Relaxation Methods
and Techniques
The origins of full mind and body relaxation very likely go back over 2000 years to the time of the Yogis of ancient India.
One of the first mentions of it as a Yoga practice can be found in the ancient text called the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which is a manual of Yoga postures compiled in the fifteenth century C.E. The relaxation posture, called Savasana (shah-VAH-sah-nah), is described thus:
“Lying flat on the ground with the face up, in the manner of a dead body, is savasana. It removes tiredness and enables the mind (and the whole body) to relax.”
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Bihar School of Yoga,
translated from the Sanskrit by Swami Muktibodhananda
Moving to modern times, the concept of relaxation as a therapeutic aid was initially developed by Dr. Edmund Jacobson in the 1920s. He taught his patients to recognise tension in muscle groups and trained them to voluntarily relax the muscles which were not being used for a particular task.
It seems that he never understood how or why this helped his patients but he found it effective against a number of ailments, including anxiety, skin allergies, ulcers, insomnia, and hypertension (high blood pressure).
A variety of techniques
Since then, many different methods have been developed; but whichever method you choose to adopt for practice, they all have the same four basic requirements, as outlined in the section Four Essential Requirements for relaxation under How to Relax. Here we are reminded that the most challenging one of the four is training the mind to be focused or one-pointed; something that may be called ‘present moment awareness’.
The more one-pointed the mind becomes, the deeper the relaxation experience. All methods, therefore, invite us to confine the mind’s wanderings to within certain boundaries or parameters – they give us a ‘hook’ upon which to attach the mind and stop its uncontrollable meanderings. These parameters are determined by the particular ‘object’ of focus (or hook) upon which the attention and awareness is held.
A guided relaxation, then, may ask you to focus your awareness on any of the following examples:
Objects of Focus
The body
Systematically taking the awareness around each part of the body, or muscle groups of the body will bring quick and easy relaxation. The mind is briefly held on each part of the body in turn, with a mental request for that part to let go and relax. This technique may be called Rotation of Consciousness, Rotation of Awareness, or simply Body Awareness. Muscles will relax merely because our attention is placed upon them; no specific ‘action’ is required other than that of holding the attention where it is asked to be.
The breath
This is another very simple attention device. The breath is always with us and therefore readily available to be used as a point of focus. We can be aware of the rhythm of the breath, the sound of the breath, the movement of the breath, the increasing quietness of the breath, and so on..... The breath is an excellent tool for relaxation as it so accurately reflects the condition of both mind and body; you can be sure that as the breath slows down, so too does the body and the mind; as the breath becomes still, so too does the body and the mind.
The senses
The five senses are the cause of much of our distracted thoughts and stressed feelings. Too much input through the senses can be overstimulating and overwhelming. By isolating just one of the senses, and using it as the relaxation ‘object’, a deep sense of release can be achieved.
The two senses most commonly used for this purpose are touch and hearing. Closing the eyes automatically shuts out visual stimulation, then the attention can be directed towards sound or touch. It may involve, for instance, becoming aware of feeling the floor beneath the body, feeling the breath in the nostrils; or it may be that you focus on sounds you can hear – near and far, or listening to the sound of your breathing. Under this category we can include the device of evoking sensations in the body such as heaviness, lightness, warmth, coolness.
Visualisation
Using visualisation is a common and popular technique, and one that will appeal particularly to those who find it easy to conjure up images behind closed eyes. You may be asked to imagine a simple object such as a candle, or a cloud in the sky etc., or you may be asked to imagine a place of peace and safety – a secluded garden, for instance, or a quiet beach..... etc.
If you ever find yourself leading a group relaxation session remember to be aware that what one person may perceive as a pleasant place to visit in their mind’s eye, may not have the same welcome connotations for another.
Combining
Very often, the relaxation technique may include more than just one of the above. For instance, you may be asked to combine breath and visualisation by imagining that each breath you take fills you with healing energy; or your body awareness exercise may include feeling each body part becoming heavy; or you may use breath awareness whilst you are away at your imagined place of sanctuary. And so it goes on; the combinations are many.
Additional Techniques
A very effective and popular method of relaxation is Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep), which is a combination of all the methods described above. This is a deep and transforming technique which warrants separate discussion under its own heading.
Two more methods you may come across are Progressive Relaxation and Autogenic Training, which are also described below.
1. Yoga Nidra
This is a form of relaxation that was developed in the 1960s by the founder of the Bihar School of Yoga, Swami Satyananda Saraswati of India.
Derived from two Sanskrit words (language of ancient India),
Yoga = union, one-pointed awareness
Nidra = sleep
the practice involves being on the threshold of sleep whilst conscious awareness is still functioning; sleep itself is kept at bay so that deep physical, mental, and spiritual relaxation occurs.
All relaxation techniques bring us to this point, but Yoga Nidra provides more time and opportunity to reach this deepest of relaxed states.
Typically, the practice involves:
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Rotation of consciousness
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Breath awareness
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Sensory awareness
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Visualisation
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A resolve or affirmation
You can see that this is a combination of all the methods outlined above, with the addition of the affirmation.
A resolve, or affirmation, is a statement of intent to bring about positive change in yourself and your life. It is like planting a seed in the fertile ground of a quiet mind. That seed of your desire will flourish and be nurtured during relaxation and during those times of the day when you can feel centred and calm.
The resolve is mentally stated at the beginning of Yoga Nidra, and again at the end of the practice, in order to reinforce its power. Resolves are most effective when stated in the present tense as if you have already accomplished what it is you want. For example:
I am healed of ......... NOT I will be healed of........
My fear of ........is gone NOT My fear of ......... will disappear
I am successful in all that I do NOT I want to be successful....
The same affirmation is used each time you practise Yoga Nidra until you are ready to move on to another. Results depend on the level and sincerity of your desire for the change and, of course, the frequency of practice or repetition of the affirmation.
Your resolve will come to fruition more readily if you also repeat it throughout the day, so that it becomes like a background mantra to all that you do. It is particularly powerful if repeated before you go to sleep, and again when you awake in the morning.
Sample affirmations could be:
I am confident and assured:
I wake up each morning refreshed and ready for the day:
I have perfect health and wellbeing:
I feel blessed and expect good things:
..........Remember!
When making your resolve during Yoga Nidra, remain unattached to it and its outcome; just enjoy the feeling of it having been achieved – relief, joy, excitement – whatever. If you put effort into making the affirmation, or feel concern and anxiety related to its content, then the power of your resolve is lost.
2. Progressive relaxation
This is the technique devised by Edmund Jacobson, which is briefly mentioned at the top of the page. It uses deliberate tightening and tensing of different parts of the body in turn, followed by the conscious release of those body parts. In this way, the distinction between tension in a muscle group and relaxation of that set of muscles can be appreciated.
The result of this practice is an ability to immediately recognise, and let go of, unnecessary physical tension as we go about our daily tasks. This is an invaluable tool to ensure that our energies are conserved and not wasted on the long-held contraction of muscles not being used for the task in hand.
For instance, you might find that, even as you ‘relax’ to watch television, your hands are tight, fingers clenched, forehead creased, jaw clamped....... none of which is required for this particular activity.
Holding the body under tension in this manner preserves our high levels of stress, debilitates the body, inhibits the breathing, wastes energy, blocks the Life Force, and stifles our chances of attaining the improved health and wellbeing we desire.
3. Autogenic Training
Based largely on auto-suggestion, this method is very precise and lengthy in its instructions. Once comfortable in the relaxation position, it requires the internal, mental repetition of statements designed to produce relaxation in the various body parts and to induce different sensations such as heaviness and warmth.
Such statements might be:
Right foot feeling heavy and relaxed repeat 2-3 times
Left foot feeling heavy and relaxed repeat 2-3 times
Right ankle feeling heavy and relaxed repeat 2-3 times
Left ankle feeling heavy and relaxed repeat 2-3 times
Breathing calm and regular
Letting go
Right calf feeling heavy and relaxed repeat 2-3 times
Left calf ............. and so on until the whole body has been included.
This technique can bring about a deep relaxation and allows for the inclusion of positive affirmations as in Yoga Nidra above.
Summary
A variety of relaxation methods, as outlined above, means that there is something to suit everyone. So, explore them all if you wish and discover which techniques appeal to you most and work best for you. You will no doubt find that you enjoy most of them and that you will be drawn to use different ones at different times, according to how you feel.
Guided Relaxations available in the Shop provide examples of all the methods described in this section. A chance for you to enjoy any of the techniques that may appeal to you!
