Background Information - Deep Relaxation ( 6 Minutes)
This Relaxation Experience has been developed by the California Department of Mental Health, and brought to you by LIFELINE International helping you make lifestyle changes toward better health, productivity and effectiveness.
We encourage you to use this regularly when you have 15 - 20 minutes of quiet time, not while driving a car or operating any other equipment.
This is a time just for you. To relax. To let go. Many times we're so busy in our daily lives, we don't know what it feels like to relax. This is a time to learn to relax. Give yourself the first few minutes to simply allow your body to adjust to a quieter, more comfortable position. Without trying to force anything in particular to happen. Just giving yourself time to adjust. Lots and lots of time.
You might even notice in this very early period that your body may feel a bit tense. Perhaps it seems that your heart is beating faster, or that you're breathing faster. This is quite natural. Nothing to be concerned about. It simply has to do with you becoming more focused on what's going on inside your body. In time, your body will begin to slow down at its own pace. Allow your mind to wander. Your thoughts and images to flow. As your body quiets, very naturally. You might at this time begin simply to remind yourself that now is a time and place where worries and concerns can be put aside. Perhaps to think about at a later point in time. For right now, this time is just for you. To relax as fully and completely as you may.
Begin to notice your breath. Allowing your abdomen to do all of the work of breathing. Thus letting your chest muscles rest. Relax. Perhaps just beginning to feel to the first sensations of really letting go. Allowing that process to happen.
You can become aware now of the muscles underneath your scalp. At the top of your head. And as you become aware of them, you can allow them to relax. To let go. Perhaps feeling your scalp growing softer, more pliable, as the muscles underneath relax more and more. Letting that feeling, that awareness, spread down through your forehead, around your eyes, and your brows. Again, allowing those muscles to release. Always taking the time to feel really what it feels like as muscles become more and more limp. More and more relaxed. Perhaps again noticing the skin on your forehead growing smoother and softer as the muscles underneath become less and less tense.
Let that process continue down, feeling the muscles letting go as you guide your awareness down through your cheeks, and your jaw, perhaps even noticing your mouth just parting as the muscles in your face relax more and more. Almost a sense of dreaming. Letting go of more and more tension. Letting the process continue now around the back of your head. Down through your neck and your throat. Relaxing. Letting go. Feel the sensations, letting them continue to spread down into your shoulders, and upper back. Relaxing them. Guiding your awareness around down through your right shoulder, your upper arm, your forearm, down to the tips of each finger. Relaxing the muscles. Giving yourself the time. Noticing the feeling. The changes. Repeating the process on your left side. Again, guiding your awareness down through your left shoulder, upper arm, forearm, again to the tips of each finger, until both arms are as fully and completely relaxed as they might be.
Continue to feel that sense of letting go, allowing this to happen, continuing to guide your awareness now down through your torso, your back, your chest, down into your stomach, your lower back, down through your abdomen, your buttocks, hips, letting go. Allowing your body to release, to grow more and more limp, simply being aware of one part, one muscle group at a time. Always taking the time to really feel those particular muscles letting go. Releasing without rushing. Knowing that if at any time your mind wanders, or that you need to take a moment to adjust your position, or cough, that you could always again bring your mind back to where you were in the process. Once again, begin to allow those muscles to relax, deeper and deeper, much more so than they might otherwise.
Continue down through your right leg, your thigh, your calf, to the tips of your toes. Letting the different muscles release. Repeating the process on your left side, again, taking the time to feel the muscles letting go, perhaps noticing your legs growing heavier and more limp as you allow the muscles to release more and more. Simply allowing the process to continue to deepen.
Now for the next few moments, as I make particular statements about physical feelings, feelings you're very familiar with, you might actually repeat them to yourself internally. Allowing the statements to be reflected in what you actually feel in your body. You can allow this to happen, choosing to go along.
My right arm is warm. My right arm is warm. My right arm is heavy. My right arm is heavy. My right arm is warm and heavy. My right arm is warm and heavy. My left arm is warm. My left arm is warm. My left arm is heavy. My left arm is heavy. My left arm is warm and heavy. My left arm is warm and heavy. My arms feel warm and heavy. My arms feel warm and heavy. Allowing yourself to continue this process, feeling perhaps even seeing muscles relaxing more and more. Tension draining out of your body as you relax further and further. Your body winding down, letting go, feeling warmer and heavier. Perhaps even feeling your breath flowing very gently and effortlessly into your arms and legs. Very naturally you may feel your hands becoming warmer and warmer. Your body growing heavier. More and more relaxed. Letting go more and more in a healing process. Your body opening, unwinding, allowing natural flow. Your muscles getting all the nutrients, all the oxygen they need. As your body simply lets go and relaxes. Sink down further and further into a state of calm and tranquility. Almost like an old friend who has been there all along. Simply waiting. Separating you from the worries and concerns that from time to time make all of us tense. Giving yourself some distance as though you have walked through a door and left the tension and the worries behind you.
Partly feeling, partly remembering that nice sense of having no chores to do.This is truly a time just for you. To relax, to let go, a very nice sense of time, lots and lots of time, winding down, deepening, your body's slow, calmer, nerves quieting, as you relax more and more, letting the process continue, seeing and feeling your body quieting, relaxing, allowing that to happen. Slowing down. Allowing thoughts and images to flow through your mind without trying to focus or stop them or direct them. Just allow them to flow through as your body continues to relax, to deepen more and more. Very naturally, pleasant feelings, letting go. Perhaps new sensations arising very naturally and none that you need be concerned about. Allowing your body to deepen, to relax and let go.
Deeper and deeper, quieting and calming, with no sense for time, you might even seen yourself or feel yourself reacting differently to life's frustrations. A very nice change, sinking into you, having more and more ability to change stressful situations when they can be changed, and to accept life's challenges when they can't be changed. Feeling yourself managing stress better and better, as you already are, as your body simply relaxes, a very nice sense of things going in the right direction. Developing new skills, feeling better and better, as the relaxation sinks in, becoming more and more a part of you. You may choose to continue the exercise for a while longer. Allowing the feelings to stay with you. When you want, you can bring yourself back, becoming aware of the things around you again. Your body remaining quiet and calm. The process fully under your control. Here for you to use whenever you want it.
This Relaxation Experience has been developed by the California Department of Mental Health, and brought to you by LIFELINE International helping you make lifestyle changes toward better health, productivity and effectiveness.
We encourage you to use this regularly when you have 15 - 20 minutes of quiet time, not while driving a car or operating any other equipment.
This is a time just for you. To relax. To let go. Many times we're so busy in our daily lives, we don't know what it feels like to relax. This is a time to learn to relax. Give yourself the first few minutes to simply allow your body to adjust to a quieter, more comfortable position. Without trying to force anything in particular to happen. Just giving yourself time to adjust. Lots and lots of time.
You might even notice in this very early period that your body may feel a bit tense. Perhaps it seems that your heart is beating faster, or that you're breathing faster. This is quite natural. Nothing to be concerned about. It simply has to do with you becoming more focused on what's going on inside your body. In time, your body will begin to slow down at its own pace. Allow your mind to wander. Your thoughts and images to flow. As your body quiets, very naturally. You might at this time begin simply to remind yourself that now is a time and place where worries and concerns can be put aside. Perhaps to think about at a later point in time. For right now, this time is just for you. To relax as fully and completely as you may.
Begin to notice your breath. Allowing your abdomen to do all of the work of breathing. Thus letting your chest muscles rest. Relax. Perhaps just beginning to feel to the first sensations of really letting go. Allowing that process to happen.
You can become aware now of the muscles underneath your scalp. At the top of your head. And as you become aware of them, you can allow them to relax. To let go. Perhaps feeling your scalp growing softer, more pliable, as the muscles underneath relax more and more. Letting that feeling, that awareness, spread down through your forehead, around your eyes, and your brows. Again, allowing those muscles to release. Always taking the time to feel really what it feels like as muscles become more and more limp. More and more relaxed. Perhaps again noticing the skin on your forehead growing smoother and softer as the muscles underneath become less and less tense.
Let that process continue down, feeling the muscles letting go as you guide your awareness down through your cheeks, and your jaw, perhaps even noticing your mouth just parting as the muscles in your face relax more and more. Almost a sense of dreaming. Letting go of more and more tension. Letting the process continue now around the back of your head. Down through your neck and your throat. Relaxing. Letting go. Feel the sensations, letting them continue to spread down into your shoulders, and upper back. Relaxing them. Guiding your awareness around down through your right shoulder, your upper arm, your forearm, down to the tips of each finger. Relaxing the muscles. Giving yourself the time. Noticing the feeling. The changes. Repeating the process on your left side. Again, guiding your awareness down through your left shoulder, upper arm, forearm, again to the tips of each finger, until both arms are as fully and completely relaxed as they might be.
Continue to feel that sense of letting go, allowing this to happen, continuing to guide your awareness now down through your torso, your back, your chest, down into your stomach, your lower back, down through your abdomen, your buttocks, hips, letting go. Allowing your body to release, to grow more and more limp, simply being aware of one part, one muscle group at a time. Always taking the time to really feel those particular muscles letting go. Releasing without rushing. Knowing that if at any time your mind wanders, or that you need to take a moment to adjust your position, or cough, that you could always again bring your mind back to where you were in the process. Once again, begin to allow those muscles to relax, deeper and deeper, much more so than they might otherwise.
Continue down through your right leg, your thigh, your calf, to the tips of your toes. Letting the different muscles release. Repeating the process on your left side, again, taking the time to feel the muscles letting go, perhaps noticing your legs growing heavier and more limp as you allow the muscles to release more and more. Simply allowing the process to continue to deepen.
Now for the next few moments, as I make particular statements about physical feelings, feelings you're very familiar with, you might actually repeat them to yourself internally. Allowing the statements to be reflected in what you actually feel in your body. You can allow this to happen, choosing to go along.
My right arm is warm. My right arm is warm. My right arm is heavy. My right arm is heavy. My right arm is warm and heavy. My right arm is warm and heavy. My left arm is warm. My left arm is warm. My left arm is heavy. My left arm is heavy. My left arm is warm and heavy. My left arm is warm and heavy. My arms feel warm and heavy. My arms feel warm and heavy. Allowing yourself to continue this process, feeling perhaps even seeing muscles relaxing more and more. Tension draining out of your body as you relax further and further. Your body winding down, letting go, feeling warmer and heavier. Perhaps even feeling your breath flowing very gently and effortlessly into your arms and legs. Very naturally you may feel your hands becoming warmer and warmer. Your body growing heavier. More and more relaxed. Letting go more and more in a healing process. Your body opening, unwinding, allowing natural flow. Your muscles getting all the nutrients, all the oxygen they need. As your body simply lets go and relaxes. Sink down further and further into a state of calm and tranquility. Almost like an old friend who has been there all along. Simply waiting. Separating you from the worries and concerns that from time to time make all of us tense. Giving yourself some distance as though you have walked through a door and left the tension and the worries behind you.
Partly feeling, partly remembering that nice sense of having no chores to do.This is truly a time just for you. To relax, to let go, a very nice sense of time, lots and lots of time, winding down, deepening, your body's slow, calmer, nerves quieting, as you relax more and more, letting the process continue, seeing and feeling your body quieting, relaxing, allowing that to happen. Slowing down. Allowing thoughts and images to flow through your mind without trying to focus or stop them or direct them. Just allow them to flow through as your body continues to relax, to deepen more and more. Very naturally, pleasant feelings, letting go. Perhaps new sensations arising very naturally and none that you need be concerned about. Allowing your body to deepen, to relax and let go.
Deeper and deeper, quieting and calming, with no sense for time, you might even seen yourself or feel yourself reacting differently to life's frustrations. A very nice change, sinking into you, having more and more ability to change stressful situations when they can be changed, and to accept life's challenges when they can't be changed. Feeling yourself managing stress better and better, as you already are, as your body simply relaxes, a very nice sense of things going in the right direction. Developing new skills, feeling better and better, as the relaxation sinks in, becoming more and more a part of you. You may choose to continue the exercise for a while longer. Allowing the feelings to stay with you. When you want, you can bring yourself back, becoming aware of the things around you again. Your body remaining quiet and calm. The process fully under your control. Here for you to use whenever you want it.