A SELF HELP PAGE YOU CAN PRINT:

RELAX AND LET GO!

LEARN TO CONSCIOUSLY RELAX
CREATE A MENTAL SANCTUARY
USE IMAGERY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS AND HEALING

What is relaxation? Well, contrary to what many people think, relaxation does not mean feeling sleepy. It isn’t about being stationary as opposed to moving. Relaxation is not about doing nothing, and it doesn’t mean goofing off, doing things more slowly, or putting less effort into whatever you’re doing. You can be wide awake and perfectly relaxed. You can be moving quickly and expending energy and still be relaxed.

Think about this. The best tennis players, skiers, mountain climbers, martial arts fighters are all relaxed. If you are stressed and tense, you will not perform well, and may even have an accident. A stressed motorist is a danger to him/her self and other drivers. The best business people, stock brokers, financiers, are those who are systematically relaxed. A stressed person uses energy simply by being stressed. If you are relaxed, you conserve your energy for doing the things you really want to do.

The following notes will help you to systematically relax--conserve energy, and become an achiever. An achiever is not a billionaire. An achiever is a person who is living their life and achieving goals they set out to accomplish. An achiever is in charge of himself or herself.

EXERCISE ONE: BREATHING

Find yourself a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for a few minutes, either sitting up or lying down. If you are sitting up, keep your legs side by side, feet flat on the floor, hands, palms up, lying loosely on your lap or thighs. If you’re lying down, make sure your legs are side by side, arms lying easily at your side. Remove or loosen any tight belts.

Now, close your eyes and become conscious of your breathing. Don’t try to change anything. Just mentally be aware of your breathing process. Mentally “watch” yourself breathing in, and breathing out. Imagine or sense that you can “see” the air moving from your nose, down the air passages to your lungs. Then sense yourself breathing out.

Do this, for a couple of minutes, and then notice any changes in your body and your mind.

EXERCISE TWO: CONSCIOUS RELAXATION

1. Do the above exercise for a minute or so.

2. Now, concentrate on different parts of your body, starting with your feet and working right up to the top of your head. Mentally address your feet, and tell them quietly: “My feet are relaxed and feeling good.” Pause, and then mentally say it again. Do not rush this process. Next address your ankles: “My ankles are relaxed and feeling good.” Work your way slowly up through your body: calves and shins, knees, thighs, pelvis, hips, waist and stomach, chest and lungs, back, hands, forearms, upper arms, shoulders, neck, head, and face.

Even if you have discomforts somewhere in your body, imagine you can allow that part of you with the discomfort to feel good.

You will find when you have reached the top of your head, you will have reached a level of relaxation. Finish it off by mentally telling yourself: “My mind and body are totally relaxed and I feel good.” Do it slowly and say it twice.

If you find your conscious mind drifting away, gently bring it back to the goal at hand. Do not feel guilty or imagine the process is not working. Remember, your relaxation is for you. Learn not to compare it to other people’s.

EXERCISE: CREATING A SANCTUARY

It helps in Conscious Relaxation, if you have a special place to go to in your mind. Some people call it a Sanctuary. I refer to it as a “Special Place,” and I usually recommend you make it a garden--a beautiful garden, with lush green lawns, flowers that don’t bother you, perhaps some tall trees, perhaps a leisurely creek or stream. You can put whatever you wish in your special place. Create it in any way you wish. If you have trouble imagining, simply think about it. It works just as well. Put as much color as you can into your special place -- color is energy.

If you have a reason not to like gardens, find a spot you can feel comfortable in. Perhaps in a beautiful forest, on a secluded beach at the seaside, on a mountain plateau. Whatever is right for you.

When you have your Special Place in mind, find yourself a spot where you can think of yourself relaxing, sitting or lying down. I once had a client who had a heavy leather recliner near an oasis in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

It is here in your Special Place that you can image or think of your goals in your life, or you can chant affirmations or self-talk. Some people image themselves, slim, trim and healthy, or see and feel of themselves as non-smokers.

You can also use the Mind and Universal Energy to heal any discomforts in your body. (This should not be used in place of qualified medical attention.)

EXERCISE: THE GOLDEN SUN TECHNIQUE

Imagine or sense you are in your Special Place, your Sanctuary, and up above you there is a beautiful ball of golden-white energy. You may think of it as a powerful sun, a healing sun. When you have that sun in your mind’s eye, sense or imagine you can feel the sun’s energy beaming down onto your body. Imagine the healing energy is penetrating your skin, your muscles, your bones, glands, organs. Do it slowly until you can “feel” or imagine every cell in your body vibrating to the healing energy of the golden-white sun. Do not rush this. Take your time.

If you have a special discomfort or a specific place in your body that needs healing, imagine or think of the healing sun, beaming a spotlight onto that part of you that needs healing. Take your time. Know that the healing sun is working. Gently push aside any doubts that it doesn’t work. I have experienced it first hand, and many of my clients have experienced it too. Remember: whatever the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve.

EXERCISE: RETURNING TO WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS

When you have finished relaxing and are ready to resume your normal life, take in a slow deep breath, and as you breathe out count from one to five, then say: “Wide awake. I am wide awake.” Open your eyes and smile!

Note: In order to fully benefit from Relaxation, do these exercises once a day, five days a week. After a week or so you'll start to notice differences in your body and mind. It's an investment in yourself.

Thanks for sharing your time. Feel free to download and print this page. If you would now like to meditate, there are some interesting exercises on our Meditation Page.

Robert

Self Healing and Relaxation Audiotapes
Creating Self-talk for Wellbeing
Exercise: Improving Your Memory
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