Total Relaxation

Everyone needs downtime to relax and just do nothing. It's a way of recharging ourselves and a way to help us reflect on life and time to heal. In this column, we will examine the best way to give yourself a short 20 minute vacation. Use it when you're feeling stressed out, emotional, tired, confused, or for a brief break after the holiday parties. Perhaps you just need a recharge, or a calm moment. This practice involves allowing yourself to completely relax and breath and guide your attention at various areas of your body. You can even use this method to reduce pain, or discomfort from a chronic disease.

First of all, you are going to lie down in the yoga asana (posture) called Savasana or "corpse pose". If you're offended by that, we'll call it the "final resting position". We lie on a mat, carpet, bed, or even the couch will do. All you have to do is lie down and close your eyes. Start breathing deep from the abdomen - you slowly inhale fully, pause, slowly exhale fully, then pause, and then cycle again. Try this for at least six breaths.

Next, bring your attention to your toes and allow them to relax totally. If you have to wiggle, crunch them, snap, or pop them, now's the time to do it. Then relax totally for six more breaths.

From here, we move to the heels, bringing our attention there. We may relax, wiggle, adjust ourselves into comfort, then relax for six complete cycles of inhale, pause, exhale, pause.

We then shift our attention to the ankles, allowing ourselves to rotate, shake, stretch the ankles, then complete a cycle of six full breaths.

Bringing our attention to the lower leg, we relax completely, allowing the calf muscles sink into the ground (bed, floor, etc.), and complete six cycles of breathing.

Moving to the knees, we adjust ourselves and allow the articulation of the knee to completely relax and feel the space. Breathe for six more cycles.

Our attention then shifts to the thighs, allowing each muscle to first tighten, then relax completely. Breathing all along for six complete breaths.

Coming to the buttocks, we feel the gravity pulling us into the ground. The tailbone tucked and feeling fully relaxed. We breath and hold our attention here for six complete cycles.

Shifting to the lower back, we can feel the small of our back and realize the curvature there. We dissolve all our tension and tightness there, releasing that breath by breath for six breaths.

It is at the midback where we feel a sense of our breathing massaging us into the ground (bed, floor, etc.), and breath by breath feeling the embrace of Mother Earth. Six breaths and we feel revitalized.

Now at the upper back, we completely relax and feel our chest relaxed and sink. With every breath, the shoulder blades melt into the ground and we feel our tensions and frustrations melting away. We maintain our attention here for six full breaths.

Reaching the shoulders, we realize we have no burdens to shoulder right now, allowing ourselves ease of spirit. Breathing deeply, we completely relax for six complete cycles.

Our upper arms sink into the ground, as if a weight has been lifted off our shoulders. Completely flaccid and relaxed, we continue for a full six breaths.

At the elbows, we feel the space of our joint, and breathing deeply and slowly, we feel completely relaxed for six cycles of inhale - pause - exhale - pause.

Coming down to the forearms and wrists, we let go of any tension, any desire for control, and completely allow ourselves to relax. In and out, we breathe, fully for six cycles.

When we reach our hands, we realize we have to let go completely. Our hands are not stiff and straight, neither clenched and closed. In letting go, we erase all tension trying to control things in our lives. Be breathe and practice letting go for six complete breaths.

We bring our attention to the neck now, allowing all tension to be erased. Our head feels so heavy - as heavy as a boulder and we struggle to maintain our consciousness. We have not felt so completely relaxed in months. Six breaths.

Our scalp is completely relaxed. Our brows unfurrowed. There is no face to maintain, only the bliss of our relaxation. Our face is completely serene, reflecting the calmness within us. We breathe in and out, inhaling good thoughts, exhaling bad thoughts. Inhaling good energy, exhaling bad energy. Inhaling the good, exhaling the bad. Calmly breathing in and out...

You can get up when you wish to...