| View Blog
|
|
| Meditation - a method of relaxation
|
|
|
In this madcap world today I often feel totally overwhelmed with stress. There's always too much to do and not enough time to do it. I cut sleep time in order to be able to finish something, maybe start something else. I'm always pushed for time and always in a rush.
In the face of such constant stressors it's hard to find time to relax. Even when I make time there's so many things racing round my head, so much I have to do that actually using that time to really relax is very difficult.
In high school we were taught a very effective method of relaxation, we were taught to meditate. It's not always doable, somethimes because I can't spare a full hour, others because i just can't clear my mind.
During a recent conversation with a highly stressed friend I recommended she try to meditate and discovered she really did not know how. I was surprised, I've been doing this for so many years it seems like it's second nature and it's easy to forget that it was a learned skill, not something that came naturally so I thought it might be something others could benefit from and decided to write down my method for acheiving relaxation. I doubt it's the only, or even the best, way to achieve a meditative state but it works for me and so I'm presenting it here in the possibility that someone out there might be able to make use of it.
If you have trobule relaxing and you need some way to do so give this a shot. You'll generally need a quiet and peaceful hour or more you can devote to it but I've found that over time it comes more readily and can be achieved in a half hour or less with practice. If you do give it a try please leave me a comment and let me know how it works out. Also please don't be disappointed if yoo don't get completely there the 1st time or even the second. being able to completely focus on one thing and eliminate all extraneous thoughts is difficult and takes practice. Even then sometimes the world's intrusions are just too powerful and you have to settle for wherever you can reach in the process.
Here it is:
1st sit and get yourself comfortable, totally comfortable in a quiet spot. Close your eyes lightly.
Next focus on your breathing, feel it, sense it, listen to it. Now take control of it. Breathe slower and deeper, breathe in through your nose, start to fill your lungs starting at your diaghram, filling from bottom to top, feel your lungs expand as they fill, breathe deep and fill them to the top.
Now exhale slowly through your lips. Empty your lungs in reverse, from top to bottom. Feel your chest deflate as you do. Don't push the exhale, let it run it's norml course.
Repeat the breathing, again, and again, concentrate solely on your breathing, clear your mind of all else.
now develop a rythm with the breaths. Let them go and sart to have a life of their own. As you clear your mind of thoughts of your breathing. start picturing a muscle group, i start with my left foot, the toes one by one, see the muscle, feel it, picture it, know it. Feel it relax ever so slowly until it's completely limp. Move on to the next muscle group, and the next. Keep breathing and keep relaxing your muscles, each and every one, every muscle in your feet, your legs, your arms, body, neck, face and head. Feel them all relax as you visualize each one in it's place.
Now let your mind go blank and fill it with an image. I use a number, generally 7 against a black background but any image will do.
As you picture the image, concentrate on it more, try to make it more real and vivid. Give it texture and color. Make it 3 dimensional. try to make it solid.
Continue your breating and start to slowly rotate the image, see it from all sides, all angles as it slowly turns in your mind.
Continue breathing deep and slow, filling from bottom to top and emptying from top to bottom. in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Now see the image as it starts to fade, becomes transparent, becomes ever more insubstantial. The background is coming through and in a couple of minutes time the image is gone and your mind is empty.
At this point I continue to breathe and luxuriate in the relaxation until God knows how much time has passed and the world intrudes to bring me back.
|
|
Posted by Tony51203 on 2008-06-24 05:37:01 | Rating: | Views: 53
|
|
| |
|
|
| Blog Comments
|
|
|
|
|
I always forget to breathe, so I have a ways to go before I get the hang of this, but thanks, I will give it a try
|
|
Posted by roe
on 2008-06-25 23:58:39
|
|
|
|
|
once you get a cycle of deep, slow breathing going the mechanics of the breaths aren't so important but you do have to keep breathing slow and deep.
|
|
Posted by Tony51203
on 2008-06-26 04:17:32
|
|
|
|
|
|
Email This to a Friend 
