Useful Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief

Learning to relax properly is an important method of de-stressing yourself. Most of us don't take the time out of our busy lives to relax, calm down and relieve stress. Here we'll run through a few common methods that you can use to get yourself more relaxed. Several of these rely on you changing you focus and concentrating on familiar object or your own body.

Stress Relief Technique One

This is the simplest method of relaxing yourself, just take a deep breath in, hold it, and release slowly. As you release, let your shoulders drop. You’d be surprised how much tension resides in our shoulders. A variation of this technique is the walking meditation. As you walk along, count your paces. Breath in for 4 paces, hold for 4, breathe out for 6. Start again. You can vary the numbers. A singer I know does 12 in, 12 holding and 12 out, but then breath control is her stock in trade.

Stress Relief Technique Two

A useful, everyday technique to relieve stress is to develop your own awareness of your body. For example, observe your breathing. Become aware of the breath entering your body. The slight increase in tension in your chest muscles as your chest expands. The release of tension on the out breath. Any part of your body can be treated in this way. Pay close attention to your body here and now, and you will rapidly shed some of your tension.

Stress Relief Technique Three

A third approach to stress reduction is to use an external object as your focus. A cup, for example. Let everything else disappear from your attention and focus exclusively on the cup. Become aware of its glaze. The porcelain beneath. Sense its curvature. Let its history begin to seep into your soul. I'm getting lyrical again, so slap me. When you focus intently on an everyday object, not forcing the issue but allowing that object to fill your field of awareness, good things happen to your mind and body. It's another example of living in the here and now.

Guided Meditation

Whatever solution you choose, you won't regret learning to relax. Guided imagery is a very pleasant way to de-stress and relax. It is where one person guides another through a peaceful relaxing journey to resolve issues or problems. The journey is in the mind, brought to life by the listeners imagination and the experienced, soothing voice of the guide.

www.guided-imagery-downloads.com has many different meditation and relaxation downloads available, there's even some guided journeys for children