Many major medical centers around the world now employee relaxation therapies for their patients. This form of therapy is very important for it's ability to calm the mind and body and open the channels for healing.
Relaxation allows the body to heal from within. Studies done at Harvard and the Preventative Medicine Research Institute in San Francisco, showed that patients who applied relaxation techniques on a continuous basis were able to gain better control of their illness and decrease medications.
The following is a list of some very simple starting practices to get you on your way to better management of stress.
1. Find a quiet place, free of distractions
2. Choose a focus. This can be an image, phrase or prayer. It is important that it be something meaningful to you. Whatever you choose stay with it, after awhile bringing this up will trigger an automatic mind response towards relaxation.
3. Sit in a comfortable position, do not lay down, and place your hands in a resting state on your lap.
4. Close your eyes and take some deep breaths, relax your muscles.
5. Become aware of your breathing and it's natural rythm. Repeat your focus on every exhale.
6. Let go of all distracting thoughts and images and practice concentrating on your focus.
7. Do this for 10 to 30 minutes.
It is best to try this exercise twice daily to start, as it does take practice. Don't be to ridged with yourself or you will become discouraged and stop before you have seen the benefits. A variance on this technique is called progressive relaxation. Where you deliberately relax each muscle individualy. Starting with your face and working down you flex and relax each muscle group. This type of therapy has proven especially successful in migraine patients. This type of relaxation allows a person to eventually be able to pinpoint exact areas of tension within the body. Total relaxation is the first step into visualization or imagery therapy. It is the foundation for all other types of mind therapy. I use it and know personally of several people who use this therapy when hit with an aura to prevent further seizure episodes. I also use it when having any medical procedures done to help me stay on track. It is not easy at first but if you try it for a good week you should be able to see results. In the end it is worth it.
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