Relaxation

We talk a lot about stress in our society, but very little about relaxation. Odd, isn't it? The ability to relax is, in my view, undervalued. We value driven people, achievers, go-getters. "He's a bit laid-back" is more likely to be an insult than a compliment!

We all need to relax. Heart disease leads too many of us to an early grave. Interpersonal friction damages marriages and relationships. The everyday tensions of life weigh too heavily on us, crushing our sense of joy at being alive. (If I become too lyrical, just slap me)

The ideal image of the truly relaxed person is the sprinter tearing down the track. Watch his face -- see how the skin ripples easily. He's utterly relaxed, even to his facial muscles. He's pumping his arms but, again, see how the muscles float freely. Relaxed. Not holding him back. Now look at his eyes. They're focused on one thing only -- the finishing tape. This is the paradox of relaxation: we perform optimally when we are both relaxed and focused.

This applies in every aspect of life. Relaxation + focus = optimum performance. In social relationships. At work. In sports and athletics. It's the goal of every sports psychologist -- to help their athletes to stay in control of body and mind, even when they are playing the most important game of the year. It's called being "in the zone". It's sometimes referred to as "Daring to lose, to win". Allowing yourself to be bold, to take risks, and not to fear the consequences. Watch a top-flight sportsperson at work and you will see what I mean. It's the difference between competence and mastery, that moment when it all looks so easy.

How do we get "in the zone"? There are two proven relaxation techniques : deep meditation and hypnosis. I use both, personally. If these approaches seem daunting, then let me suggest a few simple techniques which you can use every day, without special training or expense, to help you shed some of your daily load of anxiety.

The first technique is the simplest: just take a deep breath in, hold it, and release slowly. As you release, let your shoulders drop. You'd be surprised how much tension resides in our shoulders. A variation of this technique is the walking meditation. As you walk along, count your paces. Breath in for 4 paces, hold for 4, breathe out for 6. Start again. You can vary the numbers. A singer I know does 12 in, 12 holding and 12 out, but then breath control is her stock in trade.

Another useful, everyday technique is to develop awareness of your body. For example, observe your breathing. Become aware of the breath entering your body. The slight increase in tension in your chest muscles as your chest expands. The release of tension on the outbreath. Any part of your body can be treated in this way. Pay close attention to your body here and now, and you will rapidly shed some of your tension.

A third approach is to use an external object as your focus. A cup, for example. Let everything else disappear from your attention and focus exclusively on the cup. Become aware of its glaze. The porcelain beneath. Sense its curvature. Let its history begin to seep into your soul. I'm getting lyrical again, so slap me. When you focus intently on an everyday object, not forcing the issue but allowing that object to fill your field of awareness, good things happen to your mind and body. It's another example of living in the here and now.

Some people shy away from hypnotherapy and meditation. I can understand the reluctance if you've never experienced the benefits, but I can wholeheartedly recommend both approaches. My own hypnotherapy clients swear by the CDs I give them. How simple is that? Half an hour of 'quiet time' every so often (typically, once per week) can unwind the tensions of work, relationships and the general hassles of modern life.

Whatever solution you choose, you won't regret learning to relax. It's the most valuable investment any person can make.

Jim Sullivan is a hypnotherapist specialising in confidence, self esteem and stress management. He may be contacted via the Confidence Club website http://www.confidenceclub.net

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Google News Updated : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:55:47 GMT Veterans Group Urges Support to 'Finish the Job' - Washington Post Veterans Group Urges Support to 'Finish the Job' Washington Post - 5 hours ago By Michael D. Shear Sen. John McCain will get some battleground-state help this week from Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, who appear in a television commercial aimed at convincing the public that the United States is winning in Iraq. Veterans’ Group Critical of Obama Plans Costly Ad Campaign FOXNews Veterans group plans ad campaign touting Iraq war The Associated Press Telegraph.co.uk - KPVI-TV - Politico - New York Times Blogs all 127 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:04:24 GMT Planet Mercury Shrinking In Size, Latest NASA Probe Reveal - AHN Voice of America Planet Mercury Shrinking In Size, Latest NASA Probe Reveal AHN - 3 hours ago London, England (AHN) - Mercury, the nearest planet to the sun and the smallest in the solar system, is shrinking, scientists said Saturday. Messenger's Photos Of Mercury Point Out New Facts eFluxMedia First Results From Messenger's Mercury Flyby Slashdot BBC News - Los Angeles Times - MSNBC - Scientific American all 160 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:26:44 GMT Peter Cook's team set to paint ugly picture of Christie Brinkley - New York Daily News The Money Times Peter Cook's team set to paint ugly picture of Christie Brinkley New York Daily News - 10 hours ago BY CHRISTINA BOYLE and TRACY CONNOR Christie Brinkley emerged from the first week of her divorce trial virtually unscathed, but the supermodel may not be as lucky in the second round. Op-Ed Columnist An Ideal Husband New York Times Christie Brinkley Hangs with Ex Billy Joel People Magazine Starpulse.com - FOXNews - WCHI - Hollywood Today Newsmagazine all 54 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:15:57 GMT Oregon Man Flies His Balloon Powered Chair Out of State - eFluxMedia Washington Post Oregon Man Flies His Balloon Powered Chair Out of State eFluxMedia - 1 hour ago By Matthew Williams A 48-year-old gas station owner from Bend, Oregon triumphed Saturday on his third attempt in making a 235-mile (378km) ride in a lawn chair rigged with helium-filled party balloons. Video: Ore. Man Uses Balloons and a Lawn Chair to Fly AssociatedPress Fireworks Injure Dozens Nationwide Washington Post United Press International - BBC News - New Zealand Herald - NEWS.com.au all 1,333 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:16:09 GMT Consumers get rare chance to try to effect changes in credit-card ... - MarketWatch Consumers get rare chance to try to effect changes in credit-card ... MarketWatch - 1 hour ago By Andrea Coombes, MarketWatch SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- If you've ever complained about an unexpected interest-rate hike on your credit card, now's your chance to have your gripe heard. Speak Up on Credit-Card Rules Wall Street Journal Credit Card Overhauls Seem Likely New York Times Chicago Tribune - Billings Gazette - OpEdNews all 15 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:32:50 GMT RNC Unit Launches First Big Ad Buy in Battleground States - FOXNews FOXNews RNC Unit Launches First Big Ad Buy in Battleground States FOXNews - 5 hours ago by FOXNews.com The RNC's independiture expenditure unit has launched its first big ad buy in battleground states, touting John McCain as a crusader on the climate (RNCIEU). New RNC Ads Go After Obama on Energy Washington Post New RNC Ad: McCain For "Balance" On Energy, Obama "The Party Line" TPM Politico - Detroit Free Press - Los Angeles Times - guardian.co.uk all 40 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:48:38 GMT Will Smith is box office superhero with 'Hancock' - Reuters Calgary Herald Will Smith is box office superhero with 'Hancock' Reuters - 2 hours ago LOS ANGELES, July 6 (Reuters) - Will Smith, the closest thing to a sure bet in Hollywood, overcame some of the worst reviews of his career to claim the top spot at the US Independence Day holiday box office with "Hancock. 'Hancock' grabs heroic $107.3M over long weekend The Associated Press Movie Review: Hancock, A Superhero With Issues eFluxMedia Portsmouth Herald News - Lake County News - Sunday Paper - Bodog Beat all 324 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:05:33 GMT Clickbank RSS Feeds Make Money From Home

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