relaxation, mindfulness & meditation

7/30/2019 Relaxation, Mindfulness & Meditation

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SCIENTIFIC RELAXATION, MINFULNESS AND MEDITATION

Relaxation

There are several main types of relaxation techniques, including:

Autogenic relaxation. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In thisrelaxation technique, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress. Yourepeat words or suggestions in your mind to relax and reduce muscle tension. For example,you may imagine a peaceful setting and then focus on controlled, relaxing breathing, slowingyour heart rate, or feeling different physical sensations, such as relaxing each arm or leg oneby one.

Progressive muscle relaxation. In this relaxation technique, you focus on slowly tensingand then relaxing each muscle group. This helps you focus on the difference between muscletension and relaxation. You become more aware of physical sensations. One method ofprogressive muscle relaxation is to start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes andprogressively working your way up to your neck and head. You can also start with your headand neck and work down to your toes. Tense your muscles for at least five seconds and thenrelax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

Visualization. In this relaxation technique, you form mental images to take a visual journeyto a peaceful, calming place or situation. During visualization, try to use as many senses asyou can, including smell, sight, sound and touch. If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, forinstance, think about such things as the smell of salt water, the sound of crashing waves andthe warmth of the sun on your body. You may want to close your eyes, sit in a quiet spot andloosen any tight clothing.

Relaxation techniques take practice

As you learn relaxation techniques, you'll become more aware of muscle tension and otherphysical sensations of stress. Once you know what the stress response feels like, you canmake a conscious effort to practice a relaxation technique the moment you start to feel stresssymptoms. This can prevent stress from spiraling out of control.

Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. And as with any skill, your ability to relaximproves with practice. Be patient with yourself don't let your effort to practice relaxationtechniques become yet another stressor. If one relaxation technique doesn't work for you, tryanother. If none of your efforts at stress reduction seem to work, talk to your doctor aboutother options.

Mindfulness

What are some examples of mindfulness exercises?There are many ways to practice mindfulness. For example:

Pay attention.The next time you meet someone, listen closely to his or her words. Think


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about their meaning and uniqueness. Aim to develop a habit of understanding others anddelaying your own judgments and criticisms.

Make the familiar new again. Find a few small, familiar objects such as a toothbrush,

apple or cellphone in your home or office. Look at the objects with fresh eyes. Identify onenew detail about each object that you didn't see before. As you become more aware of yourworld, you might become fonder of the things around you.

Focus on your breathing. Sit in a quiet place with your back straight, but relaxed. Feel yourbreath move in and out of your body. Let your awareness of everything else fall away. Payattention to your nostrils as air passes in and out. Notice the way your abdomen expands andcollapses with each breath.

When your mind wanders, gently redirect your attention to your breath. Don't judge yourself.Remember that you're not trying to become anything such as a good meditator. You'resimply becoming aware of what's happening around you, breath by breath.

Awaken your senses. Get a raisin. Sit in a quiet place with your back straight, but relaxed.Look at the raisin. Smell it, feel it and anticipate eating it. Taste the raisin, and slowly anddeliberately chew it. Notice the way the raisin's taste changes, your impulse to swallow theraisin, your response to that impulse and any thoughts or emotions that arise along the way.Paying close attention to your senses and your body's reaction to the raisin might revealinsight into your relationship with eating and food.

When and how often should I practice mindfulness exercises?It depends on what kind of mindfulness exercise you plan to do.

For example, if you choose to closely pay attention to another's words, you can repeat theexercise throughout the day. You might try it when you wake up and talk to your partner, at thebeginning of a meeting with a co-worker, or during dinner with your friends or family. Avoidpracticing this type of exercise while driving, however. Aim to practice for 15 to 20 minutes,four to eight times a day.

For other mindfulness exercises, such as focused breathing, you'll need to set aside timewhen you can be in a quiet place without distractions or interruptions. You might choose topractice this type of exercise early in the morning, before you begin your daily routine.

Aim to practice mindfulness every day for about six months. Over time, you might find thatmindfulness becomes effortless. Think of it as a commitment to reconnecting with andnurturing yourself.

MeditationElements of meditationDifferent types of meditation may include different features to help you meditate. These mayvary depending on whose guidance you follow or who's teaching a class. Some of the most


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common features in meditation include:Focused attention. Focusing your attention is generally one of the most important elementsof meditation. Focusing your attention is what helps free your mind from the many distractions

that cause stress and worry. You can focus your attention on such things as a specific object,an image, a mantra, or even your breathing.Relaxed breathing.This technique involves deep, even-paced breathing using thediaphragm muscle to expand your lungs. The purpose is to slow your breathing, take in moreoxygen, and reduce the use of shoulder, neck and upper chest muscles while breathing sothat you breathe more efficiently.A quiet set ting. If you're a beginner, practicing meditation may be easier if you're in a quietspot with few distractions no television, radios or cellphones. As you get more skilled atmeditation, you may be able to do it anywhere, especially in high-stress situations where youbenefit the most from meditation, such as a traffic jam, a stressful work meeting or a long lineat the grocery store.A comfor tab le posi tion.You can practice meditation whether you're sitting, lying down,walking or in other positions or activities. J ust try to be comfortable so that you can get themost out of your meditation.

Everyday ways to practice meditationDon't let the thought of meditating the "right" way add to your stress. Sure, you can attendspecial meditation centers or group classes led by trained instructors. But you also canpractice meditation easily on your own.

And you can make meditation as formal or informal as you like whatever suits your lifestyleand situation. Some people build meditation into their daily routine. For example, they maystart and end each day with an hour of meditation. But all you really need is a few minutes ofquality time for meditation.

Here are some ways you can practice meditation on your own, whenever you choose:

Breathe deeply.This technique is good for beginners because breathing is a naturalfunction. Focus all attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as youinhale and exhale through your nostrils. Breathe deeply and slowly. When your attentionwanders, gently return your focus to your breathing.

Scan your body. When using this technique, focus attention on different parts of your body.Become aware of your body's various sensations, whether that's pain, tension, warmth orrelaxation. Combine body scanning with breathing exercises and imagine breathing heat orrelaxation into and out of different parts of your body.

Repeat a mant ra.You can create your own mantra, whether it's religious or secular.Examples of religious mantras include the J esus Prayer in the Christian tradition, the holyname of God in J udaism, or the om mantra of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Easternreligions.

Walk and meditate. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to


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relax. You can use this technique anywhere you're walking in a tranquil forest, on a citysidewalk or at the mall. When you use this method, slow down the pace of walking so that youcan focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don't focus on a particular destination.Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as lifting, moving

and placing as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.

Engage in prayer. Prayer is the best known and most widely practiced example ofmeditation. Spoken and written prayers are found in most faith traditions. You can pray usingyour own words or read prayers written by others. Talk with your rabbi, priest, pastor or otherspiritual leader about resources.

Read and reflect. Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or sacred texts,and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on their meaning. You also can listen to sacredmusic, spoken words or any music you find relaxing or inspiring. You may want to write yourreflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual leader.

Focus your love and gratitude. In this type of meditation, you focus your attention on asacred object or being, weaving feelings of love and gratitude into your thoughts. You canalso close your eyes and use your imagination or gaze at representations of the object.

Building your meditation skills

Don't judge your meditation skills, which may only increase your stress. Meditation takespractice. Keep in mind, for instance, that it's common for your mind to wander duringmeditation, no matter how long you've been practicing meditation. If you're meditating to calmyour mind and your attention wanders, slowly return to the object, sensation or movementyou're focusing on.

Experiment, and you'll likely find out what types of meditation work best for you and what youenjoy doing. Adapt meditation to your needs at the moment. Remember, there's no right wayor wrong way to meditate. What matters is that meditation helps you with stress reduction andfeeling better overall.

More on Mindfulness

A simple way of relating to our experience, which can have profound impact on painful,

negative experiences we encounter.

Characteristics of mindfulness involves:

Stopping

Paying attention

Becoming aware of present moment realities

Not judging whatever is happening as good or bad

Definition


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The non-judgemental observation of the ongoing stream of internal and externalstimuli as theyarise. Ruth Baer (2003)

Keeping ones consciousness alive to the present reality (Thich Nath Hanh, 1976)

Mindfulness is simply the knack of noticing without comment whatever is happening in

your present experience Guy Claxton (1990), p.18

Relevance of Mindfulness Practice to Emotional Distress

Creates a holding environment

Mindfulness gives us a safe platform from which to observe

Practice enables us to stay safely with distress until it disperses

Mindfulness steadies and grounds us

Mindfulness in Psychotherapy1) Awareness2) Of present experience

3) With acceptanceAll three components are required for a moment of full mindfulness. (Germer et al., 2005)

What Mindfulness is Not

Not a relaxation exercise

Not a way to avoid difficulty

Not a way to by-pass personality problems

Not about achieving a different state of mind

What Mindfulness is About

Being present to our experience however distressing or upsetting it may be

Brings us closer to difficulties but without becoming caught up in our reactions todifficulties

It is a slow, gentle coming to grips with who we are

Settling in to our current experience in a relaxed, alert, open-hearted way

Mindfulness in Action Techniques

These techniques are useful for bring mindfulness into the activities of everyday life. Theyalso are a good place to start with clients who have very low impulse control and distresstolerance. Linehan (2003 pp170-171 & 174-175) describes a number of these techniques as a

way of developing distress tolerance in her Skills Training Manual for Treating BorderlinePersonality Disorder

Mindfulness in action techniques include:Focusing awareness of an aspect of a physical habit that previously has largely been outsideof conscious awareness e.g.

Noticing how tight you hold the steering wheel when driving.

Being aware of what happens to your breathing or voice tone in an argument.


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Focusing awareness on the breath when a specified environmental cue occurs. Thistechnique has been described in detail by Thich Nhat Hanh (1991 pp22-30 ). The cues wemight use include:

Waiting for phone to be answered

Waiting at a traffic light Walking

Listening to Music

Getting Dressed

Detailed awareness of the mental phenomena associated with cravings or urges such asthoughts, physical sensations and feelings. This is different to urge surfing as this techniqueincludes no expectation that the craving will be outlasted.

***Mindfulness in Various Activities

Mindfulness in Your Morning Routine: Pick an activity that constitutes part of your dailymorning routine, such as brushing your teeth, shaving, or having a shower. When you do it,totally focus on what you are doing: the body movements, the taste, the touch, the smell, thesight, the sound etc.

For example, when youre in the shower

Notice the sounds of the water as it sprays out of the nozzle, and as it hits your bodyas it gurgles down the hole.

Notice the temperature of the water, and the feel of it in your hair, and on yourshoulders, and running down our legs.

Notice the smell of the soap and shampoo, and the feel of them against your skin.Notice the sight of the water droplets on the walls or shower screen, the water drippingdown your body and the steam rising upwards.

Notice the movements of your arms as you wash or scrub or shampoo.

When thoughts arise, acknowledge them, let them be, and bring your attention back tothe shower. Again and again, your attention will wander. As soon as you realize thishas happened, gently acknowledge it, note what distracted you, and bring yourattention back to the shower.

Mindfulness of Domestic ChoresPick an activity such as ironing clothes, washing dishes, vacuuming floors, and do it mindfully.

For example, when ironing clothes

Notice the color and shape of the clothing, and the pattern made by the creases, andthe new pattern as the creases disappear.

Notice the hiss of the steam, the creak of the ironing board, the faint sound of the ironmoving over the material. Notice the grip of your hand on the iron, and the movementof your arm and your shoulder.

If boredom or frustration arises, simply acknowledge it, and bring your attention back tothe task at hand. When thoughts arise, acknowledge them, let them be, and bring your


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attention back to what you are doing. Again and again, your attention will wander. Assoon as you realize this has happened, gently acknowledge it, note what distractedyou, and bring your attention back to your current activity.

Mindfulness Exercises

1) Take Ten Breaths

Throughout the day, pause for a moment and take ten slow, deep breaths. Focus onbreathing out as slowly as possible, until the lungs are completely empty, andbreathing in using your diaphragm.

Notice the sensations of your lungs emptying and your ribcage falling as you breatheout. Notice the rising and falling of your abdomen.

Notice what thoughts are passing through your mind. Notice what feelings are passingthrough your body.

Observe those thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad, and without

trying to change them, avoid them, or hold onto them. Simply observe them.Notice what its like to observe those thoughts and feelings with an attitude of acceptance.

2) Notice Five ThingsThis is a simple exercise to center yourself, and connect with your environment. Practice itthroughout the day, especially any time you find yourself getting caught up in your thoughtsand feelings.

Pause for a moment

Look around, and notice five things you can see.

Listen carefully, and notice five things you can hear.

Notice five things you can feel in contact with your body. (E.g. your watch against your

wrist, your trousers against your legs, the air upon your face, your feet upon the floor,your back against the chair etc)

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