It is important to function at your highest level. You cannot be at your best when you are tense. Tension is not good for your health and can lead to heart problems and other diseases. In addition, tension can sap your energy and stifle your creativity. Learning how to relax can improve your life. Today I will talk about 3 relaxation techniques.
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Techniques For Relaxation
Currently, I am learning to play golf, and it is a great example of the benefits of relaxation. Learning to hit a golf ball is not hard; after all, it is not moving. I have learned to hit the ball but hitting it straight and far is another matter. As I learn to relax my body, hands, and mind, I began to hit the balls farther and straighter. When I tense any part of my body, who knows where that ball is going. My mind has to be perfectly quiet for me to have a good stroke.
I have spent much of my life dealing with intense situations. When we were conducting undercover operations, we always had to be on high alert. Most of the traffickers would kill without a second thought. I had to learn how to relax and stay calm in the tensest situations. If not, my mind would not function properly. I called it relaxed tension. I looked calm on the outside.
Benefits Of Relaxation
To be able to experience the benefits of relaxation, you must be able to relax both your interbody and your outer body. Today I use these relaxation techniques daily. It keeps my mind calm and helps me focus and be creative. Here are 3 relaxation techniques.
Breathe
The first is simply breathing. Currently, I live in Florida, close to sea level. At sea level, I only use ¼ to ½ of my lung capacity when breathing. Therefore, I perform breathing exercises every morning to inflate my entire lungs.
Begin by sitting upright and tall with good posture. Try to relax your muscles and breathe in through your nose until you feel your belly rounding out. Breathe out through your nose, emptying your lungs and bringing your navel toward your spine. Try to breathe to a slow 4-Count rhythm. Do this seven times.
On the next breath in, expand your rib cage. Feel your lungs filling with more oxygen and your ribs stretching. Keep the 4-Count rhythm and do this seven times. Last, breathe in until you feel your chest lifting and your lungs filling. Slowly breathe out until your lungs are empty and pull your navel toward your spine. Do this at least seven times. You will begin to feel your muscles relax.
Take Your Time
Another technique for relaxation incorporates the entire body. This technique takes some time, so have at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time. Find a place where you will not be disturbed and create a comfortable place to lie down and stretch out. You will never be able to fully relax if you’re not comfortable.
I also like to put in earphones and listen to calming music. Begin by closing your eyes and relaxing your right toes and foot. Keep going slowly up your right leg, relaxing your ankle and calf. Picture waves of warm, soothing water washing over you. Continue slowly up your right leg until you get to your hip. Repeat the same exercise for your left foot and leg. Take your time and feel your legs relax.
Inside And Outside
Continue up your torso, feeling your body relaxing, on the inside and outside. Picture your inner body and each organ beginning to relax. Once you have relaxed your legs and torso, begin at your fingers and work your way up through your right arm and then your left arm. Relax your head and picture your brain still and calm. Remain in this state for at least 20 minutes. After, open your eyes and take three deep breaths, then slowly roll over to your side and stand up. I always feel both calm and energetic after doing this relaxation technique.
Embrace Your Inner Child
The last technique is a simple one but great for relaxation. It can be done quickly or last several hours. I learned this technique when I volunteered as a facilitator at a grief counseling horse farm. It is coloring mandalas. Mandalas are a graphic and often symbolic pattern usually in the form of a circle divided into four separate sections.
When the instructor handed out the mandalas and crayons, I was skeptical. How is this going to relax me? I had not colored since I was a child. Imagine, a 50 something-year-old man sitting at a table with a box of crayons and coloring a mandala.
It Really Worked
I was amazed at how quickly it worked. My mind stopped thinking, and I felt a wave of relaxing energy sweep over me. Today, when I feel tense, I will print out a blank mandala and begin to color in the different shapes. I can color all of it or just part. It doesn’t matter; it is about the process, not the outcome.
I hope these 3 relaxation techniques work as well for you. Do you have any relaxation techniques that you use? If so, let me know in the comments section. I appreciate everyone who takes their time to read, like, and follow my blog. Keep focusing on the process, and I will see you next week.
[…] 3 Relaxation Techniques […]
You’re right. That last technique to go graphical to my surprise can be very relaxing.
Have you seen my latest blog entry on my experiment with drawing to relax ?
I love you are not stressing playing golf Scott. I think it’s best to keep it as a fun activity. Love you are trying something new. That is one of my favorite breathing techniques too! 👏
Trust me, I will never make any money playing golf. There is nothing to stress about. It is something Sofia and I can do together. ⛳️🏌️♂️🏌🏻♀️
[…] fall asleep. Close your eyes and begin long, slow, deep breaths. Focus your mind on your breathing. Relax all your muscles starting with the face and jaws and working down through your body. Tell yourself you are in a […]