Relaxation technique 2: Progressive muscle relaxation for stress relief

Progressive muscle relaxation involves a two-step process in which you systematically tense and relax different muscle groups in the body.

With regular practice, progressive muscle relaxation gives you an intimate familiarity with what tension—as well as complete relaxation—feels like in different parts of the body. This awareness helps you spot and counteract the first signs of the muscular tension that accompanies stress. And as your body relaxes, so will your mind. You can combine deep breathing with progressive muscle relaxation for an additional level of stress relief.

Practicing progressive muscle relaxation

Before practicing Progressive Muscle Relaxation, consult with your doctor if you have a history of muscle spasms, back problems, or other serious injuries that may be aggravated by tensing muscles.

Most progressive muscle relaxation practitioners start at the feet and work their way up to the face. For a sequence of muscle groups to follow, see the box below.

• Loosen your clothing, take off your shoes, and get comfortable.
• Take a few minutes to relax, breathing in and out in slow, deep breaths.
• When you’re relaxed and ready to start, shift your attention to your right foot. Take a moment to focus on the way it feels.
• Slowly tense the muscles in your right foot, squeezing as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10.
• Relax your right foot. Focus on the tension flowing away and the way your foot feels as it becomes limp and loose.
• Stay in this relaxed state for a moment, breathing deeply and slowly.
• When you’re ready, shift your attention to your left foot. Follow the same sequence of muscle tension and release.
• Move slowly up through your body, contracting and relaxing the muscle groups as you go.
• It may take some practice at first, but try not to tense muscles other than those intended.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Sequence

The most popular sequence runs as follows:

Right foot* Left foot Right calf Left calf Right thigh

Left thigh Hips and buttocks Stomach Chest Back

Right arm and hand Left arm and hand Neck and shoulders Face

* If you are left-handed you may want to begin with your left foot instead.

Link: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm

Relaxation technique 1: Breathing meditation for stress relief

With its focus on full, cleansing breaths, deep breathing is a simple, yet powerful, relaxation technique. It’s easy to learn, can be practiced almost anywhere, and provides a quick way to get your stress levels in check. Deep breathing is the cornerstone of many other relaxation practices, too, and can be combined with other relaxing elements such as aromatherapy and music. All you really need is a few minutes and a place to stretch out.

Practicing deep breathing meditation

The key to deep breathing is to breathe deeply from the abdomen, getting as much fresh air as possible in your lungs. When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, rather than shallow breaths from your upper chest, you inhale more oxygen. The more oxygen you get, the less tense, short of breath, and anxious you feel.

• Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
• Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
• Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.
• Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.

If you find it difficult breathing from your abdomen while sitting up, try lying on the floor. Put a small book on your stomach, and try to breathe so that the book rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale. 

Link: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm

Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief (Finding the Relaxation Exercises That Work for You)

For many of us, relaxation means zoning out in front of the TV at the end of a stressful day. But this does little to reduce the damaging effects of stress. To effectively combat stress, we need to activate the body's natural relaxation response. You can do this by practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, rhythmic exercise, and yoga. Fitting these activities into your life can help reduce everyday stress and boost your energy and mood.

The relaxation response: Bringing your nervous system back into balance

Stress is necessary for life. You need stress for creativity, learning, and your very survival. Stress is only harmful when it becomes overwhelming and interrupts the healthy state of equilibrium that your nervous system needs to remain in balance. Unfortunately, overwhelming stress has become an increasingly common characteristic of contemporary life. When stressors throw your nervous system out of balance, relaxation techniques can bring it back into a balanced state by producing the relaxation response, a state of deep calmness that is the polar opposite of the stress response. 

When stress overwhelms your nervous system your body is flooded with chemicals that prepare you for "fight or flight." While the stress response can be lifesaving in emergency situations where you need to act quickly, it wears your body down when constantly activated by the stresses of everyday life. The relaxation response puts the brakes on this heightened state of readiness and brings your body and mind back into a state of equilibrium.

Producing the relaxation response

A variety of different relaxation techniques can help you bring your nervous system back into balance by producing the relaxation response. The relaxation response is not lying on the couch or sleeping but a mentally active process that leaves the body relaxed, calm, and focused. 

Learning the basics of these relaxation techniques isn’t difficult, but it does take practice. Most stress experts recommend setting aside at least 10 to 20 minutes a day for your relaxation practice. If you’d like to get even more stress relief, aim for 30 minutes to an hour. If that sounds like a daunting commitment, remember that many of these techniques can be incorporated into your existing daily schedule—practiced at your desk over lunch or on the bus during your morning commute.

Finding the relaxation technique that’s best for you

There is no single relaxation technique that is best for everyone. When choosing a relaxation technique, consider your specific needs, preferences, fitness level, and the way you tend to react to stress. The right relaxation technique is the one that resonates with you, fits your lifestyle, and is able to focus your mind and interrupt your everyday thoughts in order to elicit the relaxation response. In many cases, you may find that alternating or combining different techniques will keep you motivated and provide you with the best results.

How you react to stress may influence the relaxation technique that works best for you:

How do you react to stress?
Do you tend to become angry, agitated, or keyed up?
You may respond best to relaxation techniques that quiet you down, such as meditation, deep breathing, or guided imagery
Do you tend to become depressed, withdrawn, or spaced out?
You may respond best to relaxation techniques that are stimulating and that energize your nervous system, such as rhythmic exercise
Do you tend to freeze-speeding up internally, while slowing down externally?
Your challenge is to identify relaxation techniques that provide both safety and stimulation to help you “reboot” your system. Techniques such as mindfulness walking or power yoga might work well for you

Do you need alone time or social stimulation?

If you crave solitude, solo relaxation techniques such as meditation or progressive muscle relaxation will give you the space to quiet your mind and recharge your batteries. If you crave social interaction, a class setting will give you the stimulation and support you’re looking for. Practicing with others may also help you stay motivated. 

Link: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm

Meet Your Brain Waves — Introducing Alpha, Beta, Theta, Delta, And Gamma

It’s important to understand how your brain contributes to the state of your mind. While most of us focus on looking at our emotions in an attempt to become happier, more spiritual beings, our brains waves and our subconscious mind also play a key part in our quest for fulfillment. 

In this article, we’ll be looking at our five brain wave frequencies and how they affect our state of mind, and will be following up on Thursday with a more in-depth look at the impact they have on us physically and mentally, in addition to some exercises we can do to “switch on” certain frequencies.

Are We The Controllers Of Our Reality?

We easily forget that we are the controllers of our reality – and that “our reality” is not made up of outside influences, but that it actually consists of our thoughts, beliefs and mindset.

Therefore, by learning about the deeper states of consciousness, you can open your subconscious mind and create your reality at will, and with precision. To do this, the first step is understanding your different brain frequencies. Did you know that we all have five (Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta and Gamma), and each frequency is measured in cycles per second (Hz) and has its own set of characteristics representing a specific level of brain activity and a unique state of consciousness? Smart, eh?

1) Beta (14-40Hz) – The Waking Consciousness And Reasoning Wave

 

Beta brain waves are associated with normal waking consciousness and a heightened state of alertness, logic and critical reasoning.

While Beta brain waves are important for effective functioning throughout the day, they also can translate into stress, anxiety and restlessness.

The voice of Beta can be described as being that nagging little inner critic that gets louder the higher you go into range. Therefore, with a majority of adults operate at Beta; it’s little surprise that stress is today’s most common health problem.

2) Alpha (7.5-14Hz) – The Deep Relaxation Wave

Alpha brain waves are present in deep relaxation and usually when the eyes are closed, when you’re slipping into a lovely daydream or during light meditation. It is an optimal time to program the mind for success and it also heightens your imagination, visualization, memory, learning and concentration.

It is the gateway to your subconscious mind and lies at the base of your conscious awareness. The voice of Alpha is your intuition, which becomes clearer and more profound the closer you get to 7.5Hz.

The renowned Silva Method, by Jose Silva is premised on the power of Alpha. However the Silva Method allows you to achieve this deep relaxation through meditation during waking consciousness.

3) Theta (4-7.5Hz) – The Light Meditation And Sleeping Wave

Theta brain waves are present during deep meditation and light sleep, including the all-important REM dream state. It is the realm of your subconsciousness and only experienced momentarily as you drift off to sleep from Alpha and wake from deep sleep (from Delta).

It is said that a sense of deep spiritual connection and unity with the universe can be experienced at Theta. Your mind’s most deep-seated programs are at Theta and it is where you experience vivid visualizations, great inspiration, profound creativity and exceptional insight. Unlike your other brain waves, the elusive voice of Theta is a silent voice.

It is at the Alpha-Theta border, from 7Hz to 8Hz, where the optimal range for visualization, mind programming and using the creative power of your mind begins. It’s the mental state which you consciously create your reality. At this frequency, you are conscious of your surroundings however your body is in deep relaxation.

>Find out more about the Alpha State of Mind on the Silva Method blog

4) Delta (0.5-4Hz) – The Deep Sleep Wave

 

The Delta frequency is the slowest of the frequencies and is experienced in deep, dreamless sleep and in very deep, transcendental meditation where awareness is fully detached.

Delta is the realm of your unconscious mind, and the gateway to the universal mind and the collective unconscious, where information received is otherwise unavailable at the conscious level.

Among many things, deep sleep is important for the healing process – as it’s linked with deep healing and regeneration. Hence, not having enough deep sleep is detrimental to your health in more ways than one.

5) Gamma (above 40Hz) – The Insight Wave

This range is the most recently discovered and is the fastest frequency at above 40Hz. While little is known about this state of mind, initial research shows Gamma waves are associated with bursts of insight and high-level information processing.

Link: http://www.finerminds.com/mind-power/brain-waves/

Terapia de Respiración Abdominal profunda

Según investigaciones realizadas en la Facultad de Medicina de la Uiversidad de Toho, Japón, que fueron publicadas en 2011 en el International Journal of Psychophysiology; concentrarse en la respiración durante unos minutos mejora el estado de ánimo y calma los nervios.
Otros estudios recientes mostraron que haciendo esta práctica de respiración consciente en forma periódica, puede hasta mejorar la salud mental.

El experimento consistió en enseñarles a individuos sanos, la práctica de la respiración abdominal profunda manteniendo la atención en ella durante veinte minutos.
La respiración profunda consiste en inspirar normalmente haciendo entrar el aire hasta el abdomen y exhalando expulsando el aire de abajo hacia arriba, tal como ocurre cuando llenamos una botella y luego la vaciamos.
Después de realizado este ejercicio, se pudo mostrar que los probandos experimentaron menos sentimientos negativos, registraron mayor cantidad de serotonina en sangre (neurotransmisor que influye en el estado de ánimo) y un aumento de hemoglobina oxigenada en la corteza prefrontal, región del cerebro que se relaciona con el pensamiento cognitivo y la atención.
Otro estudio publicado en la revista Cognitive Therapy and Research, intentó observar los efectos de la respiración abdominal profunda en los síntomas depresivos.
Investigaciones realizadas en la Universidad de Ruhr en Bochum, Alemania, hicieron una prueba con voluntarios sanos con la consigna de concentrarse en su respiración profunda intentando no comprometerse con ningún pensamiento y permanecer atentos solamente a ella.
Este ejercicio de respiración lo mantuvieron durante 18 minutos, al cabo de los cuales los participantes mostraron un mejor estado de ánimo.
El autor de este estudio, Jan M. Burg, llegó a la conclusión que practicar esta técnica puede ayudar a prevenir la depresión, principalmente porque esta forma de respiración plena hace que la gente logre desconectarse de sus obsesiones disfuncionales, que representa el principal factor de riesgo para la depresión.
Lo fácil que resulta practicar este ejercicio hace que cualquiera lo pueda realizar en cualquier momento del día sin alterar sus funciones habituales.

Hay que sentarse cómodamente y respirar con naturalidad observando con todo detalle la entrada y salida del aire por la cavidad nasal, el pecho y finalmente el abdomen.
Concentrar la atención en la respiración impide que la mente divague, por lo tanto, cada vez que la atención se desvía de la respiración hay que tratar de volverla a ella sin ser demasiado exigente consigo mismo.
Al principio resulta algo difícil mantener la atención, pero luego de alguna práctica se puede lograr estar bastante tiempo concentrado en la propia respiración; lo ideal sería llegar a alcanzar los veinte minutos.
Este hábito puede ayudar a recuperar el estado de calma ante una situación de estrés, estar tranquilo antes de hablar en público o serenarse en una situación importante, o sea mantenerse más lúcido y atento en toda circunstancia y mejorar el rendimiento y la calidad de vida.
Malena
Fuente: “Mente y Cerebro”; No.56/2012; “Terapia de Inspiración” 

Link: http://psicologia-malenalede.blogspot.com/2013/10/terapia-de-respiracion-abdominal.html