FYI: useful way to...allow relaxation

Relaxation Exercise

I’ve given this exercise to many people so I know it is very effective. You may not notice anything the first time you try it, but I promise if you try this once or twice a day for a mere 3-5 minutes by the end of the week you will notice a significant change.

--Find a place where you will not be disturbed (bathroom if you have to) and ideally which is relatively quiet
--Sit with both feet flat on the floor, sitting upright.
--Set a timer that does not tick to go off in 3-5 minutes. You can buy a small kitchen timer at radio shack (don’t buy anything else there). Once you get the hang of this you can just do it for however long you feel like it without the timer, but in the beginning without a timer you will be tempted to open your eyes after 30-60 seconds and will not get the full benefit.
--Close your eyes and keep them closed for the duration of the exercise.
--Focus your full attention on the physical sensations of your breath i.e. notice the air coming in and out, your chest rising and falling. That is all you need to do.
--Don’t worry about how well you are doing. Putting in the effort to the best of your ability is all that matters.
--When you notice yourself thinking about something—anything other then focusing on your breath (which is inevitable) gently nudge your attention back to your breath.
--When the timer goes off sit quietly for a few seconds. Then slowly open your eyes and notice how you feel.

If you do this every day, or better, twice a say e.g. mid-morning and mid-afternoon, it can really make a difference. If you only do it when you are stressed if will be harder to get “into it”. But if you do it regularly, then when you really need it, it will make a huge difference.

Feel free to PM me for questions:

Related topics: ways to ensure you are very stressed:

--get 5 hours sleep a night
--drink lots of caffeine
--watch lots of TV
--spend lots of time with relatives that drive you nuts
--spend lots of time on the net...especially arguing on forums ;-)

Holosync is my meditation tool, and it is one of the best things to happen to me, spirtually. If you can afford it, go holosync! I meditate for one hour a day and it is the best hour of my day everyday. [thumb] Thanks ej!

Arguing on the forums is not stressful for me, at least; maybe that is because I am comfortable with what I say; and if I say something and look back decide it was inconsiderate, I simply apologise and move on with my life.

I think spending time on the 'net is productive and stress relieving. Maybe that is because I add something to the Internet everytime I surf; rather than get "sucked in" to the delusions of others...

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Hi scottl,

This is basically "present moment awareness". It is taught in many venues, through many outlets, such as Zen meditation, yoga classes, tai chi classes and Christian contemplative prayer. It can be very effective. We had a prayer/meditation course in high school where we often did this at the end of class. I would always walk out of class very relaxed and content.

Such meditation is often very difficult, because the mind always tends to race from one thought to another (e.g. to do lists, what will I have for lunch, etc.). The harder you "try" to quiet your mind, the more your mind resists. This tendency of the mind to be unable to remain still and quiet - with observation only and without thought - is called "monkey mind" in Zen.

Peace be with you,
AMDG

Zen Catholic

Edited by zencatholic, 06 August 2004 - 07:22 PM.

Hi scottl,

This is basically "present moment awareness".  It is taught in many venues, through many outlets, such as Zen meditation, yoga classes, tai chi classes and Christian contemplative prayer.  It can be very effective.  We had a prayer/meditation course in high school where we often did this at the end of class.  I would always walk out of class very relaxed and content.

Such meditation is often very difficult, because the mind always tends to race from one thought to another (e.g. to do lists, what will I have for lunch, etc.).  The harder you "try" to quiet your mind, the more your mind resists.  This tendency of the mind to be unable to remain still and quiet - with observation only and without thought - is called "monkey mind" in Zen.

Peace be with you,
AMDG

Zen Catholic

Zen,

"The harder you "try" to quiet your mind, the more your mind resists. "

Yes exactly--if you try to fight with the mind you lose. That is why this exercise is different from what I think is called vipassana which may be what you mean by "present mind awareness". This exercise is not about being aware. It is the opposite of diffuse awareness. It is about focusing your attention and putting as much energy into paying attention to the physical sensations of breathing as possible. You totally ignore and give as little attention as possible to anything else (including and most especially your thoughts). By ignoring your thoughts and focusing elsewhere they are calmed (at least briefly).

Try this experiment: find an old catholic church (it must be catholic*). Go there at some time it is unlikely to be crowded. Sit there and do this exercise for a good long time (no timer for this one) and then when you are finished with the exercise…just sit there…and enjoy the inner quiet. Can't say from experience since I’ve never tried it, but I’ll bet you it beats theanine, etc. all to hell.

By doing this exercise you are tapping into the quiet that lies within all of us. This is diferent from imposing quiet from without e.g. by taking a suplement, etc.

Scott

*I’m not catholic, and was not raised catholic, but it is unlikely you will find the kind of quiet energy I’m talking about in other non-catholic churches. If you happened to be near a redwood forest, or to a lesser extent any forest, that will work too.

Edited by scottl, 18 August 2004 - 05:28 PM.

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Hi Scott,

Thanks for your reply.

I think we are talking about the same thing. "Present moment awareness" is simply awareness of what you are doing at that particular moment, not what you are "thinking". For example, if I were sitting in a quiet old Catholic church (which I have done quite often and highly recommend), and someone asked me "What are you doing?", my reply would be "I am sitting. I am breathing" Nothing else. Not "I am meditating", or "I am getting some peace and quiet", or "I am contemplating X, Y and Z". It is simply to concentrate on the sound and feel of your breath, the tension/lack of tension in your muscles, and stilling the mind. If thoughts race in to your mind (which they always do), casually observe them and then let them go. Do not comment on them, but rather view them as a detached observer. It is at times like that when I feel close to God, as the saying goes: "Be still and know that I am God".

You're right about, IMO, about there being a certain "energy" in an old Cathoilic church which is hard to duplicate and is very conducive to such relaxation techniques. When I worked in San Antonio, San Fernando Cathedral, a 273 year old Catholic church, was 2 blocks from my office. I could pop in to the church anytime of the day (the doors are always open during the day) and just sit for a while. Nobody bothers me, nobody asks what I am doing, I am welcome. It is common to see others doing the same thing. They come in and they just sit. You can be Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Muslim, atheist, or whatever. It just doesn't matter for this exercise. If you want to cut out God from the equation, you can just use this as a relaxation technique. It works. Beautiful nature settings work well for this techinque too.

I have never taken theanine (execpt in tea) or phenibut, but I suspect the feeling is similar if not better. Actually, like you said, it probably beats theanine et al. to hell in its relaxation effects. I am happy and at peace when I get up from the pew and go back to work.

Peace be with you,
AMDG

Zen Catholic