Basic Guided Relaxation: Advanced Technique
Powerful stress management technique, written out word for word.
A version of this technique is found on most of the guided relaxation CD’s on our Products list. Please find the one that is best for your specific requirements. Look in the health series, if you have symptoms of stress.
Written by L. John Mason, Author of the Bestseller, Guide To Stress Reduction.
For the best results, have someone read this guided relaxation slowly to you, with appropriate pauses. You can also read this exercise into a tape recorder and then play it back to yourself when you want to relax. Remember, this exercise will work best for you with regular daily use and repetition over time. (4-6 weeks to see positive change and 8-12 weeks of regular use for the maximum benefits to begin.) Good health and enjoy your relaxation!
Start of relaxation. Begin here.
When you are ready to begin, start by getting yourself into a comfortable position in a space where you will not be unnecessarily disturbed, for about twenty minutes.
As you sit back or lie back more comfortably, check to see if your arms and legs are in a relaxed uncrossed position. Let your shoulders release tension and let your neck begin to relax by letting your head just sink back comfortably into the pillow or chair.
Check the muscles of your head and face, especially the muscles around your eyes, even your eye brows, and the muscles around your mouth, including your jaw and even your tongue.
Before we begin, let me remind you that I do not want you to try to relax too quickly. In fact, I do not want you to try to relax at all! Because without any effort you will be able drift as deeply into relaxation as you wish to go, by just letting go of stress, thoughts, and physical tensions.
To begin, start by taking three deep slow diaphragmatic breaths…pausing after you inhale, and then exhaling fully and completely. You might even imagine that as you exhale you can begin to release thoughts, tensions, even discomforts with the warm breath that you breathe out and away. (pause)
After these first three slow breaths, then continue to breathe slowly, but naturally. Perhaps you can feel yourself taking another step deeper into relaxation and comfort with every exhalation. As you breathe slowly and naturally, please turn your attention to the relaxation that may be beginning in your arms and down into your hands. If you look very carefully, you might feel a slight difference, where one of your arms might be just a bit more relaxed than the other. It might be just a subtle difference, but one arm might feel slightly heavier, as if the muscles in that arm were more loose or more flexible. Or perhaps, one arms feels slightly warmer, as if, blood and energy could flow more freely and easily all the way down that arm… as if it were flowing down, through wide open blood vessels, and slowly, but freely, pulsing down into the hand and fingers. (pause)
Or perhaps, both of your arms are equally relaxed, and that would be perfect as well. The only thing that matters is that you continue to breathe slowly and naturally, and perhaps you can begin to feel yourself drifting deeper into a dreamlike state where you can feel greater calmness and comfort, and where you begin to develop even greater awareness and control.
As you continue to breathe slowly and gently, perhaps you can begin to become aware of the relaxation that may be starting down into your legs and feet. If you were to look very carefully, you might become aware of a slight difference, where one of your legs might be a bit more relaxed than the other. You might also find that one leg feels slightly heavier, as if the muscles in that leg were more loose or flexible. Or perhaps, you may find that one leg feels slightly warmer, where the blood and energy can flow more freely and easily, all the way down that leg, through wide open blood vessels, and you may feel it slowly but freely pulsing down into your foot and toes. (pause)
Or perhaps, your legs feel equally relaxed, and that would be perfect also. The only thing that matters is that you continue to breathe slowly and gently, and allow yourself to drift deeper into this dreamlike state of calmness, comfort, and control.
Perhaps you can feel the control growing stronger as you feel yourself just beginning to sink back into what ever you are sitting or lying upon, as the tensions just begin to melt away.
Even the muscle of your back can begin to relax even better. You may feel the muscles of your back begin to soften or loosen as you slowly breathe away any unwanted tensions. The relaxation can begin to spread to the other muscles of your back, even spreading up into your upper back and your shoulders.
Perhaps your shoulders can drop down into a more comfortable position. And you may feel the control growing stronger as you can begin to feel your head just sinking back, completely supported by the pillow or the chair, as your neck begins to relax even better. Even the muscles of your head and face can relax even better.
Perhaps you can imagine yourself as if you were outdoors on a warm and pleasant day. You imagine that you are standing near a pond of water, where the water is calm and clear, and the surface is smooth. You may even be able to feel the warmth of the sunlight or of the warm breezes… Perhaps you can imagine, that if you were to drop a rock or a stone into the water, you could watch as the waves or the ripples spread across the surface of the pond in every direction. And perhaps you can imagine that you can send soothing and cleansing waves of relaxation down from the top of your head, in every direction, to soothe, heal, and cleanse every muscle and cell of your body. You might imagine that these waves can begin to drift down to relax the muscle at the top and sides of your head… Or you might feel the waves drifting down to relax your forehead even better… letting it go calm and smooth.
The soothing waves of relaxation can wash down to relax the muscle around your mouth, even your jaw can loosen a bit better. The waves of relaxation can slowly spread down to soothe and relax the muscles of your neck and shoulders… and you may begin to feel them drifting down through your arms… slowly drifting all the way down… perhaps you can even feel the waves slowly pulsing down into your hands and fingers. (pause)
Or you can feel the waves slowly drifting down through your back and your chest… You may even feel that your breathing is more calm and regular… Or you may feel that your heartbeat is more calm and regular… As you breathe slowly and freely, you may even be able to feel your stomach and abdomen beginning to let go and to relax more freely. Your lower back and pelvic area can begin to relax even better… The waves of relaxation can begin to spread down your legs… slowly drifting all the way down and out through the bottom of your feet, or perhaps you can feel the waves of relaxation slowly pulsing down into your feet and toes…
Now, just as if you were watching this pond of water, it can once again become calm and still. The water can begin to settle, to become calm and clear. Even the surface can once again become calm and smooth. You may wish to turn away from the pond and to follow a pathway that takes you to a perfect place… a place where you can be by yourself, and feel calm and comfortable.
Once you arrive there, you can look around to find the most comfortable place to lay down. As you drift over to that spot, you just sink back into whatever you would be sitting or lying upon. As you settle back, perhaps you can even feel the warmth of the sunlight gently shining down on you. You can begin to soak up the warmth as the tensions just melt away. You may even be able to hear the sounds that may surround you. Like the sounds of running water, or the sounds of birds, or of the warm breezes. Perhaps you can even imagine that you can smell the fragrance of salt air, flowers, grass, or of the woods that may surround you.
Imagine that you can begin to soak up the warmth from the sun. Perhaps you can even imagine that you can begin to breathe in the sunlight and warmth. As you fill with this warming, healing light and energy, remember that as you relax, there will be an increase of blood flowing more freely and easily to every cell of your body. Every cell will be bathed in an increased supply of oxygen and nutrients. Every cell will be able to soak up the perfect amounts of these nutrients to help to heal and recharge each and every cell. As the cells begin to fill health and happiness, you can continue to drift in this peaceful state of calmness and relaxation… Though you remain calm and comfortable, perhaps you begin to see yourself healing fully and completely… You may even be able to see yourself in perfect health, smiling and celebrating in the sunshine on this warm and beautiful day. You may be able to see yourself being active, as if you were smiling, or playing, celebrating, or dancing…
Remember that every time you practice this exercise you will be able to get better at it. You will be able to relax more deeply and more completely. You will be able to let go more quickly. And the effects of the calmness and comfort will last longer, carrying over throughout your day, enabling you to be more calm and efficient with your available time and energy.
If you are using this exercise at bedtime, or if you wish to drift off to sleep now, then you can begin to do so. If you wish to drift off to sleep now, then continue to breathe slowly and gently, focus on the relaxation in your arms and your legs… and drift off into a deep and restful state of sleep where you will be able to rest fully and completely. When you awaken you will be fully rested and alert. So if you wish to drift off into sleep then you can do so.
If you wish to awaken now, then you can begin to do so.
If you wish to awaken now, then you can begin to see yourself returning to this room, bringing the feelings of calmness and comfort back with you to a more fully waking state. If you wish to awaken now, then you may wish to feel the bed or the chair beneath and slowly awaken, letting the feelings of calmness, comfort, health and joy return with you to a fully waking state. If you wish to awaken now, you may wish to take a deep breath, letting the calmness, comfort, and relaxation return with you to a fully waking state. And you may wish to take another deep breath and stretch, becoming wide awake, feeling refreshed and alert.