My last blog on stress and sleep has prompted me to share a few of my favourite relaxation and meditation techniques. These are particularly useful to calm the mind and put you back to sleep when you need it most, but also as a great practice during the day to reduce stress levels and feel more grounded.
Over the years I have developed my own set of favourites, and I encourage you to do the same. With so many books, CDs, downloads and great teachers out there, it can feel a bit overwhelming. My advice – pick something simple that feels good for you and just start somewhere. Essentially, all techniques have the same core benefits. And the great news is that once you start feeling the goodness, it becomes easier and easier to make these techniques a regular part of your day.
Come back to your senses
I try to do this one as regularly as I remember and find it a simple, yet very effective technique to remind myself that I am not my thoughts. All it takes is pausing in the moment and becoming aware of what you can see, hear, smell and feel in that moment. I take a deep breath, look around and really take notice of my environment in the here and now. It only takes a moment, but it can often be enough to put things in perspective for me if I am worrying about something unimportant or daydreaming. Being in nature when I do it usually reminds me of all the things I have to be grateful for.
Progressive muscle relaxation or Yoga Nidra
Both of these practices are very similar and involve focussing on, and relaxing or 'letting go' of different parts of your body progressively. I use this one a lot when I am trying to relax to get to sleep when I first get into bed, or if I wake in the night and my mind is busy or I feel 'hyper' or stimulated.
I start with my feet and relax first my left big toe, then focus on and relax my second toe, and continue in this way until I have done all of my toes, then the top of my foot, sole of foot, ankle, shin, calf, knee etc. When I have finished the left side of my leg, I go to the right side and repeat the process, then carry on like this until I have focussed on and relaxed the different parts of my whole body. Sometimes I spend more time in areas that are particularly tense. This technique can either be done yourself, or you could use a guided CD or MP3 with headphones.
There are two major benefits to this exercise; the mind is distracted so worrying is short-circuited, and the body relaxes to promote a feeling of peace and relaxation. Usually I find that I am asleep before I get all the way through the exercise!
Watching the breath
This one is simple and can be done anywhere; on the bus, in a queue, at your desk etc. If you catch yourself feeling tense, why not take a moment to close your eyes and just focus on observing your breath as it goes in and out. If it feels like it is not travelling deep into your lungs (which often it doesn't if we feel stressed. We often only breathe into the top of our lungs), pause to take a few deep breaths – 3 seconds in, 3 seconds out – and relax your neck, shoulders and jaw with each out breath. You may be surprised at how much of a difference this simple exercise can make! Especially if you do it regularly.
Happy relaxing!!!