These are some great relaxation exercises. I'd have to say my favourites are "favourite place" and "focus on a word" because I love imagining things, and am a complete word nerd! The muscle-tension exercise is excellent as well, particularly if you do a lot of clenching-fists-and-jaws-and-muscles like I do.
Tense and release- Tighten the muscle you want to relax. Focus on and feel the tension where you tighten. Now let the muscle become loose and limp. Feel the relaxation flow into the muscle. Feel yourself letting go of all your tensions.
Tense and release- Tighten the muscle you want to relax. Focus on and feel the tension where you tighten. Now let the muscle become loose and limp. Feel the relaxation flow into the muscle. Feel yourself letting go of all your tensions.
Body Scan- With your mind briefly scan every muscle in your body, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. If you sense a tight muscle, consciously let it become limp and relaxed.
Mind Quieting- To quiet your mind first, focus on your breathing. As you breath in deeply, say "I am..." and as you breathe out, say slowly to yourself "calm." When your mind feels calm you may focus only on your breathing, with no thoughts running amok.
Favourite Place- As you sit quietly, recall in your mind the most relaxing thought you can. It could be a favourite place (a holiday location, your home), a person with whom you feel at peace (a family member, a friend, an acquaintance) or even a made-up scene (a magical forest, a desert island or a sparkling rainforest-waterfall). Take a few seconds to concentrate on the image in your ming. Be sure to feel those good feelings you associate with that person or place. Let it take over your whole awareness... If your thoughts wander, just take them gently back to that peaceful, relaxing image.
Focus On A Word- Pick some word that you associate with relaxation, comfort, peace. It could be a word like "serenity" or "dream." Personally, I like to choose interesting, mellifluous words. I love petrichor, flourish, gossamer, wanderlust, filigree, lullaby, mellow- and not forgetting "mellifluous" itself. Let the word hold the centre of your thoughts. As your mind wanders towards more stressful thoughts, gently bring it back to the word.
I hope these are useful to you guys! That's all I have time for now, but stay tuned for the next post in the next few days :)
Love always,
Em xx
Love always,
Em xx