Peer Support Directory Relaxation techniques

Link to Peer Support Directory Bristol website – launched 07 07, signed off 14 07 2020.

Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body. – Thich Nhat Hanh

Preparing mind and body for Relaxation and Grounding Activities

Make yourself as comfortable as you can in your space. If you are able to find a quiet spot do so. This may be a quiet corner, a spot with a view of nature, something calm, avoid anything too hectic. However if the hectic is unavoidable outwardly this is an opportunity to create your own bubble of calm.

Breathing well and deeply increases oxygen in the body; this promotes vitality and clarity, it relaxes the body and calms the mind – Rebecca NK Gibbs

First things first

Stance (not only does this prepare the body this prepares the mind for a moment of calm. Repetition and continued practice will develop an association between your assuming this stance and being relaxed going forward)

• Standing position:
  • feet hips and shoulder width apart
  • feel your weight evenly distributed across your feet
  • your feet connected to the ground, connected to the energy of the earth
  • your knees with a slight flex – avoid locking them in place, Allow a little bounce in your knees
  • your bottom comfortably tucked in
  • your spine elongated as if an invisible string is drawing you up from the top of your head
  • your feel connected to the sky; the openness of the sky
  • your arms are loosely by your sides
  • your shoulders down and back
  • ensure your chin is level; avoid raising it too far up or dropping it down, gaze outwards
  • avoid clenching your jaw; separate your top and bottom teeth
  • and relax
• Sitting position
  • You are sitting –preferably on a straight backed chair
  • feet hips and shoulder width apart
  • feel the floor evenly distributed across your feet
  • your feet are flat on the floor
  • your feet connected to the ground, connected to the energy of the earth
  • your knees form a right angle between your feet and your hips
  • your spine elongated as if an invisible string is drawing you up from the top of your head
  • your feel connected to the sky; the openness of the sky
  • your hands are resting comfortably on your thighs; palms up or palms down whichever is most comfortable
  • your shoulders down and back
  • ensure your chin is level; avoid raising it too far up or dropping it down, gaze outwards
  • avoid clenching your jaw; separate your top and bottom teeth
  • and relax

Now we are standing or sitting comfortably …

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. – Thich Nhat Hanh

• Breathe deeply.
  • Deep breathing has the power to calm the mind.
  • Avoid shallow breathing in the top of your chest. Shallow breathing has the effect of telling the mind that you are experiencing stress
  • Consciously breathing deeply will have the opposite effect
  • Aim to breathe in down to the bottom of your lungs. When you do this you’ll find your stomach move out as you breathe deeply inwards.
  • Once you’ve mastered breathing into your stomach you can develop your technique by adding breathing into your sides, imagine and feel your rib cage expanding outwards and to the sides.
  • Next you can imagine and feel yourself breathing into the space in your back.
  • Your upper chest will be the last space you fill.
  • As you breathe out, you gently squeeze and deflate your stomach first, then your sides, your back and lastly your upper chest expelling all the air
  • Now you know how to maximise your breath intake you are ready to explore these calming exercises.

Exercise one:            Breathe in through your nose – filling the bottom of your lungs first as described above- for the count of four, hold for the count of four and then breath out through your mouth for the count of four and hold for the count of four.

Repeat this cycle 3 times and then allow yourself to breath normally.

Exercise two:            Breathe in through your nose for the count of four, hold for the count of four and then breath out through your mouth for the count of six or eight* and hold for the count of four.

Repeat this cycle 3 times and then allow yourself to breath normally.

*You can increase the number you count as you expel the air from your lungs in a controlled manner.

Other ways to relieve tension, bring relaxation, encourage focus and promote a sense of wellbeing:

• Simply counting slowly to 10 or 20 and breath control exercises can help to focus the mind when we may feel we are becoming overwhelmed with information.
• Shake out hands, arms and legs – gently, this will shift any pent up energy. Make sure you have space around you and avoid banging yourself on anything around you.
• Gentle, slow shoulder rolls 5 forwards then 5 back. Imagine you are drawing big circles with your shoulders: forward, up, around, back, down and then reverse.
• Stretch Reach up, reach arms out to the side, reach arms gently to the back, reach to the front
• Yawn, sigh and hum. Yawning is another great way to get air / oxygen into your lungs and so will help you feel relaxed. Ending with a hum loosens up the throat; sometimes we hold stress when we hold our silence, or when we allow our jaw and neck to tense up. Humming is a great way to gently massage the throat.
• Create a bullet point list. Sometimes we find our mind racing with thoughts or ideas of things that need to be done. The thoughts go round in a circle and can be overwhelming. Writing each item down as a heading in a list is a really good way to get them out of your head. One you’ve done this you can identify the ones that you can do something about

1. 1. 1. More easily and
      2. Sooner

And often chunking seemingly large tasks down into smaller doable actions is a sure way to achieve success.

• Keeping a list is also ensures that you avoid losing track of each task.
• Smiling – just the action of smiling can promote feeling more relaxed and uplifted
• Laughter is a great way to alleviate tension also. Find a quite, private spot and try some good old belly laughs, chances are you’ll start off feeling a bit silly, awkward and self conscious, but keep at it and before you know it you’ll break into some real laughter (probably for the same reasons – feeling a bit silly, awkward and self conscious)

Other activities to focus your mind

• Make a list of your Positive personal Qualities …
• Make a list of your achievements: an Achievement is any activity, action or task that is accomplished or attained successfully through effort and skill, that built your self-esteem and contributed to your, physical, mental, emotional or spiritual well-being; and act of kindness or courage, a certificate or qualification, it could be a simple as having done the washing up, tidied your space or having had a shower
• Make a list of things you would like to achieve

You can use these lists to focus your mind when you find yourself getting caught up in unhelpful, negative thoughts. These can be a really useful way out.

To follow is some additional advice sourced from the web.

For relaxation to balance anxiety NHS Inform Scotland suggests 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a day for your practice. Aim to make it second nature.

https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety-exercises Accessed 12 06 2020 23.44

To get your breathing under control when you’re anxious, follow these steps:

1. Sit in a quiet and comfortable place. Put one of your hands on your chest and the other on your stomach. Your stomach should move more than your chest when you breathe in deeply.
2. Take a slow and regular breath in through your nose. Watch and sense your hands as you breathe in. The hand on your chest should remain still while the hand on your stomach will move slightly.
3. Breathe out through your mouth slowly.
4. Repeat this process at least 10 times or until you begin to feel your anxiety lessen.

To quickly relieve your muscle tension during moments of anxiety:

1. Sit in a quiet and comfortable place. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Breathe slowly into your nose and out of your mouth.
2. Use your hand to make a tight fist. Squeeze your fist tightly.
3. Hold your squeezed fist for a few seconds. Notice all the tension you feel in your hand.
4. Slowly open your fingers and be aware of how you feel. You may notice a feeling of tension leaving your hand. Eventually, your hand will feel lighter and more relaxed.
5. Continue tensing and then releasing various muscle groups in your body, from your hands, legs, shoulders, or feet. You may want to work your way up and down your body tensing various muscle groups. Avoid tensing the muscles in any area of your body where you’re injured or in pain, as that may further aggravate your injury.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/preventing-falls/fear-and-anxiety-about-falling/relaxation-techniques Accessed 12 06 2020 23.54

Visualisation

This exercise involves using an image as a way to focus the mind.

Create in your mind an ideal spot to relax. It can be:

1. real or imaginary
2. somewhere you will find restful, calming, safe and happy
3. a place you would want to return to whenever you feel the need to relax

Imagine it in as much detail as you can – use your senses to make it as real as possible – and see yourself comfortably enjoying this place.

Now close your eyes and take a slow, regular breath in through your nose. Become aware of your breathing. Focus on your relaxation place in all its detail and breathe out through your mouth.

Do this exercise for 10 to 20 minutes.

https://www.nrshealthcare.co.uk/articles/news/your-personal-wellbeing-diary-to-help-reduce-stress Accessed 12 06 2020 00.39

Many cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) practitioners recommend that a person experiencing stress (or a related condition such as anxiety or depression) should record all the activities they do each day so they can take better care of themselves, focussing on four areas: Body care, Achievements, Connection and Enjoyment.

Body care

How have you looked after your body today? This could include activities such as:

• Eating a healthy breakfast/eating regular meals/eating ‘5 a day’ fruit and vegetables
• Drinking lots of water/cutting down on alcohol
• Physical activity/exercise, e.g. going for a walk, doing yoga, gardening
• Pampering yourself/having a massage
• Taking time to relax/having a nap
• Going to bed earlier
• Practicing deep breathing

Further / additional reading

https://positivepsychology.com/self-discipline-exercises/ accessed 00.25 13 06 2020

https://www.inc.com/amy-morin/6-ways-to-stop-worrying-about-things-you-cant-control.html accessed 00.27 13 06 2020

https://www.forbes.com/sites/francesbridges/2018/06/28/5-ways-to-improve-self-control/#89e2ec821d57 accessed 00.31 13 06 2020

https://psychcentral.com/lib/15-tips-to-boost-your-well-being-and-happiness/  accessed 00.58 13 06 2020

Quotes

Breathe deeply, until sweet air extinguishes the burn of fear in your lungs and every breath is a beautiful refusal to become anything less than infinite. – D. Antoinette Foy

Learn how to exhale; the inhale will take care of itself. – Carla Melucci Ardito

Carla Melucci Ardito is a New York City based somatic therapist and teacher who has been personally experiencing, studying, and exploring the art of healing for over 40 years.

When the breath is unsteady, all is unsteady; when the breath is still; all is still. Control the breath carefully. Inhalation gives strength and a controlled body; retention gives steadiness of mind and longevity; exhalation purifies body and spirit. – Goraksasathakam

Gorakhnath is considered a Maha-yogi (or great yogi) in the Hindu tradition.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a world renowned Zen master, writer, poet, scholar, and peacemaker. With the exception of the Dalai Lama, he is today’s best known Buddhist teacher.

For breath is life, so if you breathe well you will live long on earth. – Sanskrit Proverb

Remember, as long as you are breathing it’s never too late to start a new beginning. – Author Unknown

Breathing affects your respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, muscular, and psychic systems, and also has a general effect on your sleep, memory, ability to concentrate, and your energy levels. – Donna Farhi

Donna Farhi is a Yoga teacher who has been practicing for 39 years and teaching since 1982. She is one of the most sought after guest teachers in the world, leading intensives and teacher training programs internationally.

Regulate the breathing, and thereby control the mind. – B.K.S. Iyengar

B.K.S. Iyengar Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar (14 December 1918 – 20 August 2014), better known as B.K.S. Iyengar, was the founder of the style of yoga as exercise known as “Iyengar Yoga” and was considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world.

Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live. – Author Unknown

Breathe. Step back. Think, then react. – Author Unknown

Breathe in inspiration and trust yourself that the answer is yes you can. – Author Unknown

All chronic pain, suffering, and diseases are caused by a lack of oxygen at the cell level. – Dr. Arthur C. Guyton

Arthur Guyton. … Arthur Clifton Guyton (September 8, 1919 – April 3, 2003) was an American physiologist. Guyton is well known for his Textbook of Medical Physiology, which quickly became the standard text on the subject in medical schools.

I trust you find the information above helpful and informative and are reminded that you are empowered and empowering yourself with the skills, knowledge and resources to improve your immediate physical and metaphysical environments: mind, body and soul.

Enjoy, smile, purpose & progress, Bx

Insight:

As part of the Peer Support Directory I was asked and volunteered to put together some techniques for people to nurture grounding and focus. I have been developing and exploring my practice research areas of interest since 2005, one is wellbeing. To have an opportunity to share this information for others benefit is a real pleasure.

The definition of wellbeing according to the nef’s (new economic foundation’s) report as part of the Governments Foresight project in 2008 is

“Feeling good and functioning well”

Their research resulted in the 5 ways to wellbeing which is widely promoted and recommended, globally.

https://neweconomics.org/2008/10/five-ways-to-wellbeing