Finding Calm: A Guide to Mindful Healing
Relaxation exercises are a great way to start your journey with meditation and spiritual exploration. Try this easy technique anytime you are looking to feel grounded, clear some mental clutter and embrace tranquility.
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down in a relaxed posture. Adjust yourself so that your spine is erect and your shoulders are down your back and away from your ears. Make sure your jaw is unclenched and free from tension. You may place your hands open (receiving) or facing down on your body (grounding).
Close your eyes and start by taking take three deep breaths, inhaling through the nose for a count of six, exhaling through the mouth for a count of eight. This will help slow down racing thoughts out of fight or flight, and into a more calm state.
As you continue to breath, do a body scan. Focus on each part of your body starting at your feet, moving up to the top of your head. Imagine each breath in filling your body with fresh oxygen, and each exhale is getting rid of all of the gunk and tension that has built up in your muscles. If there is a spot of your body where you feel the most amount of tension, take some time and focus your breath into that spot.
Once you feel relaxed physically, pivot your focus back to your breath, noticing the warm relaxation that has now taken over your body.
Enjoy this moment of peace and mindfulness, and know that you can always come back to this place whenever you need. Once you have accessed this space of tranquility, it is always available to you.
*In a pinch? Try something called alternate nostril breathing! To practice it, simply use your thumb and index finger to hold one nostril closed while you breathe in and out of the other nostril. Then switch sides and repeat the process. While doing this, focus on deep breaths in order to achieve the full therapeutic effect of this powerful practice!