Postures for Relaxation
Finding the right posture for relaxation is critical for success, so please give this matter the time and consideration it deserves.
We can be fooled into believing that, as long as we’re snuggled up on the sofa or in a comfy armchair, then we’ve set the scene for practising our relaxation. Wrong! For sure, you will feel cosy initially when you collapse into these wonderful pieces of furniture, but before long you will no doubt be fidgeting to find another ‘cosy’ position, or you’ve fallen asleep, only to wake up later with a stiff neck or an aching back!
Let’s remind ourselves what we’re physically trying to achieve when we relax:
Complete release of muscle tension
Let’s get to grips with what this implies. All the muscles you can see that make up your body are called ‘skeletal’ muscles. Your bones (skeleton) are held in place by these skeletal muscles, which give your body shape, movement, strength, and posture. Without these muscles, your skeleton would fall in a useless heap on the floor!
Generally, all these muscles are either
# working (contracting and releasing) to move bits of the skeleton about (eg walking, lifting that coffee cup to the mouth, using the TV remote...)
# or they are contracted/tightened in order to hold part of the body in place (eg a frown, a lifted arm, permanently raised shoulders)
# or they are held under what is called ’tone’ for the sole purpose of keeping us together! Muscles in the ’tone’ condition are not working fully, but they are holding slight tension to hold the skeleton together and are primed ready for action on demand.
All muscles are controlled by the nerves, so whether a muscle is working, or just held in tone, it is demanding activity and response from the nervous system.
The only way we can totally release muscle tension, and the accompanying nervous activity, is to relieve the body from the responsibility of holding us together, or moving us about!
The Solution!
To achieve fulfilment of this statement we have to find a relaxation posture that is 100% supported by the foundation beneath it (floor, bed, chair) such that no single muscle is required to hold any part of the skeleton in place. This inherently implies a posture that allows the whole body to succumb to the pull of gravity; not one part of the muscular structure is having to be held in place by resisting that gravitational force.
In addition, we need to arrange the body in a way that eliminates [as much as possible] taking any joint out of its neutral position. A neutrally aligned body, when standing, would have:
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The body upright, facing forward;
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The feet and legs hip width apart;
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The shoulders drawn down and back; not slumped forward;
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The arms by the sides, slightly away from the body, palms facing forward;
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The head eased back so that the ears are directly over the shoulders;
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The chin slightly drawn in and back of neck lengthened so that the crown of the head is uppermost;
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The spinal curves holding their natural shape
These alignments are transferred into the supine or seated relaxation positions.
Any bodily position that takes itself outside these parameters of neutrality runs the risk of being counterproductive to relaxation; being out of neutral alignment generally indicates that muscles are in the contracted state and unable to relax.
All the suggested Positions for Relaxation on this site will provide you with the opportunity to fulfil the requirements as defined above. Each posture is illustrated and described in detail with this aim in mind – to help you establish a position that will allow your whole body to completely let go of muscle and nervous tension; a position that permits gravity to have a free rein.
Recommended Postures
1. The primary posture is a Yoga posture called Savasana (Sha-VAH-sah-nah). This involves lying down on your back (supine), with the face up and the limbs extended. This posture is best practised on the floor for optimum support. If this does not suit you, a bed may be used instead provided the mattress is not too soft and yielding.
2. Alternative positions involve modifications of the supine Savasana pose, or seated postures using chairs and stools to provide the necessary support for the body.
Whichever position you choose for relaxation, it is likely that you will initially need to modify it with the use of strategically placed cushions. The padding or support provided by a cushion not only gives extra comfort, but also helps the body achieve the neutral alignment required.
It is important, therefore, that you look at the section on Using Cushions so that your relaxation sessions are as comfortable and effective as they should be.
