Relaxation

Relaxation techniques are a great way to help your quest for stress management and to support lowering your blood pressure.

• Relaxation is not just about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby.
• Relaxation is a process that returns your whole system from an adrenalin charged state (fight or flight) to a state of balance.
• It decreases the wear and tear of life's challenges on your mind and body.

Some of the benefits are:

• Slowing your heart rate
• Lowering blood pressure
• Slowing your breathing rate
• Increasing blood flow to major muscles, reducing muscle tension

Relaxation techniques that have been widely studied and can help you achieve deep relaxation with its healing benefits for body and mind include:

• Breathing techniques
• Meditation
• Hypnotherapy
• Visualization techniques
• Massage
• Yoga and Tai Chi

Relaxation techniques often involve refocusing your attention to something calming and which increases awareness of your body. It doesn't matter which technique you choose. What matters is that you try to practice relaxation regularly.

Visualization and Autogenic relaxation techniques
Autogenic means something that comes from within you. With these techniques you can use both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress. You may repeat words or suggestions in your mind to help you relax and reduce muscle tension. You may imagine a peaceful place and then focus on regular relaxed breathing, slowing your heart rate, or different physical sensations, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one. With Visualization techniques you form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation.

Progressive muscle relaxation
In this technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. This helps you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation, and you become more aware of physical sensations. You may choose to start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. Tense your muscles for at least 5 seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

Relaxation techniques take practice

As you learn relaxation techniques, you'll become more aware of muscle tension and other physical sensations of stress. Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can make a conscious effort to practice a relaxation technique the moment your muscles start to tense. This can prevent stress from spiraling out of control.

Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. And as with any skill, your ability to relax improves with practice. Be patient with yourself. Stay motivated to reduce the negative impact of stress on your body and to experience a greater sense of calm in your life.

Starting a relaxation practice

Learning the basics of these relaxation techniques isn't difficult. But it takes practice to truly harness their stress-relieving power: daily practice, in fact. Most stress experts recommend setting aside at least 10 to 20 minutes a day for your relaxation practice. If you'd like to get even more stress relief, aim for 30 minutes to an hour.

Choose a technique that appeals to you. There is no single relaxation technique that is best. When choosing a relaxation technique, consider your specific needs and preferences. The right relaxation technique is the one that resonates with you and fits your lifestyle.

Set aside time in your daily schedule. The best way to start and maintain a relaxation practice is by incorporating it into your daily routine. Schedule a set time either once or twice a day for your practice. You may find that it's easier to stick with your practice if you do it first thing in the morning, before other tasks and responsibilities get in the way.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is the state of simply being in the moment, just pure experiencing

It is a deeply relaxed state. The meditator is simply aware of all the 'events' happening in each moment, i.e. the thoughts, body sensations and emotions. It is a 'letting go' of the mind's usual need to focus, follow, react, judge or be 'attached' to the thoughts and events that arise. Distance slowly happens between the 'watcher' (or witness) and the 'event', creating the possibility of inner stillness.

It's a natural state that most of us have forgotten how to access.

What are Meditations?

• Meditative methods and techniques are tools we can use to support us
  disconnecting from the bodymind so we can experience Meditation.
• There are many different types of Meditations, including: silent sitting, breathing techniques,
  chanting, mantras, dancing, humming, movement, emotional release.
• They all have the intention to create the 'space' so that we can enter a Meditative state.

Meditation is not...

• Only for people who are on a spiritual search.
  The benefits of meditation are manifold. Chief among them are the ability to relax and to be aware without effort. Useful tools for just about everyone!
• It is not - a practice to gain 'peace of mind'.
  'Peace of mind' is a contradiction in terms. By its very nature the mind is a constant commentator. What you can discover through meditation is the knack of finding the distance between yourself and the commentary, so that the mind, with its constant circus of thoughts and emotions, no longer intrudes on your inherent state of silence.
• It is not - a mental discipline or effort to control or 'tame' the mind, to become more mindful.
  Meditation is neither a mental effort nor an attempt to control the mind. Effort and control involve tension, and tension is contrary to the state of meditation. Besides, there is no need to control the mind, only to understand it and how it works. The meditator does not need to tame his mind to become more mindful and aware, but to grow more in consciousness.
• It is not - focusing, concentrating or contemplating.
  Focusing, like concentrating is a narrowing of awareness. By contrast, meditation is all-inclusive, your consciousness is expanded. The meditator is simply aware, but not of anything in particular.
• It is not - a new experience.
  Many sportsmen know this space, which they refer to as 'the zone'. Artists know it through singing, painting, playing music. We can know it through gardening, playing with the kids, walking on the beach, in an intimate or passionate moment. Meditation is a natural state and one that you have almost certainly tasted. As children many of us had these timeless moments of just simply being.

There are many techniques that are practiced within the context of one's everyday life - at work, at leisure, alone and with others. Many meditative techniques require one to sit still and silent. But for those of us who have accumulated stress and tension in our busy body-mind we may find another technique is more helpful. Before we can hope to access our inner powerhouse of consciousness, we need to let go of our tensions. For many of us active meditation techniques are very helpful.

Methods are needed only until the state of meditation - of relaxed awareness, of consciousness and centering - has become not just a passing experience but as intrinsic to one as, say, breathing.

There is no need for dependence on an outer authority or be affiliated with any organization and the obligation to accept a certain ideology. Once you understand the steps, you journey in your own individual way.