: The 4-7-8 (or Relaxing Breath) Exercise This exercise is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight. This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important; the ratio of 4:7:8 is important. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply. 6

This exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Unlike tranquilizing drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but then lose their power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in power with repetition and practice. Do it at least twice a day. You cannot do it too frequently. Do not do more than four breaths at one time for the first month of practice. Later, if you wish, you can extend it to eight breaths. If you feel a little lightheaded when you first breathe this way, do not be concerned; it will pass. Once you develop this technique by practicing it every day, it will be a very useful tool that you will always have with you. Use it whenever anything upsetting happens - before you react. Use it whenever you are aware of internal tension. Use it to help you fall asleep. This exercise cannot be recommended too highly. Everyone can benefit from it. Exercise 3: Breath Counting If you want to get a feel for this challenging work, try your hand at breath counting, a deceptively simple technique much used in Zen practice. Sit in a comfortable position with the spine straight and head inclined slightly forward. Gently close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then let the breath come naturally without trying to influence it. Ideally it will be quiet and slow, but depth and rhythm may vary.

To begin the exercise, count "one" to yourself as you exhale. The next time you exhale, count "two," and so on up to "five." Then begin a new cycle, counting "one" on the next exhalation.

Never count higher than "five," and count only when you exhale. You will know your attention has wandered when you find yourself up to "eight," "12," even "19." Try to do 10 minutes of this form of meditation.

TOP 3 Breathing exercise

Running is an aerobic exercise. The word "aerobic" literally means "with oxygen." To get oxygen into the lungs, you need to breathe. While this should seem obvious, some runners have a shallow or labored breathing style. In some cases, this may result in severe muscle cramps, side stitches, poor performance or premature fatigue. Furthermore, shallow breathing can sometimes result in a state of anxiety. Since many people run for purposes of relaxation, this is counter-productive. Additionally, anxiety causes physical tension, and tension can drain energy. That's less energy you have for your workout. 1. Deep Breathing Most runners only make use of the upper two thirds of their lung capacity. However, diaphragmatic breathing, which fills the lower part of the lungs, can increase a runner's aerobic capacity, reduce stress and even eliminate the dreaded runner's cramps. Deep breathing exercises can be performed prior to a run or during a run. However, depending on when they are performed, there is a slight variation in technique. Prior to a run, take a deep breath in through the nose and hold for five counts. Then, slowly release the breath through the mouth. Holding the breath during a run is not recommended. Simply breathe in for five counts, and then breathe out for five counts. Keep in mind that it is not always easy to breathe through the nose while running. If this is the case, go ahead and breathe through the mouth. Many runners do not realize that while they run, they are holding tension in their shoulders, wrists, hands and jaws. The exhalation phase of the deep breathing exercise is a good time to release this tension. As you exhale, you can shake out your hands, roll your shoulders and open your mouth to relax your jaw. 2. Cadenced Breathing Although cadenced breathing may be difficult to master, it can be an excellent way to coordinate your breathing patterns with your running movements. In fact, elite runners use this method as a means of ensuring an even rhythm to their running. Most elite athletes use a 2-to-2 breathing cadence. This means that they take two steps per inhale, and two steps per exhale. At the end of the race, they might switch to a 2-to-1 cadence, which involves a two-count inhalation followed by one-count exhalation. However, the 2-to-2 and the 2-to-1 breathing patterns may cause novice runners to get a bit light headed. If this happens, try a 3-to-3 breathing pattern. 3. The Cleansing Breath When you wake up feeling congested, it may be difficult to motivate yourself for a run. Provided that you are not seriously ill, the cleansing breath can open your sinuses and clear out congestion, which might make it easier to go for a run. The cleansing breath is borrowed from yoga. Use the two middle fingers of your left hand to close off your right nostril. Breathe in for four counts through your left nostril. Then, use your thumb to close the nostril. Hold the breath for four counts, and then release your fingers from your right nostril, and let the breath out for eight counts. Repeat the process on the right nostril, using your right hand to close off the left nostril. After you've repeated the exercise a few times, you might want, and in fact be able to blow your nose.