Relax Into Health

I'd like to share a little secret about relaxation techniques for athletes (or health-minded people that workout) and anyone that wants to feel more focused, calm, healthy and peaceful.

But first, let's define relaxation techniques, or more specifically, meditation. To begin, it's not necessary to be a Zen master to learn meditation. Anyone can jump-in at any time and start meditating. You should put any expectations aside; do not try to force the outcome; don't try to over-analyze "what meditation is"; and in general, just turn-off the brain and be in the moment. When meditating it is not necessary to blank out your mind or chase thoughts away. You'll learn that as you progress with meditation, your mind will become quieter. Sit comfortably, with your spine reasonably straight. You can rest against a chair, a wall or headboard. Your hands can rest comfortably at your side or on your lap. Your legs can also be in any comfortable position (crossing them or any complicated pretzel position is not necessary). Overall, allow your body to sit comfortably so your body-mind-spirit can be open to relax.

There are different types of meditations that you can use in your daily practice. Here are a few:

* Mindfulness - A process focusing on physical sensations and being present of the moment. It is being attentive to the sensory information entering your mind through your five senses. Beneficial to athletes, people in body pain or someone with a health challenge, dieters and overall for body awareness.

* Visualization - This process creates in the mind specific places or situations, such as a green forest or the calming waves of the ocean. This can be used for goal setting or for quieting the mind.

* Breath mediation - A process focusing on the rhythm of breathing.

* Walking meditation - This Zen Buddhist form of meditation focuses on the sensation of the feet against the ground. Some people have discovered its benefits without realizing it was meditative. Pacing back and forth can be very calming on the mind.

This next meditation I strongly recommend learning first. In fact, I do a "sandwich" - I start with grounding then one of the meditations listed above and end my meditation practice with grounding.

Grounding - This process is being fully present mentally and emotionally and will help you feel more centered and focused. Practicing grounding will put you in control of your environment and focus your energies in your daily routine. Anyone learning meditation for the first time will gain great benefits by practicing grounding on a daily basis.

The Tree Meditation is the simplest exercise to feel more relaxed and energized. Yes, you can actually experience both of these at the same time! Familiarize yourself with this meditation by reading it two or three times and then begin. If you want, you can set a timer for ten minutes.

* Close your eyes and breathe in calmly. Each breath, imagine sipping air with a straw.

* Breathe in --- slow --- and relaxed.

* Imagine a beautiful, majestic tree. As you think of this tree, breathing in more relaxed, imagine YOU are the tree. With each calming breath your spine lengthens. See your body as the trunk of the tree; and as you continue breathing down from your head to your spine, down to your hips ---continue breathing down, feeling more relaxed and calm; down your legs --- your feet ---supporting you like the trunk of the tree.

* As you continue breathing, imagine healthy strong roots extending from the bottom of your feet. Your roots extend deep into Mother Earth, anchoring your body. You're healthy-whole-and complete; fully supported as you breathe deep into the earth. You are a beautiful tree; you feel strong, solid and fully grounded where you are.

* Continue relaxing and breathing. When you are ready, come back to the present --- alert, confident and fully energized.

The last type of meditation is Transcendental. This is a specific type of meditation that must be learned from a certified teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program. Introduced in the late 1950s, this meditation focuses on a mantra (a sound, word or phrase that is repeated over and over, either aloud, as a chant or silently).

Studies of relaxation techniques have shown overall improvements of the body-mind connection for athletes and many health benefits for individuals. Taking the time to meditate and quiet our mind gives us the time to pause in our daily lives. It is the greatest power we hold, to be in the moment, alive and aware of our surroundings and our body. Relaxation gives us time to better organize our day, focus our energy and work more efficiently.

Start your meditation practice in the morning for ten to fifteen minutes. Many of the types of meditations - Grounding, Mindfulness, Visualization, Breath, Walking or Transcendental - can be done at home, work or out-and-about. There are hundreds of meditations to match the needs of the individual or to meet a specific purpose. You can find meditations online, in books, on CD and by taking a class. Over time you will have increased self-esteem and self-confidence; greater creativity; a greater ability to problem solve; and a more calming effect on your surroundings and the people you interact with.

Copyright 2005 Wayne McDonald

Wayne McDonald is the author of "Relax Into Health" - a comprehensive guide to completely relax your body in five minutes. He is the founder of http://www.HolisticWebDirectory.com - an on-line health directory of complementary health care professionals. For more health articles, signup for the monthly Health Newsletter. Send an email to submit-ezine@aweber.com

---

Breathing

Breathe in through your nose and draw your breath down... Read More

Holosync Meditation - Does It Really Work?

Chances are, if you are on a quest for self-improvement,... Read More

Meditation - What is It Good for Anyway?

Meditation is an age old healing and stress relieving modality... Read More

Scientific Research on Transcendental Meditation (TM)

Scientific research has shown that the most beneficial meditation technique... Read More

Practicing Staying Present to the Now

Transformational Counseling is about assisting others to transform their life.... Read More

Understanding Meditation

Meditation has been around for many thousands of years. It... Read More

A Look at Meditation

I've counseled many people from every background and led workshops... Read More

Meditation Is A Dinner Party

Try Not To Force Things Too MuchOften, when meditating, we... Read More

Embrace Fear and Let Go

Before I started meditating several years ago with CDs using... Read More

The Relationship Between Meditation and Self-Analysis

These are two very powerful tools for self-improvement, but how... Read More

How To Meditate Without Even Trying

I remember when I started trying to meditate. I would... Read More

Relax Into Health

I'd like to share a little secret about relaxation techniques... Read More

Enlightenment through Meditation

Helping the broadest range of people attain enlightenment through meditation... Read More

Can Cognitive Fitness Be a Workout for Your Brain?

There is growing interest to exercise your brain using something... Read More

Why Should You Meditate?

Everyone's mind needs a little downtime. We all need time... Read More

Stress: Guilty As Charged

How To Defend YourselfDo you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed?... Read More

Active Meditation / Visualization

Part OneChoose a nature scene. For instance scenery of mountain,... Read More

Wireless Meditation: Top Five Tips For Wherever-Whenever Mindfulness

The problem with meditation is attachment.We get in the habit... Read More

What Does Meditation Music Do To You?

Personally I belief that it is possible for anyone to... Read More

Yoga Meditation For Pain Relief

The purpose of this article is to provide information on... Read More

Relaxation Magic - Hypnosis, Meditation, Visualization

Hypnosis, meditation and visualization are three similar processes for accessing... Read More

Mastery Through Meditation

Are you still looking? For Love? Self-Worth? To know, truly... Read More

Healing From Within

"We become sick because we act In sickening ways." Louis... Read More

Relaxation Techniques to Revitalize Body and Mind

We all get to a stage where we've just had... Read More

Active Meditation For Surges In Energy Levels!

When I first started learning about deep breathing exercises and... Read More

The Benefits of Meditation: Tips and Techniques

Meditation is healthy, safe and affordable. In fact it's free.... Read More

Muraqaba- The Sufi Meditation By Sufi-Master Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi

When we try to learn a new skill or try... Read More

Experiencing Peace as You Would Imagine Peace to be

Peace can mean quiet, tranquility, serenity, peace of mind, mental... Read More

Meditate with Mindful Breathing

Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.... Read More

Meditating - Staying Awake

Why is staying awake while meditating important? Falling asleep is... Read More

Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential ? Part 2

You can be the creator of your own manifest destiny.... Read More

Objective Meditations: What is Reality?

Is reality a projection from within the mind, or is... Read More

Meditation: How to Enter a Deep State of Relaxation

There are many methods of meditation that can lead to... Read More