Power Relaxation
By admin Some people find relaxation and meditation skills beneficial in getting rid of anxiety and panic attacks. These skills are the opposite of the fight/flight response. You neither resign nor flee from anxiety, but you just let it glide through your mind and body. When learning and practicing these skills, it is important to free yourself from outside distractions.
Try any one or all of the techniques in this chapter until you find one suitable for you.
Roll Breathing
This type of exercise aims to develop the full capacity of your lungs and to harmonize yourself with your breathing pace. This is best done while lying on your back, with knees bent.
1. Place left hand on your stomach, and place the right hand on your chest. Breathe in through the nose to the lower lungs (notice left hand rises while right hand does not move) for around 10 times.
2. After you feel at ease after 10 times of filling and emptying your lower lungs, repeat the same step. But this time, continue inhaling to the upper chest (notice right hand rises as left hand falls a little).
3. Exhale gradually through the mouth with a slight whooshing sound letting left hand fall first, then the right hand. Feel your worries and anxieties leave the body. Do this for around 5 minutes. Notice that the stomach and chest resembles rolling waves, rising and falling in a rhythmic motion.
Do this daily for several weeks or until you feel comfortable with this technique, so that it can be used whenever needed. If you get dizzy or light headed at first, you must breathe and move slowly, and then gradually increase the rate as you get more comfortable with the exercise.
Modified Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Deep muscle relaxation can diminish anxiety, stress, and tension. The objective of this method is to tense and relax every muscle part of your body. Let’s begin.
Stretch out comfortably on the floor. Tense muscle groups for 5 to 10 seconds (strong but not to the point of discomfort), then let go and relax them for 10 to 15 seconds. At different points, check each muscle group and relax each one a bit more each time. Let’s start from the bottom going up to the head.
1. Point your toes towards your face.
2. Point and curl toes downward.
3. Clench your thighs hard.
4. Press hips and buttocks together.
5. Suck abdomen into a firm knot.
6. Breathe in deep through nose, hold it in your chest, and exhale through mouth.
7. Arch the back upward and away from any support.
8. Shrug your shoulders.
9. Clench your arms into fists, bend arms at elbows, and flex biceps.
10. Stretch out wrists and forearms, and bend them backward to the wrist.
11. Extend your chin to the chest, then tilt head backward (for the neck).
12. Press your lips tightly.
13. Smile from ear to ear (for the cheeks and jaws).
14. Close your eyes tightly (remove contact lenses if any).
15. Wrinkle your forehead into a frown.
16. When you’re done, count backwards from 10 to 1 for a more rejuvenating experience.
By doing these power relaxation ‘exercises’ you will feel the immediate effect of being more serene and tranquil. Relax and enjoy!
