I have really enjoyed the exercise this unit. I started off by lying down. I then realized that it is much more challenging to really focus and relax when your 5 yr old is running around the house with the cartoons on and singing loudly. I had to shut myself in my room, and try a second time. I had just received some bad news about the holidays right before I began the exercise and I was very tense and sad. Listening to the instructions, I tried to relax and get as comfortable as I could. The calm began with teh deep breathing. Once I began to focus on the blood flowing into my arms, my hands felt very heavy like they were simply sinking. My room is the coldest in the house, but my arms remained warm while I was focusing and listening to the speaker. I noticed the tense feeling in my shoulders let up a little bit, although not entirely. When we reversed the blood flow back to our abdomen, I noticed the warmth in my stomach as well. The deep breathing left me with a very calm feeling after the exercise was over. The tension lightened and I felt more relaxed than before I had begun.
Exercises such as these are really quite beneficial. If you can take 15 minutes out of your day and release some of the tension, your body is going to benefit. Tension, stress, and anxiety infect your body like a poison. It moves from part to part until the entire body is suffering. This form of relaxation allows you to push it back, dull it, possibly even eliminate it. We connect with our body through our mind and are able to suggest to it that its time to feel better and relax.
Trisha, I enjoyed how thorough you were with your explanation of how you personally experienced the exercise. I also felt the same release in tension even though at the beginning I wasn't too sure about it. I agree with us all adding some sort of relaxation no matter how busy we may be...it just might be what we need to stay calm and not get overwhelmed. Great post!
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