The ability to relax at will is a very important skill that everyone should have. Live in modern world very tense and stressful, both mentally and physically. This applies to workers in the field of high technology and computers who sit in front of the monitor for hours, which leads to many hours of tension in some muscles and joints.

This also applies to other workers, for example, those who spend a lot of time behind the wheel, especially with heavy traffic, which puts a lot of pressure on the psyche. These days, stress is a very common word as people blame stress for many of their problems. It is difficult for people to relax. Collected in this article are five better ways for healthy relaxation.

Relaxation technique 1: We breathe to relax and calm down

Breathing control is a basic skill required to quickly calm down and relax. By consciously controlling your breathing, you are distracted from stressful thoughts for a while. Some breathing techniques give a quick sedative effect.

I suggest the following breathing exercise:

• If possible, lie down or sit comfortably.
• Close your eyes and focus your attention on the nostrils as air enters them.
• Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose. Note that the air entering the nose is cold.
• Hold your breath for a few seconds, keeping your attention at the same point.
• Exhale slowly and calmly through your nose. Note that the air leaving the nostrils is already warm.
• Do it for a few minutes until the disturbing thoughts leave you and you feel calm.

This exercise uses several techniques to calm you down:

• Closed eyes and a comfortable position are already a little relaxing.
• When breathing slowly, with a delay before exhaling, the heart rate decreases. This is especially useful if you are anxious for any reason and need to calm down quickly. In stressful situations, you can do this exercise without preparatory phase if there is no time or place for it.
• Concentrating on moving cold and warm air through your nostrils engages your brain and distracts you from other negative thoughts.

However, it is even easier to improve breathing and cope with stress and negative experiences.
It is necessary to slowly draw air into the lungs, then hold the air, slowly counting to four. Exhale in the same way for four counts - and hold the breath again for four counts without inhaling.

With this breathing practice, you can kill two birds with one stone. First, willy-nilly, force yourself to breathe slowly and avoid hyperventilating the lungs. Second, to divert the agitated mind from the problem that triggered the violent reaction and switch it to a count of one to four.

Relaxation technique 2: Progressive muscle relaxation
(according to Jackopson)

Progressive Muscle Relaxation is the simplest technique from which many more sophisticated relaxation techniques have evolved.The Progressive Relaxation System is named after Harvard physiologist Edmund Jacobson. It is based on the fact that after strong tension, the muscle automatically relaxes.

Before you start doing the exercises, you need to take the most comfortable position in space for you. It is desirable that the position be seated, since relaxation of the neck muscles involves moving the head.

However, to relax according to Jacobson, you can lie on your back on a hard, flat surface, close your eyes and choose an object: first, a small muscle group - for example, calves, abdominal muscles, hands. This group must first be strongly strained (although in order to feel them), then sharply relax - and fully feel this relaxation.

The number of muscles involved in relaxation should be gradually increased. The classic scheme of progressive relaxation: sequential movement (tension-relaxation) from the cervical muscles to the muscles of the tips of the legs.

While doing the exercise, do not tense the muscles too much, and do not tense the muscles not belonging to the specific group mentioned at this stage. After relaxation of tension, the muscles should be more relaxed than before tension.

Sit in a comfortable chair or lie down. Take a few slow breaths in and out. Then start in the following sequence.

1. Hands. The first exercise is aimed at relaxing the muscles of the arm. This is a simple clenching of the hand into a fist. The exercise must be repeated 5 times. Do not forget that any pain, including that obtained as a result of the exercise, cannot have anything to do with relaxation. After the task is completed, shift the focus of your attention to the sensations in your hand. The first time, you may not notice anything special. This is normal, because you have not paid attention to what is happening in your body for so long. Except, of course, painful sensations.

* After 4 days, you add the following exercise: spread the fingers on the hand to such an extent that you feel the tension. Yes, it should be just tension, NO pain. In this exercise, when viewed from above, it resembles an asterisk.

* Next exercise: we tighten the brush, bringing the palm to the body. So that the hand and wrist form a right angle. Fingers are pointing up.

* The exercise is similar to the previous one, only in this case the fingers point down.

2. Biceps and triceps. Next, bend your hand into elbow joint straining the muscles of the forearm. Biceps tense (tense a muscle, but shake your hands to make sure they are not clenched into fists); relaxed (put your hands on the chair).

* We do the exercises the other way around: we try to straighten the arm as much as possible in order to feel the tension in the triceps.

3. Shoulders. Shrug your shoulders and keep them as tight as possible and still comfortable for you. Take your shoulders back (carefully); relax. Slide them forward (push); relax.

4. Neck (lateral muscles). We work with the muscles of the neck. Shoulders are straight, relaxed, head slowly turn to the right as far as possible; relax. Turn left; relax.

* Neck (back muscles). Throw your head forward, pressing your chin to your chest. Keep your muscles in tension. Relax.

* Neck (front muscles) Smoothly throw your head back. We repeat the exercise 5 times. We concentrate on the sensations occurring in your muscles.

If you have conscientiously approached the development of the technique and practiced it for at least 15 minutes a day, at this stage you will already come close to the quality relaxation of your body. This is due to the generalizing function of our brain. A good relaxation of the muscles of the arms for 10 minutes leads to the spread of relaxation throughout the body.

5. Breathing. Breathe in as deeply as possible - and then a little more; exhale and breathe normally for 15 seconds. Let all the air out of your lungs - and then a little more; inhale and breathe normally for 15 seconds.

6. Back. Press your shoulders against the back of the chair and push your body forward so that your back arches; relax. Do this exercise with caution or not at all.

7. Buttocks. Tighten your buttocks strongly and lift your pelvis above the seat; relax. Press your buttocks into the chair; relax.

8. Hips. Stretch your legs and lift them 15 cm from the floor or footboard, but do not strain your abdominal muscles; relax. Press your feet (heels) to the floor or footboard; relax.

9. Belly. Pull in your stomach as much as possible; relax completely. Inflate your stomach or tighten your muscles as if you are preparing for a punch; relax.

10. Calves and feet. Lift your toes (without lifting your feet); relax. Raise your feet as high as possible (beware of cramps - if they arise, or you feel them approaching, shake your feet); relax.

11. Toes. Relax your legs, press your toes to the floor; relax. Lift your toes as high as possible; relax.

12. Face. Relaxation of the facial muscles completes the set of exercises.

* Mouth. The mouth is open as wide as possible; relaxed. The lips are drawn together and compressed as tightly as possible; relaxed.

* Tongue (protruding and retracted). Open your mouth and stick your tongue out as far as possible; relax (let it lie freely on the bottom of the mouth). Pull it back into the larynx as deep as possible; relax.

* Language (sky and bottom). Press your tongue to the palate; relax. Press it down to the bottom of your mouth; relax.

* Eyes. Open your eyes as wide as possible and feel the tension in the frontal muscles, wrinkle your eyebrows; relax.

* Close up as you can, without disturbing your comfort, eyes. This will allow you to contract a large number of the ocular muscles .; relax. Make sure to completely relax the muscles in your eyes, forehead, and nose after each exertion.

* The last exercise tones the lower part of the face. Imagine that we really want to kiss someone - we pull our lips into a tube.

You should understand that mastering this method will require regularity from you first of all. The sequence of exercises matters, they should be mastered in the prescribed manner.

The interval of acquaintance with each subsequent exercise should be at least 4 days. This means that on the first training day, you do only one exercise. After 4 days, add another one and so on. This is done with the aim of training muscle memory, which, as you master Jacobson's relaxation, will eventually automatically "turn on relaxation" when performing at least one exercise. To obtain such a result, you will need about 3 months, while it should be noted that with regular implementation of the complex, you will receive tangible results in a few weeks.

Important: Remember that relaxation cannot occur when there is pain. Therefore, you should be careful not to overdo your exercise.

Disadvantages of the Jacobson Progressive Relaxation System: It takes a long time and can only work in a calm environment where it is possible to lie down and practice relaxation along with deep breathing. A person in standard working conditions has few such opportunities, so there are more adapted methods.

Relaxation Technique 3: Calming visualization

Visualization is a powerful tool for consciousness. Research has shown that the subconscious mind cannot distinguish between real and visualized events. Therefore, visualized images have a significant impact on consciousness.

• Sit comfortably or lie down. Close your eyes and take a few slow breaths. Turn off all communications to avoid distraction.
• Imagine yourself in a quiet and quiet place of your choice. It can be a deserted beach, a flowering meadow, a forest, a boat, or any other place where you feel relaxed.
• Hold this image and, while experiencing the bliss of the moment, imagine all the positive feelings that arise in this place.
• The more realistic the image is, the more positive emotions you will get.
• When you feel comfortable and calm, slowly walk out of the imaginary world and return to the real one.

Relaxation Technique 4: Stimulation of alpha and theta levels using audio programs

The human brain functions in different states of consciousness and attention. Different levels are distinguished by the frequency of the brain waves, as can be seen in the EEG (electroencephalogram) These levels are named after the letters of the Greek alphabet.

The general agreement on wave patterns of brain activity is as follows:

• Beta- 14 Hz and above. A state of readiness, an active state of the brain. Associated with thinking and waking.
• Alpha- from 8 to 14 Hz. Relaxed state of the brain. Associated with immersion in dreams, general relaxation.
• Theta- from 4 to 8 Hz. Condition over deep relaxation... Light sleep. Hypnosis. Meditation.
• Delta- below 4 Hz. Deep dream. Unconsciousness.

The alpha state is recognized as the healthiest state of the brain, as it is associated with relaxed brain activity. This state is also used as the basis for advanced mind control techniques such as meditation, the Jose Silva method, and others.

It is possible to stimulate the alpha wave activity of the brain using special audio recordings, the effect of binaural beats, to directly influence the brain and make it work at the desired frequency. To reduce stress, binaural beats are superimposed on top of rainfall sounds, which in themselves have a calming effect.

There are many relaxation recordings available on the internet, such as Reiki Healing Music.

It is very important for a modern person to be able to relax. Lifestyle implies constant stress, haste, communication with many people, each with their own energy. With the ability to relax, a person acquires the ability to protect himself from an excess of unnecessary information, and also to discard all the negative accumulated during the day.

Relaxation techniques allow for a short time get rid of stress and find harmony and peace. Each exercise has a special meaning. A person can choose the most suitable complex for himself, which will suit him in all respects.

Stress relief

In order to learn how to relieve tension and relax, there are special exercises. You will need a separate room in which you can retire so that no one distracts or interferes with the exercise.

You need to take a comfortable position, you can turn on monotonous music or just a beautiful composition. Concentrate on the breath and the physical body. In this case, a special concentration should include inhalation and exhalation.

To relieve stress, a special one is very often used. It allows you to relieve stress in a short time. When breathing, a person frees his thoughts and directs positive energy for his own benefit.

The fatigue accumulated during the day should go out. If you do not relieve yourself of tension in time, then it can result in illness, chronic fatigue and even depression.

People who regularly practice yoga know how important it is to be able to switch off and relax on time. Not everyone is given this ability by nature, but it can be developed.

Breathing exercises

Highly important aspect correct breathing is in relieving tension. A set of relaxation exercises includes certain breathing techniques that allow you to get rid of negativity and stress.

Relaxation exercises involve finding a person in a separate room with dim lights and no extraneous sounds. A person must fully devote some time to himself.

Breathing is a very important instinct for any person. It is impossible to live without it. By using the breath while performing the technique, you can allow yourself to relax and get saturated with energy.

There is a definite connection between breathing and mental processes. When breathing, a person feels the filling of the lungs with oxygen, the blood receives the necessary elements, due to which the brain begins to function actively. When you hold your breath, the body receives a certain portion necessary elements, thanks to which a person receives a healing and rejuvenating effect.

Every human system at breathing exercises activates its work. However, there are certain contraindications. So, for example, people with heart failure, those who have disturbances in the work of the excretory system, as well as neurological abnormalities, cannot be engaged in this gymnastics.

Breathing techniques include:

• Rhythmic four-phase breathing. It implies a deep, slow breath in through the nose and holding the breath for 2-3 seconds. This is followed by a sharp exhalation through the mouth. This involves the hands. On inhalation, they rise up to the level of the chest, on exhalation, they drop sharply, as if dumping all the negative.
• Long inhalation. This method is performed as follows: inhale slowly through the nose and gradually slow down the inhalation. Then a quick, sharp exhalation.
• Extended exhalation. A deep and slow inhalation is taken, followed by an exhalation, as it were, with a delay. In this case, inhale for about 2 seconds, and exhale should be stretched for about 8 seconds.

Holotropic Breathwork in a Group

• Abdominal breathing. This breath is used by many artists and singers. The shoulders are not involved in breathing, the movements are performed only by the stomach. Mentally, you can imagine that a balloon is inflated in the stomach, after which it deflates. Breathing is slow and gradual.
• Average breathing. Inhale slowly through your nose after exhaling deeply. As you exhale, pinch the ribs and push the air to the end. Keep the shoulders and abdomen in a fixed position. Feel the relaxation.
• Upper breath. Inhale slowly through the nose, after exhaling, then exhale slowly through the nose again. As you inhale, raise your shoulders up, trying to open upper part lungs. The complex is aimed at relaxation.

Each technique is aimed at improving blood circulation and saturating the body with more oxygen in the blood and relaxing. Therefore, for any exercise, it is best to take a comfortable position, preferably while sitting. You may feel slightly dizzy.

Muscle relaxation

The body can get the greatest rest only if its body is completely relaxed. It is necessary to learn how to relax every muscle, even those that we rarely use in everyday life, because muscle tension affects the level of relaxation. It often happens that a person relaxes his arms and legs, but his face remains tense. When exercising for relaxation, you should record whether the whole body is relaxed.

From the very beginning of the set of exercises, it is necessary to relax the limbs in turn. The first is the right hand. At the same time, you can mentally pronounce which zone you are relaxing.

Then - the left hand, after which - the legs. Visually, you need to imagine how the limbs get heavy, the organs are filled with relaxation and relax.

After several attempts, the hands will begin to relax reflexively. It will also happen with the legs. The relaxation exercise is much easier to perform visually.

Post-isometric muscle relaxation

During the complex, a person feels a pleasant devastation, weakness, a desire to sleep. After the complex, you can lie down and relax.

Muscles can become engorged and pleasantly warm.

Meditation

Long-time practitioners of yoga know how important meditation is to a person's mental health. During meditation, all processes in the body slow down, which can significantly reduce stress and tension. Relaxation occurs after a person has learned to accept relaxation and does the exercises not intentionally, but with complete acceptance of relaxation.

For a complex of meditation, mantras, yantras, and other auxiliary elements are often used to accelerate the onset of relaxation.

A person practicing meditation should be in a quiet, calm environment, no one should interfere with him. You can turn on or play mantras yourself. The most basic is the OM mantra. It not only allows you to relax faster, but also cleans and opens our chakras.

It is not necessary to use any techniques and complexes for meditation. It will be enough to take a comfortable position of the body, relax and direct all your attention inward, while turning off your consciousness completely. Thoughts should be absent, and this is the most important rule for relaxation during meditation.

Physical relaxation techniques

Muscle relaxation exercises allow you to get rid of the fatigue accumulated during the day in a short time. Stretching and yoga are good for relieving stress. A set of relaxation exercises allows you to relieve muscle tension, thanks to which a person receives significant relief from pain in the back and joints.

For relaxation, there are special exercises... One of the popular and effective exercise from the relaxation complex has the name "Fly". It relieves tension from the facial muscles.

It is carried out in this way: it is necessary to imagine that a fly has landed on the face and crawls from one eye to another, then on the nose, after which it crawls onto the mouth. Moreover, every muscle where it visually sits must be relaxed.

Another exercise "Lemon". Imagine holding a lemon in your hand. The hand will squeeze it until all the juice has come out of it. Then gradually relax your hand. Then change hands.

A complex called "Seven Candles". Imagine that there are lighted candles nearby. It is necessary to slowly and relaxed blow them out in turn.

Causes of stress

The reasons may be various factors ranging from elementary fatigue to depression and other serious disorders. Subconsciously, a person always seeks to relax, but the way of life modern man does not allow this, therefore the body gets used to constant stress and over time begins to concentrate so much that relaxation does not occur even at the request of the person.

Relaxation exercises aim to suppress fatigue and relax. During any of their complexes, a person feels that his condition is getting much better, even if he has experienced serious physical and emotional stress for a long time.

An exercise with a focal point gives a good result. It is necessary to fix your attention on any object. It can be a visual representation of your comfort zone. Children's pleasant memories, the view of the sea or the sound of the surf. Anything that makes a person relaxed. The complex is aimed at relieving emotional stress. It is necessary to imagine how the whole body relaxes and plunges into a trance.

Relief of muscle tension

Exercise is best suited to relieve muscle tension. However, and special complex aimed at relaxation. In turn, it is necessary to relax the arms, then the legs, be sure to relax the muscles of the face and neck.

It can be performed in a sitting or lying position. You can turn on calm music.

What is the danger

Stresses have great importance for the human body. Accumulated fatigue causes irritation as well as many illnesses. People who do not know how to relax in time are at risk of getting chronic fatigue, have communication problems, because they experience irritation.

In order to protect yourself from excessive stress, you must regularly perform a set of exercises for relaxation, and you can also periodically use this complex when it is felt that fatigue has begun to accumulate.

Prevention of muscle tension

Exercise, yoga, Pilates, stretching are excellent for the prevention of muscle tension. Each complex has its own pros and cons. A person should select a complex for himself individually, depending on his wishes and preferences.

relaxation with breathing

Breathing is very related to our emotional state.

When we are in a Calm and Relaxed state, it becomes Slow and Deep.

Both Superficial and Accelerated when we are Excited.

Restricted or Shallow breathing is associated with our Psychological Defense,Suppression of unpleasant Feelings, Emotions (most often Fear or Crying).

Through breathing, you can learn to relax and manage your emotions.

For the most part, we breathe shallowly (D breathing at the level chest ).

Observe your Breath. If air only travels up to chest level, try Belly Breathing:

Deep Abdominal Breathing (belly breathing) is a great way to relieve tension, get rid of irritation, anger and unpleasant emotions.

EXERCISE "LISTEN TO YOUR BREATH" *

Lie on your back. Place your Left Hand on your Chest and your Right Hand on your Belly.

While breathing your Left hand must remain still,

a Right, on the contrary, Move in accordance with inhalation and exhalation.

If you find it difficult at first, try wrapping your chest tightly.

Breathe like this for 3-5 minutes until you notice that Breathing has become Automatic.

Keep your ribcage still and begin to listen to your breathing:

As it goes through your nose, nasopharynx, it goes further and further. How do you feel about it?

Does it flow Freely? Or do you feel some kind of Obstacle?

Feel your belly moving? Listen, Where does the Sound of your Breath arise?

Do this exercise for 7 minutes.

P.S. With deep abdominal breathing, the pelvis can also move in time with the breath.

Listen to how you feel in the center of your chest.

Someone can feel them from the Outside, someone from the Inside.

On the outside, they may appear to be a light Touch.

Deep in the chest, they can feel like a slight Heavy.

How does this happen with you? How do you feel?

What happens to your Breathing Feelings?

Typically, the sensation of touch increases when inhaling, and weakens when exhaling.

If you feel the Inner Heaviness, then when you inhale it becomes Bigger, and when you exhale it Melts.

Now try breathing through different parts of your body.

And watch: what happens?

When you do this, a temporary connection is established between two areas of the brain (the first is responsible for information from the respiratory tract, and the second from that part of the body that you are observing).

In this way, you can breathe in an area of ​​the body in which you feel pain or discomfort.

The criterion for the correctness of the exercise is the synchronization of breathing and sensations in the area through which you breathe.

And Another Great PALM BREATHING EXERCISE *

Our body obeys Natural Biological Rhythms.

Every cell of our brain, our blood vessels, heart, pulse, all our organs lives according to the rhythms.

The rhythm of our breathing is like a Mirror of our Emotions.

When we are worried, our breathing, as well as our pulse, becomes more rapid.

We can easily learn to relax if we begin to gradually Synchronize our Breath and Pulse.

The rhythm of our pulse is associated with a certain emotional state, so by Slowing down our Breathing, we can also Slow down our Pulse. After which our emotional state will also change.

By the way, soothing music, the sound of rain or waves, act on us in the same way. We adjust to the rhythm of the Sounds of Nature and come to Equilibrium.

Knowing this, we can easily move from the rhythm of Anxiety and Tension to the rhythm of Relaxation (which I intuitively did at my work,)

You need to gradually adjust your breathing to the rhythm of your heartbeat. If this attunement is not immediately successful, then the principle of multiple ratios can be used.

For example, for 2 beats of the pulse, we inhale, then for the next 2 beats, exhale.

Studies have shown that with this kind of attunement, our body begins to work in an economical mode. The reduction in oxygen consumption is reduced by more than 20%. At the same time, he quickly comes to a state of harmony and balance.

EXERCISE * "SPONTANEOUS BREATHING"

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EXERCISE * "BREATHING IN THE RHYTHM OF THE PULSE"

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Interesting fact:

If young children include their own crying in the recordings, they calm down faster.

The principle of lullabies is also based on this. Calm and slightly monotonous sounds quickly put an excited baby into a relaxed state.

Some mothers are angry with their children, who cannot calm down for a long time. But this does not solve the situation. Small child is very strongly connected with the mother and therefore immediately picks up her negative emotion. It turns out a vicious circle. An adult will calm down easier than a small child.

It is enough to hug the baby and slowly slow down your breathing (starting to breathe deeply with your stomach). The child will very quickly adjust to this rhythm. Many years ago, when my daughter was little, I always calmed her in this way. I did it intuitively, without even knowing about this method. And she really, quickly fell asleep.

With a child 5-9 years old, you can play the game "Mirror" (if he is in an overexcited state after the street or communicating with other children).

To do this, you need to hold his hands and invite him to accurately copy the rhythm of your breathing.

First, start breathing in its rhythm and slowly slow it down. In just a couple of minutes, the child will calm down.

The same principle (breathing adjustments) is used in NLP. I wrote about this in one of the

To learn how to relax, you do not have to go to a resort, visit a spa treatment or a massage therapist.

These methods - while wonderful - and please most people - are not always possible.

The most important thing is to learn Psycho-Muscular Relaxation.

And it can be achieved in absolutely any conditions.

It's just a matter of training.

How can you learn this relaxation?

To do this, you must Remember your Feelings, Mental Representation of Movement and Feeling of Muscles, the Nature of your Breathing at the moment of Relaxation. By recalling this image, you will quickly achieve relaxation.

The more the muscle is tense, the more it subsequently relaxes. The trick is that we don't have to go to the gym or exercise to do this.

It is quite enough that you imagine in your Imagination how she Tenses and then Relaxes.

The human body is amazing.

It was conceived by God according to the principle: HELP YOURSELF!

But we hardly use its opportunities.

Although, even simple self-regulation skills, which everyone can learn, will help to quickly relax, fall asleep easily, "dissolve" negative emotions, easily cope with stress and restore spent energy.

Breathing exercises Balance perfectly the connection between the left and right hemispheres.

And this contributes to greater harmony, creative insights, fuller use of one's own potential.

And here it is not even clear. What's More Important?

It's just great when we get

not OR - OR, but Relaxation, and, at the same time, Balancing your Organism!

And also all the pluses that come with it.

Good luck to you!

* EXERCISES prepared based on materials

practicing psychologist M. Sandomirsky

ALL THE BEST!

WITH THANKS! ARINA

Correct breathing helps to relax, calm down and relieve stress, clears the head of stupid and negative thoughts. Instead of responding with rudeness to rudeness or stupidity to stupidity (or yelling at a disobedient child), it is better to stop, take a deep breath, count to 10 to yourself and ... be silent.

The Vritti itself or "Equal Breathing"

How to do it? Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight. Begin to inhale in four counts and exhale in four counts as well. To increase your natural resistance to breathing, practice breathing through your nose. The more advanced can go to 6-8 counts, which increases focus, calms the nervous system and reduces stress.

You can practice this breathing anywhere and anytime, but it is best to do it before bed. Something like a kind of counting sheep, helping about work or problems that haunted during the day.

Difficulty level: for beginners.

Abdominal breathing technique

How to do it? Take a deep breath through your nose, expanding your diaphragm (not your chest) provides the necessary air pressure to stretch your lungs. If you want to feel a tangible drop blood pressure and reducing the heart rate, you need to take 6 to 10 deep breaths for 10 minutes every day. Hold out for at least 6 weeks, and you will feel on yourself for a long time positive consequences this technique.

When is the best time to do it? Before an exam or any stressful situation. The only but. In such situations, a person has very poor breathing control, so you have to practice a little.

Difficulty level: for beginners.

Nadi Shodhana or "Alternative Nostril Breathing"

How to do it? This technique gives a sense of balance and. Sit in a meditative position that is comfortable for you, thumb right hand press in your right nostril and inhale deeply through the left. At the peak of inhalation, close the left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right. Then do the same in reverse, inhaling through the right nostril and exhaling through the left nostril.

When time is short or you need to focus quickly. Just do not try to do this before bed, because this technique works like a cup of coffee.

Difficulty level: average.

Kapalabhati or "Shining Breath of the Skull"

How to do it? Ready to spark your day? Then try kapalabhati. Take one long and long breath and exhale sharply and powerfully. In this exhalation, you need to use the lower abdomen. That is, you sharply contract the muscles of the lower abdomen and thereby make a sharp exhalation. Perform 10 breaths at a comfortable pace: inhale-exhale for 1-2 seconds. The inhalation is done exclusively through the nose.

What does it work best for? This technique is great for waking up and cheering up. A kind of "espresso". Since the abdominal part of the abdomen is involved during kapalabhati, the body is warmed up and the brain is activated.

Difficulty level: high.

Progressive relaxation

How to do it? To release tension from head to toe, close your eyes and focus on tensing and relaxing each muscle group in your body for 1-3 seconds. Start with your toes, going up through your knees, hips, back, chest, arms, neck, jaw, and eyes. During this, you must breathe slowly and deeply. Inhale through your nose, hold your breath for 5 counts and contract your muscles during this. Then exhale through your mouth and relax.

When does it work best? It is best to do this in a place where you can lie down calmly. If holding your breath causes you, keep not 5 counts, but 2-3.

Difficulty level: for beginners.

Guided visualization

How to do it? This technique should be done with a trainer or therapist. Well, or at least to the melody, which will become your guide. Begin breathing deeply, focusing on pleasant sensations and images to drive out negative thoughts. Mentally send yourself to the place where you feel comfortable and calm.

When does it work best? You can practice this breathing technique wherever you can calmly close your eyes and not fear for your life, health and work.

Difficulty level: average.

4. CORRECT BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUE

Unsurprisingly, most of us take breathing and relaxation for granted. Don't we know how to breathe? Thank God, we have been doing this since birth and, probably, not bad if we live.

How to relax? It's as easy as shelling pears, like eating a piece of pie! You can climb into the bathtub and steam up to your heart's content, or swim in the river and lie in the sun. Or just come home from work, fall on the sofa, throwing his feet on the coffee table. Each of you has probably thought about your favorite way to "hang out". But do you know how to completely relax, and quickly, easily and with health benefits?

One of the most affordable ways to do this is deep breathing. This does not require any special conditions or fixtures. This ancient technique was already familiar to the ancient yogis, who achieved with its help a state of tranquility. Why don't you start your self-hypnosis practice with this pleasant and rewarding exercise?

Deep breathing as an element physical activity and a way to relax

Deep breathing is of different kinds. Busy with vigorous work, we breathe deeply and often in order to quickly fill our lungs with oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. If we want to relax, deep breathing should be slowed down and should be practiced at rest, or at least without any physical exertion.

In the normal state, our breathing is shallow, and its rhythm is accelerated, mainly due to the expansion and contraction of the chest. However, the bones of the ribs and sternum do not give the lungs much space. Deep diaphragmatic breathing is much healthier. Between the lungs and the peritoneum is a septum called the diaphragm. When abdominal muscles pulling the septum down, the lungs draw in air to fill the resulting space.

Unfortunately, since childhood, we are told that we need to straighten our shoulders and breathe with our chest so that the stomach is flat and taut. "Chest forward, pull in your stomach!" - Which soldier did not receive such a comment? For appearance this may not be bad, but it is not at all suitable for proper relaxation.

Try to breathe deeply into your belly, do not be disturbed by its unaesthetic bulge. Health is more important. Inhale slowly through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Measured, deep, slow breathing triggers the "relaxation response". This term was coined by the renowned cardiologist Dr. Herbert Benson (1976) to define the opposite of the hit-and-run response, when adrenaline is released into the bloodstream due to fear or anger.

So deep breathing triggers a relaxation response, followed by a chain of beneficial physical changes in the body: slowing down heart rate, blood flow to the limbs and muscle relaxation... All this contributes to better health and self-hypnosis.

Breathing exercises

Inhale for a count of three, hold your breath for a count of three, exhale for a count of six. Take a break for a count of four and repeat the entire cycle. As simple as that.

You have noticed that it is suggested to exhale more slowly than to inhale. The breathing process includes an energizing and relaxing part. The first is a deep, full breath: oxygen stimulates the brain and nourishes the cells throughout the body. Exhalation is all unnecessary out of the body: tension is relieved, carbon dioxide is released, muscles are relaxed. You can even quietly repeat to yourself as you exhale, "Get it out!" If you want - come up with some spell of your own and repeat it in time with breathing exercises.

We advise you to inhale through your nose so that your throat does not dry out. Holding your breath for three seconds will prevent possible dizziness as a result of a significant supply of oxygen to the brain. Exhaling through the mouth allows for better control of the air stream. Your lungs are completely emptied as the exhalation is twice as long as the inhalation.

You can vary the count during the breathing cycle. Once you have adjusted your breathing, you may want to hold the air longer or stretch the exhale out, making it three times longer than the inhalation. The main thing is that you feel good. Take a break if you feel dizzy or any other unusual sensation in your head.

You should not increase breathing until the appearance of pain or burning sensation in the chest. Your goal is calmness and relaxation. These exercises can be done anywhere as soon as you feel internal tension or anxiety. It is recommended to take forty or more deep breaths and exhalations per day. Try to do four to five breathing exercises before each session.

You can use yoga and meditation techniques. Closing your eyes, try to figuratively imagine, feel, hear the entire respiratory cycle, as if observing it from the inside. In this way, you will learn inner concentration, directing all your energy deep into yourself.

Gradual relaxation

Edmund Jacobson rightly noted (1964) that "a restless mind has no place in a calm body." He has come up with dozens of exercises to release tension using various muscle groups. Combined into a system, these exercises are called gradual relaxation (relaxation). The system has several varieties, the most famous of which are passive and active forms. The essence of gradual relaxation is to consistently focus attention on individual muscle groups in order to identify and relieve the accumulated tension.

Active gradual relaxation

Get into a comfortable sitting or lying position. Exercise consists in increasing the tension of a certain muscle group and in their subsequent relaxation. At the same time, your attention is focused simultaneously on each muscle and its contraction. The more you practice, the sooner you will learn the system. Start with the hands and forearms. Make a fist with one hand, tighten the muscles and feel the force of the contraction. Take a deep breath at the same time. With your eyes closed, imagine how the stress accumulated in the body pours into a squeezed hand, like water or electricity... Perhaps your imagination will tell you a different, more convincing image for you.

After inhaling, hold your breath and do not open your fist for a few more seconds, then relax your muscles and exhale slowly. Imagine your tension, stress, and anxiety dissipating as you exhale like smoke blown away in the wind.

Now do the opposite: stretch your hand forward and spread your fingers as far as possible, bending your wrist up, as if waving to someone goodbye. Stretch your hand and fingers for a few seconds while taking a deep breath.

Exhaling slowly, gradually relax the muscles of the hand and arm and lower the arm down. You can do the exercises with both hands at once.

Do the same for the legs and feet. Start with your toes and bend them towards the sole as much as possible. Inhale and hold your breath while maintaining muscle tension. As you exhale, relax your feet and feel the tension release from you.

Then bend your toes upward, inhaling at the same time. Hold your breath and tension, then relax as you exhale. The slower the exercise is done, the more benefit it will get.

Reduce the calf and thigh muscles to the limit, keep them in this state for a while, imagining how your legs are spreading straight out from the tension, which seemed to have gathered there from all over the body. Slowly relax your muscles as you exhale and feel yourself releasing stress.

To start, repeat the exercise twice for each muscle group. If you want, you can repeat the exercise as many times as you need to completely relax.

Pay attention to the shoulder and cervical muscles and on the muscles of the face, where significant tension also builds up.

Press your high shoulders against your neck while inhaling. Imagine that with this movement you have gathered together all the decisions made during the week. Let them look like an armful of flowers, or a pile of stones, or a lump of paper; let your imagination draw the most expressive image. You lift the weight of all these decisions on your shoulders and take a deep breath. Then you drop this weight along with muscle tension, like dropping an anchor from a boat or a jacket soaked in the rain, and at the same time exhale slowly.

Repeat the exercise several times to make sure that muscle tension is completely released. Make several rotational movements of the neck, alternately in one direction and the other.

Expressing extreme amazement will help you tighten your facial muscles. Open your mouth and eyes as wide as possible and press your chin against your chest. Take a deep breath and imagine your surprise when, contrary to your expectations, you feel the tension release from you. Hold this expression on your face for a few seconds and do not breathe. Then exhale slowly and relax the muscles, gradually raising your head. Repeat the exercise at least twice. Remember to contract your forehead muscles.

Here are muscle groups to look out for:

legs and feet,

arms and hands,

back, shoulders, neck,

abdominals and chest,

face and head.

It is not necessary to work with all of the above muscle groups in every self-hypnosis session. But if you are particularly stressed and unable to concentrate, work with everyone. In Chapter 11 you will find suggestions that correspond to these exercises.

Passive gradual relaxation

With this technique, you will not have to strain at all. For these activities, any quiet, peaceful place in a park or on the shore of a pond is suitable, as well as the seat of your car or your favorite home chair. This technique allows, without contracting the muscles, to achieve gradual relaxation in the most tense part of the body.

Start with breathing exercises. Close your eyes and imagine the tension leaving you with the exhaled air. Repeat the exercise three to four times. Do not hinder thoughts and worries from disturbing your mind, but along with the exhalation, give them direction so that they leave you. Imagine them vividly in the form of a stream flowing out with exhaled air.

After a while, focus on the soles of your feet. Remember how much they walked in a day and how pleasant it is for them to rest now. Imagine the calf fatigue flowing away, as if the water from the sink goes down the drain or is poured out of a bottle. Give free rein to your vivid imagination, and it will suggest the most expressive image.

Your legs will feel heavy and relaxed. Continue the relaxation process, let it gradually rise to the hips, buttocks, abdominal press, back and chest. Your body gradually becomes heavier, and the tension, like melting wax, creeps from your head and face and flows down along your hands, dripping from your fingers.

Shake your head from side to side to help the tension drain off you faster. Take a deep breath and as you exhale, feel the last remnants of tension, like melted butter, flow down your arms, leaving a feeling of relaxed heaviness in your hands. Imagine yourself wringing the last drops of tension out of your fingers. Taking a deep breath, once again take a look at your body in your mind's eye to see if the remnants of stress linger. If you find such a place, focus your attention on it and imagine that it is getting warmer and heavier. In this warmth, tension dissolves like salt in hot water and is flushed out of your body.

After making sure that you are completely relaxed, examine your state in detail, describe it as vividly and expressively as possible, and try to keep this feeling of complete relaxation in your memory.

Try to imagine it as warmth enveloping you, as if you are sitting in front of a burning fireplace or basking in the sun-baked sand. Or imagine this inner warmth in color - orange or warm pink, like the morning sky illuminated by the rising sun, or like a sunny sunset ... a drawing from nature.

Here it is important to find some image or experience with which this peaceful, relaxed state would be associated. Over time, with regular practice, this image or memory will become a post-hypnotic signal for you, causing the desired relaxation, and this, in turn, will become the starting point for starting a self-hypnosis session. Remember the main thing: that deep breathing in itself is an excellent signal for relaxation and can be used for this purpose outside of trance. You just need to give yourself the installation during the session that when it becomes necessary to relieve stress, you need to take several deep breaths and exhalations, so that a feeling of complete tranquility appears.

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