Hi, Let's begin a learn-in on relaxation and relaxation exercises. Alyce Waters
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Let's begin a learn-in on relaxation and relaxation exercises.
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 AlyceWaters |
Let's begin a learn-in on relaxation and relaxation exercises. |
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Posts: 40 (09/22/08 12:53 PM) |
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ericdoz |
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Posts: 66 (09/23/08 08:33 AM) |
Repost from Ask Steve.
My favorite relaxation response approaches are: A twenty minute nap. The Vagal Trance Maker combined with scanning my body to notice which body parts are more relaxed for 20 minutes. The Embalmer. Combining ganzfeld goggles with a copper plate Eeman bio-circuit and doing your fave relaxation method in them. Float tank. THE VAGAL TRANCE MAKER The Vagal Trance Maker (or VTM) relies on physical trance building maneuvers to take someone to a depth of trance. In time someone can master deep-trance dreaming and use the VTM as a platform for lucid dreaming. The Vagal Trance Maker relies on 5 trance making maneuvers: 1. Submerging our relaxed tongues in saliva or warm liquid. 2. Left Nasal Dominance Breathing. 3. Tuning into your heartbeat area. 4. Slightly spreading out your arms, legs, and fingers while reclining or supine. 5. Wide-vista imagery. **Warning: Folks with a history of mental illness, PTSD, or panic are urged not to use these techniques without a therapist. If you decide to do these processes you will agree to absolve the webmaster, the webhost, Emoclear.com, and Steve Mensing of any responsibility for the application or misapplication of these processes. There is always in any process the possibility that someone could experience some discomfort.** Steps to the Vagal Trance Maker 1. Gently pinch your right nostril shut and breathe deeply and slowly through your left nostril only for 12 counts while you imagine a juicy lemon and allow your mouth to fill entirely with saliva: Gently pinch your right nostril shut and breathe deeply and slowly through your left nostril only for 12 inhalations and exhalations. Imagine a juicy lemon and allow your mouth to fill entirely with saliva. Allow this saliva to remain there for the duration of this process. Let the saliva surround your tongue. Go to step 2. 2. Lay on flat surface, relax your tongue, lay your arms at your sides, tune into your heartbeat: For the duration of this process, lay on a flat surface (Bed/floor). Lay your arms at your sides and slightly away from your body. Spread your fingers so none touch. Close your eyes for the remainder of this exercise and continue to breathe comfortably, deeply, and slowly in and out through your nose only. Tune your attention into your heartbeat area. Go to step 3. 3. Allow attention to shift to the interior images of a familiar house or building: Simply allow your attention to recall a familiar house or building. When you have tuned into the imagery of this familiar house or building you may begin to create images of a make believe building until you have reached a deep reverie or experience the borders of dreaming. (You may whisper-chant the details of one or several of the following images): -Walking down very long and wide corridors and hallways. -See wide and spacious vistas out-of-doors. -Walk inside a large rectangular building with wide hallways that seem to go on endlessly. -Stand in a huge hallway where all surfaces are mirrored. Play with each of the above images and use all your senses when it occurs to you. The more you practice these images, the further you will go into unconscious processes. If you begin to have long reveries or begin to dream that's okay. Steve Mensing ©2008 To turn the Vagal Trance Maker into a purely relaxation exercise add the following: Whisper to yourself and note: Which side of my scalp is more relaxed? After you notice each questions answer move to the next question. Which side of my face is more relaxed? Can I allow my jaw to slacken? Which side of my neck is more relaxed? Which shoulder is more relaxed? Which arm is more relaxed? Which side of my back is more relaxed? Which side of my chest is more relaxed? Which side of my stomach is more relaxed? Which is more relaxed my buttocks or my groin? Which thigh is more relaxed? Which calf is more relaxed? Which shin is more relaxed? Which foot is more relaxed? Take it easy, Steve |
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rpreis |
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Posts: 59 (09/24/08 02:35 PM) |
Repost.
The Embalmer The Embalmer I & II are relaxation exercises and are helpful for just chilling out and destressing. If you're having a challenge with sleep these two exercises may assist you in resetting the sleep button. **Warning: Folks with a history of mental illness, PTSD, or panic are urged not to use these techniques without a therapist. If you decide to do these processes you will agree to absolve the webmaster, the webhost, Emoclear.com, and Steve Mensing of any responsibility for the application or misapplication of these processes. There is always in any process the possibility that someone could experience some discomfort." Experience each question for as long as it takes to experience what is asked, then go to the next: Can you lie down and let your arms lay slightly away from your body with your fingers slightly spread? Is it possible to turn your head so your left nostril is on top and your right nostril is on the bottom? (This will accentuate left nasal dominance breathing for the remainder of this exercise.) Can you breathe deeply and slowly from your belly, comfortably and fully filling your lungs? Can you let go of all control of the breath as you exhale? (Do this several times, and then put your relaxed and open attention to whatever experiences are requested). Is it possible, with your eyes closed to peer for 10 seconds through an area just above your eyebrows? Can you begin to let your jaw sag, your tongue relax, and your face sag? Take your time. Just allow all three areas to fully relax. Can you briefly imagine biting into a warm lemon and tasting its tartness? Can you allow your entire mouth to fill up completely with saliva and can you permit this saliva to remain above and below your tongue for the remainder of this exercise? Is it possible to notice which arm is more relaxed than the other? Can you notice which hand is more relaxed than the other? Is it possible to notice which leg is more relaxed than the other? Can you notice which foot is more relaxed than the other? Is it possible to notice which is more relaxed: your torso or your lower body? If you fell asleep and were dreaming, what would your body feel like at that moment? Would it have numbness or tingling? Or no particular sensation at all? What might you feel? Can you notice the space behind your face? What if that empty space felt pleasantly warm? Is it possible to notice the empty space within your neck? What if that empty space felt pleasantly warm? Can you notice the empty space within your torso? What if the empty space felt pleasantly warm? Is it possible to notice the empty space within your right leg? What if that empty space felt pleasantly warm? Can you notice the empty space within your left leg? What if that empty space was pleasantly warm? Is it possible to recall a time when you were either napping or sleeping, what did that feel like? Can you recall a time when you were either in reverie or dreaming, what did that feel like? Is it possible to drift or float in relaxing reverie or dreams for as long as you prefer? When you feel relaxed enough, you can become alert again, feeling your body and looking out through your eyes. You can then use the Grounding Exercise. The Embalmer II Experience each question for as long as it takes to experience what is asked, then go to the next: Can you lie down and let your arms lay slightly away from your body with your fingers slightly spread? Is it possible to turn your head so your left nostril is on top and your right nostril is on the bottom? (This will accentuate left nasal dominance breathing for the remainder of this exercise.) Can you breathe deeply and slowly from your belly, comfortably and fully filling your lungs? Can you let go of all control of the breath as you exhale? (Do this several times, and then put your relaxed and open attention to whatever experiences are requested). Is it possible, with your eyes closed to peer for 10 seconds through an area just above your eyebrows? Can you begin to let your jaw sag, your tongue relax, and your face sag? Take your time. Just allow all three areas to fully relax. Can you briefly imagine biting into a warm lemon and tasting its tartness? Can you allow your entire mouth to fill up completely with saliva and can you permit this saliva to remain above and below your tongue for the remainder of this exercise? Is it possible to experience a growing warmth on the lower rear of the back of your head (the occipital region)? Can you pay relaxed and open attention to the periphery of your visual filed for 8 seconds? Is it possible to notice half of your body is more relaxed than the other? Can you notice which side of your body is warmer than the other? Is it possible to hear the word calm coming from somewhere in your awareness? Can you imagine the entire space contained within your body? Is it possible to notice the entire space contained within your room? Can you notice the entire space within the house or building you are staying? Is it possible to notice the entire space within your town or city? Can you experience the entire space within the Earth? Is it possible to notice the entire space within your solar system? Can you experience the entire space within your galaxy? Is it possible to notice the space within your universe? Can you notice the entire space within your mind? Is it possible to notice the entire space outside your mind? Can you notice everything contained within awareness? Is it possible to notice that awareness is contained within everything? Can you notice what happens when you call everything awareness? Is it possible to remove the label awareness? Can you experience everything called calm? Is it possible just to pay attention to whatever drifts in and out of awareness? Is it possible to drift or float in relaxing reverie or dreams for as long as you prefer. When you feel relaxed, you can become alert again, feeling your body and looking out through your eyes. You can then use the Grounding Exercise. Take care, Steve Steve Mensing ©2008 |
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NinaKanis |
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Posts: 32 (09/25/08 05:49 PM) |
Hi,
The key moves in making relaxation are: The vagal tongue submersion move. Tensing and relaxing various muscle groups. Relaxing the tongue. Hot water baths. Float tanking. Biocircuits. Noticing which side of your body is more relaxed, going through each muscle group. Slow deep belly breathing. Breath watching or word watching. Left nasal dominance breathwork. Imagery of relaxing places. Imagery of wide vistas and wide hallways. Nina Kanis |
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carolhowell1 |
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Posts: 63 (09/26/08 01:39 PM) |
Another insight into relaxing.
Repost Mike asks: "Is it true that if you relax the vagus nerve you will reduce stress, inflamation the ultimate ager, lower blood pressure, and likely live longer? If this is true, how can someone relax their vagus nerve?" Mike it appears that relaxing the vagus nerve will reduce stress, body-wide inflamation (King of the aging processes), and leads to lower blood pressure and the higher probability of a longer life. Reducing stress and body-wide inflamation is a major key to longevity. Someone desiring to relax the vagus nerve can perform a relaxation exercise or our Vagal Response Exercise for 10 minutes twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. This drammatically cuts down stress and body-wide inflamation. THE VAGAL RESPONSE EXERCISE: (1) BREAK THE STRESS/OVERWHELM CIRCUIT: For 1 minute suck in your lips and cheeks hard and rub your palms and fingers briskly together to break the stress and overwhelm circuit. (2) LAY DOWN ON A FLAT SURFACE, EXTEND YOUR ARMS AWAY FROM YOUR BODY, SPREAD YOUR FINGERS SLIGHTLY, AND BREATHE DEEPLY AND SLOWLY WHILE YOUR JAW SAGS. Lay down on a flat surface, extend your arms slightly away from your body, spread your fingers, and breathe deeply and slowly while your jaw sags. Breathe deeply from your belly and let your exhale come without any control. (3) VAGAL RESPONSE MANEUVER: IMAGINE A TART LEMON AND SALIVATE UNTIL YOUR MOUTH IS COMPLETELY FILLED WITH SALIVA. Imagine tasting a tart lemon and salivate until your mouth is completely filled with saliva. Allow the saliva to completely submerge your tongue for the remainder of the exercise. (This manuever sets off a vagal response and relaxes the vagus nerve). (4) NOTICE WHICH BODY PART IS MORE RELAXED. Scan your body from your scalp all the way down to your toes. Notice which body part is MORE relaxed than the other. -Left part of scalp or right part? -left part of the rear of your head or the right? -Left part of your forehead or the right part? -Left part of your your cheeks or the right? -Left part of you jaw or right? -Left part of the rear of your neck or the right? -Left part of the front of your neck or the right? -Left part of your shoulders or the right? -Left part of your upper back or the right? -Left part of your lower back or your right? -Left part of your chest or the right? -Left part of your abdominals or your right? -Left part of buttocks or your right? -Left part of the rear of your thighs or the right? -Left part of the front of your thighs or the right? -Left part of your shins and ankles or the right? -Left part of your calves or your right? -The soles of your feet or the tops of your feet? **Repeat step (4). When you have completed doing step (4) twice, then just lay there and allow the relaxation to deepen. Make sure your tongue is completely submerged with saliva. Have fun, Steve |
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PeteWarren |
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Posts: 55 (09/28/08 11:13 PM) |
Repost-
Jesse asks: "What are your thoughts about naps as a stress busting technique?" Jesse naps are terrific stress busters. Regular napers will tell you their mind snaps back with clarity and often an elevated mood after a solid 20 minute nap or more. Sleep also deeply relaxes the body which blocks stress. According to research naps replenish needed brain chemicals, help folks emotionally, and helps the body produce hormones that reduce stress related oxidizing cortisol. Naps belong in the league with restful sleep, eating a healthy diet, relaxation, and exercise for busting stress. Forward looking employers would be wise to provide a nap time for their employees as naps improve a workers ability to work. Take care, Steve |
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PeteWarren |
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Posts: 56 (09/28/08 11:21 PM) |
Relaxing the tongue by itself can spread relaxation all over the body. Here's a previous thread on different ways to relax the tongue.
What are the ways to relax a tongue? Is there a way to keep it relaxed or do you keep having to go back to it. (01/23/07 02:55 PM) Hi Leslie, Fill your mouth completely with saliva so your tongue is submerged. It will relax that way. Or try tense and relax, tense and relax. The tongue relaxes. Jim (01/23/07 09:00 PM) Hi Leslie, Asking which part of the tongue is more relaxed and going around to different parts of the tongue will lead to relaxation. Martin Hauck (01/25/07 06:41 PM) Hi, All of the ideas suggested work. I like the tongue submerging method in saliva. I also like curling the tip of my tongue back on the rear of my tongue and pressing hard for several seconds. Then letting it go limp. Repeat this twice more. The tongue relaxes fully then. Tongue relaxation stops thinking and emotional resistance. Jayne Burgos (01/26/07 02:06 PM) Hello, Imagining your tongue as warm, heavy, or light will relax it. Dan Canepa (02/01/07 03:53 PM) Hi, Imagining your tongue filled with warm fluid is another method. Deana (02/03/07 06:37 PM) Hi Picture your tongue as a heavy stone statue laying on the floor of your mouth. Imagine your tongue deflating. You can do tense and relax exercises with the tongue. Tense it up and then let it relax. Tense it up and allow it to relax. Picture your tongue laying in warm sand on a beach. Feel your tongue let go of all of it's tension. Notice which side of your tongue is more relaxed than the other. What would your tongue feel like if it fell asleep? Horst |
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JayneBurgos |
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Posts: 52 (09/30/08 12:42 AM) |
Hi,
This form of meditation produces a relaxation response and cuts out stress. Jayne Burgos NO MEDITATION MEDITATION "The No Meditation Meditation" is has it roots in Ch'an Buddhism a forerunner of Zen Buddhism and other outstanding slacker paths. In order to perform or better yet not perform this style of meditation, the No Meditation Meditator basically sits and effortlessly watches the contents of his/her mind unfold. Thoughts and feelings will come and go within a field of open, relaxed, and non-interfering awareness. There is no effort, no focusing of attention, no breath watching, and no attempt to interfere with whatever comes up on the screen of awareness. The basic intention here is the No Intention Intention. You watch your mind unfold and you allow whatever shows up to be there. You do not try to get rid of it or keep it. You just watch. Complete non-doing. The mind stuff does all the work until it wears down on its own. The process of No Meditation Meditation can be quite relaxing and de-stressing. Eventually the mind blinks out and you experience non-duality. You just watch with relaxed and open attention. Allowing whatever is there to be there. Eventually, through no efforts of your own, you dis-identify with the mental contents and the classic blink out occurs. You do not resist or grasp even the blink out. *No focus. *No attempt to think or not to think. *Nothing to do. ***Warning: Folks with a history of mental illness, severe trauma, or panic are urged not to use this meditation without a counselor or seasoned meditation teacher. If you decide to use this meditation you will agree to to dissolve the webmaster, his server, Steve Mensing, and Emoclear.com for the application or misapplication of this meditation. Within any mental or emotional process is the possibility that someone could experience emotional discomfort. So proceed with this warning.*** (c) Steve Mensing THE NO MEDITATION MEDITATION (1) NO INTENTION INTENTION: Install or practice the No Intention Intention: Fully experience whatever shows up in your mind. Allow it to be there without trying to get rid of it or keep it. Just watch what shows up with open and relaxed attention. Let it be there. Let it do what it will without attempting to control it. Just watch it. (2) HOW LONG WILL YOU SIT: Decide on either 20 minutes or 30 minutes twice a day. You may consider a shorter program until you gain more comfort with your No meditation meditation. (3) CHOOSE A QUIET PLACE. Choose a quiet room for sitting where you will not be disturbed. (4) STRAIGHT-BACKED CHAIR: Use a straight back chair with a flat and lightly padded seat. Plant your feet comfortably on the floor. To increase your comfort sit on a thin pad. If you are troubled by back problems, place a pillow between your back and the chair's rest. (5) FOOT POSITION: Place your feet flat on the floor. Feet better be placed the width of your shoulders. Move your feet either slightly forward or backward until you find the most comfortable and stable position. (6) STRAIGHT SPINE: Straighten your spine before you align your head. Stretch your back comfortably, then relax. Allow your center of balance to be in your lower abdomen. Abdomen and shoulders are relaxed. Let go of slouching. An upright and straight spine promotes alertness. Keep your shoulders back and your chest open. (7) HEAD UPRIGHT: Allow your head to remain comfortably upright. Center your nose over your navel. Slightly tuck in your chin. (  ALLOW YOUR EYES TO COMFORTABLY CLOSE: Comfortably close your eyes.
(9) CLOSE MOUTH: Comfortably close your mouth. Keep the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth. Swallow any saliva and let go of any air in your mouth to create a partial vacuum. (10) RUB HANDS BRISKLY TOGETHER FOR 30 SECONDS & THEN REST THEM COMFORTABLY ON YOUR LAP: Place your right hand, palm up and fingers together, on your lap by your abdomen. Allow your left hand to rest on your right, with only your fingers overlapping. Bring the tips of your thumbs together and let them lightly touch so an oval forms. (11) CENTER YOUR SPINE: Sway from side to side in decreasing arcs until your spine is centered. (12) TAKE A DEEP BREATH: Take a deep breath and exhale slowly and fully. Take a second deep breath before you allow your breathing to settle into its natural rhythm. There is no need to manipulate the breath. (13) BRING YOUR RELAXED AND OPEN ATTENTION INWARD AND WATCH WHATEVER COMES AND GOES IN YOUR MIND: You will watch the contents of your mind with open and relaxed attention. Thoughts will come and go within this field of open and relaxed awareness. There is no attempt to get rid of these thoughts or grasp them. You just watch them with the No Intention Intention (which can be installed with the Intention Exercise on the Process page). Through watching with relaxed and open attention, you will begin to dis-identify with the thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories that reside there. You make no attempt to do anything other than watch. If you get caught up or identified with what you are watching you will eventually recall that you're watching and spontaneously return to that. With more and more watching the identifcations become harder to forge. You dis-identify more and more. Recall there is no focus, no effort, and no struggling with anything. There's nothing to do save for watching. The watching is relaxed and open. You are allowing everything that shows up in your awareness to be there and not trying to get rid of it or keep it. Whatever is there is okay to be there. It will wind down on its own and loose energy. You just watch and do nothing. TIPS ON NO MEDITATION MEDITATION *Clear or integrate any stuck emotions that occured during the No Meditation Meditation. Do this after the practice. This stuck emotions & thoughts that come and go during the meditation will wear out on their own. You can move the process along by clearing or integrating them. *For a sharper and more alert mind you can briskly rub your palms and fingers together for about 40 seconds then bring your hand together so you all your finger tips touch. Holding the finger tips and palms together, insert both thumbs in the notch below your nose and have the next two fingers touch your "third eye" area. Maintain this position for 30 seconds. Then proceed to your No Meditation Mediation. *Prior to the No Meditation Meditation you can label the mind and its contents "That Mind". Do no labeling at all during the meditation. Just watch the mind and its contents with relaxed and open attention. Let the meditation do the meditation. You are practicing "non-doing" which is no practice at all. Just relaxed and open watching. *Keep your back and neck comfortably straight, This will make the non-practice easier. *"Mind Surfing in the Now" has tips on posture that apply to "No Meditation Mediation" sitting. *Neither good or bad, just relaxed watching. No goal. Like a hobo sitting by a stream watching it flow past. No attempt to interfere. Thoughts, images, sensations, memories, all mental contents flow past. If you fall in the stream--no big deal. Climb out. You have all day to dry off. Your unconscious will spontaniously remind you that you are watching. That's all you require. *Concern yourself with nothing. Clarity comes and goes. Just watching. No striving. No trying to get rid of. No trying to grasp. Just watching. *You will forget--that's okay. Watch when you are reminded that you are just watching and allowing whatever comes up to be there with no intention of getting rid of it or keeping it. *Setting specified times to do the idle watching of "The No Meditation Meditation." *Trust the what comes also goes. There is nothing to do. Inaction. No effort. No interference. *The mind flows without effort. Sooner or later it turns off even if no one pulls the switch. It winds down. The spaces between thoughts grow longer. The thoughts, feelings, images, and so forth show their insubstantiality. *Bare attention. No efforting. Just watching, yet no push to watch. *No understanding--no thinking--no insight--just relaxed and open watching. *Hydrate yourself before No Meditation Meditation. This makes relaxed and open watching easier. *Accept that our minds often behave restlessly. Let go of blaming yourself or your mind if you get caught up in the contents. That's to be expected. No big deal. Just return to your watching as soon as you are reminded. *The No Intention Intention leads to choiceless awareness. Choiceless awareness does not cling to or push away. No object is preferred to any other. Nothing is subtracted--nothing added. *No grasping non-conceptual experience when it abruptly appears. Grasping will turn the mind back on. Just watch with relaxed and open attention. *Your sense of self may blink out. No big deal. Just watch with relaxed and open attention. *The mental contents wear out. They lose holding energy. No need to name them or recognize them. No cataloging. Just watching and allowing what ever is there to be there. No attempt is made to get rid contents or keep contents. *Be alert for seeking non-conceptual experience or exalted states. Just let whatever comes your way to come your way. There is nothing special about the non-conceptual once it's experienced for any length of time. Have fun, Steve |
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