4. Pause... while you wait for your body to naturally and easily inhale once more (again through the nose).
This method of breathing is key to enjoying a wonderful relaxation session. It is meant to be quite slow and completely effortless. No breath holding, no straining, no counting - just discovering the rhythm that is right for you, personally. In particular pay attention to the pauses -- the brief pause at the end of your in-breath and the longer pause at the end of the out-breath
Why relax in a sitting position?
Because, initially, many people find relaxing to be quite soporific. Having been deprived for so long deprived of the quality of the deep rest which relaxation evokes, your mind-body can relax so deeply that you slip into natural sleep.There is nothing wrong with this. In fact it’s a great way of getting to sleep at night. However it is a good idea, in the beginning, to train yourself to relax in a sitting position so that you will be able to relax at will just about anywhere and for just a few minutes e.g. in the dentist chair, while waiting for a train or plane, before an important interview or presentation, etc.Tips for your relax session
- Years of `normal' stressful living undermine our natural ability to switch off and relax anywhere, anytime. You are now simply re-learning this natural ability.
- Relaxation is something you allow to happen. You cannot force the issue. It is a gradual process of discovering your personal forms of emotional and physical tension and then discovering the ways of releasing these which work best for you.
- At first most people find it much easier to relax the body rather than the mind. This is normal. You can certainly learn to allow your mind to become quieter - it simply takes a little longer.
- For the first few weeks relax in a sitting position. It is easier to relax lying down but if you make yourself too comfortable you risk falling asleep or becoming too drowsy and this negates some of the benefits. (See previous section, too).
- There is no right way to relax! So rather than attempting to `get it right' experiment to discover what works best for you.
- The quality of your relaxation will vary considerably during any session. One moment you may think you are losing the experience and the next you may be even more relaxed than before. So if you think it is not working decide to calmly stay at ease for another minute or so. Then, if necessary, give up and have another session 30-60 minutes later.
- There is no `right' time to relax. Take a break any time you like - especially when you notice tension or a negative mood beginning to build up. For the first few weeks you may find it more beneficial to take lots of short 3-5 minute breaks. Most people find it useful to have a relaxing session at the beginning of the day.
- Initially your tension level may rise again soon after a session and you may wonder what is the point in relaxing. Here remind yourself that had you not taken a break the tension would now be much higher - and that these breaks are conditioning your body/mind to react differently to pressures. © 2006 Reg Connolly
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.pe2000.com/)
