Top Ten Techniques for Relaxation Bliss!

As you know relaxation has many benefits for our body and mind. Relaxing helps to reduce stress and allows the good chemicals to flow more in the mind giving access to more clarity, creatively and resourcefulness.

Below then are ten techniques for relaxation bliss:

1. Part of you is Relaxed now...

A. Close your eyes and become aware of where the most relaxed part of your body is?

B. Imagine spreading this feeling throughout your body, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.

C. Enjoy cycling through these relaxing feelings by starting again at step A.


2. Slow Down the Internal Voice

We often stress ourselves with internal critical voices. A simple and effective way to reduce the suffering caused by inner voices is to slow them down.

A. Pick one of those critical internal voices that annoy you from time to time.

B. Notice it's location in space and what it says to you.

C. Now hear what it says again except this time slow it's delivery down. Way down. Repeat the sentence and slow it down even more.

D. Do this a few times until it's really slow and notice how you feel more relaxed!


3. Re-access Relaxation

A. Have you ever felt relaxed or at least at ease, maybe it was on a beach or in a beautiful woodland.

B. Re-access the peaceful state by remembering what you saw, what you heard and smelt and allow those relaxing feelings to arise again.

C. Just sit with those pleasant feelings for a few minutes, that's right.


4. Relaxing music

A. Where do you want to be more relaxed? Notice what you see and hear just before you would want to feel a wave of relaxation. eg) The office door

B. If I were to ask you what some of your favourite relaxing music was what would it be?

C. Hear that relaxing music nice and clear inside your mind and allow those pleasant feelings to arise.

D. Now think of the trigger you choose in Step A and while hearing the music in your mind, imagine walking into the situation.

E. Do this a few times to 'wire it in' and you could even do this on a few other situations where relaxation would be useful.


5. Spinning the Movie Backwards

Our peace of mind can get disturbed by memories. Here is an excellent technique that enables us to neutralise negative emotions associated with troublesome memories.

A. Remember an occasion where you got annoyed. Maybe somebody made a remark that upset you a bit.

B. Imagine re-viewing it from beginning to end. Freeze-frame it at the end.

C. Pick some funny music. Cartoon? Circus music?

D. Now reverse the movie: That is play it backwards from the end to the beginning with the funny music playing.

When you play the movie backwards make it so it's faster than normal reality because it adds to the humour!


6. A Walk in Nature

This one's a simple and completely time-tested gold nugget.

Get yourself out into nature. It may just be a park in the City with some trees.

Observe nature. The sounds, the smells. Become curious at the wonder of it all.

Is it possible to be aware of all your senses at once?


7. Shapeshift into the Wind

A. Step outside and become aware of the wind.

B. As you notice it's presence and shifting patterns, allow yourself to 'shapeshift' into the wind. Simply imagine you have become one with the wind.

C. Close your eyes and indulge yourself in this moment now.


8. Imagining your more relaxed self

A. If you were more relaxed now what would that you look like out there in front. It's OK if this you is only 5% more relaxed because this is about going in a relaxing direction isn't it?

B. Notice what that you looks like, your posture, your breathing, your facial expression.

C. Now imagine stepping into that more relaxed you.

D. Repeat from step A.


9. Hakalau

This a really interesting technique that comes from Hawaiian Shamanism, Huna.

A. Look out in front of you at a 20 degree angle upwards. Become aware of objects/movements in the horizontal part of your peripheral vision.

B. Become aware of objects/movements in the vertical part of your peripheral vision. (eg your shoes and the sky.)

C. As you notice more and more of your peripheral vision allow it to spread out and around you so that you can imagine what is behind you too.

D. Now you can do this with your other senses. Spread your hearing out and around and then do the same with your kinaesthetics.

E. Stay in this state for several minutes and you will become very relaxed. This technique switches on your parasympathetic nervous system.

Try closing your eyes and doing it!


10. Simple Breathing Meditation

Meditating on the breath is probably the most widely used and ancient of practices for relaxing the mind. It's very effective.

A. Sit down with your back straight.

B. Close your eyes and simply breath through your nostrils and out through your mouth.

C. Just observe the breath going in and out.

D. Try pausing for a second before the out breath, focussing on the heart centre.

Repeat for 10 minutes or more if you can!


When you practice techniques like the ones above and you find yourself gaining benefit, it will encourage you to develop a habit of relaxation. And the more you practice, the more you'll enjoy becoming a relaxed person didn't you.