[Photo courtesy of EBM Photography: thanks Emma!]

A 10 Minute Relaxation Technique (1) to de-stress and re-energise

With our fast paced lives it is often difficult to find time to relax and when we do find time we often can’t relax because our minds are still racing with things we think we need to be doing. School runs, work, to do lists, shopping lists, feed the cat, you name it. Catch 22. Switching off is really hard especially in a constantly active lifestyle where through technology we are always instantly accessible. It is however, important to make time for yourself to wind down, calm down and switch off before you burn out. When I’m feeling stressed, ill, overwhelmed, totally rubbish and lack energy I like to do a few techniques to ease the pressure. Before I go to sleep I practice this meditation exercise to calm me down and relax my mind so I can get a good night’s sleep and help my mental well-being in the process. It is a great visual technique. I’m much more of a visual person and this requires a bit of concentration so it really distracts me from my day to day challenges and makes me focus on just one thing. I want to share it today to help you to relax and feel better too. My husband taught it to me but I have no idea where he got it from so if any of you know, feel free to add the reference in the comments section! 😉 Let me know if it works for you!

OK, so this exercise is based on colour. I love colour. 😉 You need to choose 3 colours. They can be any colour you like, but we’ll take the British or American colours red, white and blue for this example 😉

The three colours you chose — you are going to imagine those as three separate layers of silk (in those colours obviously). If you’ve seen the 1995 Galaxy chocolate TV advert (UK) with the song “my ship has sails that are made of silk” and can picture that beautiful chocolate satin material … imagine your silk layers are kind of like that.

Soft, light, floaty and decadently beautiful. Like satin but not as heavy.

(Image: https://wallpaperscraft.com)

If you haven’t seen the ad, click the link below for a vintage treat 😉 >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcBrpZbpS_I
So these are our silk colours in this example:

 

 

 

 

(Images: Google Images)

It helps if you work in pairs to do this. One person can read the instructions out as the other lies there following them but you can also do this alone by just reading through this, memorising it and practicing it by yourself. You don’t have to touch your partner but if you want to you can gently run your index and middle fingers slowly and ever so lightly over their body as you describe the process. This might help them to visualise the silk material better. Only do this though if you trust your partner and are not ticklish! Otherwise stick to the visualisation techniques. And I wouldn’t use real material because it can cause feelings of suffocation or claustrophobia. Depending on how fast or slow you go, it should take about 10-15 minutes which is perfect for us busy people! Don’t rush through it though, just take your time.

If you want to play some quiet relaxing music feel free but you can also work in silence if you prefer. I like to have music and sounds of the beach / waves playing in the background for ultimate relaxation!

OK, so let’s begin!

Start:

I want you to lie down on your bed or on a sofa. Remove your shoes or slippers, make yourself comfortable. Take a few moments to settle yourself down.

Close your eyes. And take a deep breath in, hold for 3 seconds and then release. Do this three times.

You’re now feeling slightly more relaxed and settled. Let your mind just quieten and blur out all the thoughts in your head. Focus on your breathing.

I’m now going to take one of the layers of silk. Choose a colour from your three. I’ll take red in this case. You’re going to imagine that I am gently and slowly pulling the red silk over your entire body.

I’m pulling it over your head

Over your face, over your eyes, nose, past your lips, down past your neck, it’s light and floaty and softly glides over you

As I pull the silk over you, you’re going to imagine that with every breath you exhale all the negativity in your body, all the worries, strains and stresses and all the toxic crap that makes you feel rubbish is leaving your body

Imagine with every exhaling breath that all that negativity is black and is coming out of your body through your mouth and nose and is sticking to the red silk

As I pull the silk down over your chest, all the negativity and pain is discolouring the silk . The negativity is leaving your body and the silk is taking all that away as it glides over you

I’m pulling the silk further over you, letting its soft light material soothe you and softly caress your skin

Over your stomach

Over your hips and pelvis taking away any aches and pains you might have

Over your thighs and knees

Just collecting and removing all the negativity on the way down

Over your calves, feet and toes

Then finally, completely blackened and charged with all the negativity you exhaled, I’m throwing it out the window and into the street where it vanishes.

 

(Pause for 10 seconds)

 

Now your body is cleared of negativity and all that rubbish. You’re feeling a little empty and drained though so we need to replenish your energy therefore we now take the white layer of silk (or the next of your three colours).

We’re going to do the same process again but this time each time you inhale, you’re going to receive energy and white light and it’s going to heal the places that hurt.

So we start with your head again, pulling the silk down

Across your brow, over your eyes, nose and lips

Over your chin and neck

Each inhale you take, light and energy are filling your body and replenishing you, leaving you with a soft white glow

The white light is pouring into your cells and blood and filling you with positivity, hope and freedom

It replaces pain with peace and healing

The smooth white silk glides down over your chest

As your chest rises and falls in soft rhythms with your relaxed breath

Over your pelvis and hips, over your thighs

Down past your knees and calves reenergising you and filling you with positive waves

I’m pulling the cool white silk down past your ankles and now over your toes

And then I’m tossing it out the window to disappear and vanish with the other silk layer.

 

(Pause for 10 seconds)

 

Now you’re replenished and energised and feeling sparkly and new. You have a soft white glow about you

But we want to keep that in. We’ve opened up your body to receive this light so now we need to seal it shut to protect it and keep all the good positive energy in and keep bad energy out.

So the final layer of silk is the blue layer (or the last colour in your set) and this will seal in the positive white energy.

Repeating the steps as before, I’m gliding the blue silk over the crown of your head, over your forehead, past your nose

Softly over your lips and chin

Down over your neck and shoulders

Sealing in all that energy, kissing your skin as it touches you

While the blue silk is gliding over you, it leaves a beautiful blue light, a soft blue glow

Imagine that blue glow as it goes over your body

Down over your chest and stomach

Over your hips and thighs

Down over your knees and calves

Then over your ankles, feet and toes

And finally I’m throwing it out the window where it vanishes.

 

(Pause for 10 seconds)

 

You now have a beautiful blue glow about you.

You’re sparkly and shiny and new, radiating love, light and positivity, healing and well-being

Your mind is relaxed

Your body is still and resting.

Your thoughts slowly start to return to your breathing

Just inhale and exhale and focus on the rhythm of your breath

Just lie there basking in the glow feeling warm and positive.

 

(Pause for 10 seconds)

 

When you’re ready, in your own time, slowly open your eyes and then gently roll over to the right and sit up

or if you’d like to sleep then keep your eyes closed and let yourself drift off into a deep peaceful sleep

 

Let the music play or just quietly let them come to or sleep

End

🙂 Let me know how you get on! Be well!