Relaxation Techniques to Revitalize Body and Mind
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We all get to a stage where we've just had it. We need a break. Well if a holiday is out of the question, try these relaxation techniques to revitalize your body and mind.
Meditation
Join a local meditation group or buy one of the many instructional CD's on the market. Be sure to meditate in an environment which is comfortable and with minimal noise and distractions. You may find yourself falling asleep the first few times you try this but it is a great way of relaxing and also provides you with greater concentration skills.
A simple way of relaxing the mind with minimal expense or training is with a method called Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Start by lying on the floor, on your back with your hands by your side, and your eyes closed. Imagine you are at the most relaxing place you could imagine, it may include a tropical island, waterfalls, whatever you find relaxing. Whilst you are thinking about the sight, smell, and sounds of your surrounding take 20 long, deep breathes. Once you've reached 20 you will be ready to begin the muscle relaxation. Start at the toes by tightening (contracting) the muscles in the toes for 5 seconds then relax them. As you relax them feel the tension sink from those muscles and escape the body into the ground. Work your way slowly through the body going to the feet, calves, upper thigh, abdominals, hands, arms, chest, shoulders, neck, and then the face. Each time feeling the body sink deeper into the floor as the tension is released from your muscles. Finish with 10 more deep breathes.
Massage
Massage is a great way to promote recovery because it increases blood flow deep into the muscles, and is really relaxing! Swedish massage is generally the lightest form but some people really like a deep tissue massage. Be sure to only consult a suitably qualified and registered masseur.
Hot/Cold Showers
Never do this if you are suffering from a virus or cold or if you have a recent soft tissue injury. It involves alternating the water temperature between hot and cold for set periods.
Start by having a shower with the water at the usual temperature and clean your skin with soap. The temperature is then alternated between hot (35-38°C) for 1-2 minutes, then cold (10-16°C) for 10-30 seconds. Repeat this 3 times then finish with a shower at normal temperature. Always drink plenty of water when you get out.
Hot/Cold Spa
Guidelines are the same as for the Hot/Cold Showers but 3-4 minutes is spent in the spa and 30-60 seconds is spent in the cold bath.
Rest Days
If you exercise every other day of the week do nothing on this day. Sunday's are great for this!
Sleep
Sleep is often what people do when they have finished everything else for that day but it must become a higher priority. A lack of sleep makes people irrational, moody, and low on energy. Try to get 7-9 hours sleep per night. To ensure a great night sleep try to avoid too much alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and high protein meals.
Cross Training
Cross Training is participating in an activity which is different to your normal training regime. Indoor rock-climbing, cycling, rowing, basketball, or in-line skating are just a few examples. The only requirement is that the intensity must be light.
Music
Just kick back, relax, and listen to any music that you enjoy. You will be surprised at how mentally refreshing this can be!
Movies
Go and watch a new movie at the cinema or hire out one of your favourites from the video store. Once again, a great way to relieve stress and relax mentally!
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Meditation offers practical help for all faiths, lifestyles San Antonio Express The practice of meditation makes our present moment workable by helping us overcome everyday stresses. It's something people of all faiths or no faith can use to keep us where we are — regardless of whether the moment is pleasurable or not. Managing Stress with Meditation |
Washington Post Best Selling Book by Meditation Expert Offers Chance at a ... MarketWatch (press release) Author Ilchi Lee has offered a free one-hour teleseminar, and an iOS and Android-based app featuring meditations from the book will be introduced for the first time at a discounted $0.99. Participants can enter by going to www.callofsedona.com . |
Please Meditate: Try the Tao (VIDEO) Huffington Post (blog) I first encountered Taoist meditations while working on my Master's of Science degree in acupuncture at Yo San University. I had previously received acupuncture treatments from Dr. Maoshing Ni, and through these treatments found complete remission from ... |
Challenger School's meditation garden offers students 'horticultural therapy ... TCPalm The meditation garden, now dedicated in honor of Susan D. Burrows, Challenger School founder and its principal for 18 years, was started by Cindy Haris with the University of Florida of Martin County 4-H Youth. |
 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal | Transcendental Meditation returns to the Peninsula Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal Val Mailander, Ma, PhD, retired psychologist, probation officer and TV producer/actress is offering introductory lectures and group meditations on the Kitsap Peninsula. She has taught over 1000 people over the past 40 years. Consider Consciousness-Based Education Through 15 Minutes Quiet Time |
 PR Web (press release) | Mind-Body Healing Pioneer, Best-Selling Author, and Chopra Center Co-founder ... PR Web (press release) Known for his pioneering work in the field of mind-body medicine, David Simon, MD played a key role in bringing the healing practices of meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda into the mainstream medical world and to countless people throughout the globe. Chopra Center Dedicates 21-Day Meditation Challengeâ„¢ to Memory of Co-founder ... |
Find some inner peace with quiet meditation Calgary Herald A regular meditation practice enables us to learn how to distance ourselves from our thoughts. It is very easy to identify with every thought that comes into our heads and to believe what we think is true. We can quickly "let our thoughts run away with ... |
Learn basic meditation techniques Times of India Meditation is not a new-age sensation as you might believe given its ever-rising popularity over the last decade. It's a lifestyle that holds thousands of years of history to its name and once indulged in, very few people ever doubt its capacity to ... |
 The Saginaw News - MLive.com | Meditation on Madonna: 'Material Girl' pursued crossover collaborations in ... The Saginaw News - MLive.com By Justin Engel | jengel1@mlive.com View full sizecourtesy Interscope RecordsThe album cover for Madonna's new "Give Me All Your Luvin'." BAY CITY — The fourth and final Madonna "reinvention" MLive will highlight wasn't so much a reinvention as it was ... Meditation on Madonna: Material girl went 'Vogue' during controversial '90s work |
A Meditation on the Arc of Justice Patheos (blog) Invocation delivered at the ninth annual Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr Hall of Fame awards at City Hall, Providence, Rhode Island. Once the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr, sang of an “inescapable network of mutuality. |
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