Here are a couple of user friendly relaxation exercises that you can try. Perhaps record
them on your ipad or phone etc, as until it’s imprinted in your memory it will be pretty
tough to relax properly whilst reading the instructions. If you would like a bit more
guidance or to talk to a counsellor we can be contacted on [email protected].
‘Down Time’ IN
Sit upright with feet flat on floor, arms by side- nice and comfortable. Arms should be relaxed
with hands resting lightly on their thigh.
1.
„Gently close your eyes‟
2.
„Gently and slowly turning your attention to all the sounds that you notice outside of this
room, focussing only on these and listening to what you can hear‟ (1min)‟.
3.
„Now leaving those sounds outside this room, turning your attention to the sounds you
can hear inside this room, focussing only on these and listening to what you can hear in the room‟
(1min)
4.
„Now leaving the sounds inside the room and turning your attention to the sounds you can
hear in your own body – your heart, pulse, stomach noises, the sound of your breathing, becoming
aware of these and listening to your body living‟ (1min) 5.
5.
„Keeping your eyes closed and now very slowly taking 5 deep breaths‟
6.
„Now slowly open your eyes and bringing your attention back to the room, feeling your
feet on the floor and yourself sitting in your chair‟
7.
„Now stand up slowly and gently stretch‟.
‘Down Time’ OUT
Sit upright with feet flat on floor, arms by side- nice and comfortable. Arms should be relaxed
with hands resting lightly on their thigh.
1.
„Gently close your eyes‟
2.
„Gently and slowly turning your attention to all the sounds that you notice in your own
body – your heart, pulse, stomach noises, the sound of your breathing, becoming aware of these
and listening to your body living‟ (1min)
3.
„Now leaving those sounds inside your body, turning your attention to the sounds you can
hear inside this room, focussing only on these and listening to what you can hear in the room‟
(1min)
4.
„Now leaving the sounds inside the room and turning your attention to the sounds you can
hear outside of the room, focussing only on these and listening to what you can hear‟ (1min)
5.
„Keeping your eyes closed and now very slowly taking 5 deep breaths‟
6.
„Now slowly open your eyes and bringing your attention back to the room, feeling your
feet on the floor and yourself sitting in your chair‟
7.
„Now stand up slowly and gently stretch‟.
‘Bellows Breathing’
Stand up in front of a chair and move a step away from it. Feet should be pointing forward,
shoulder width apart. Relax shoulders.
1.
Place your hands flat (palms down) on your rib cage-your fingers should be just meeting
and fingers tips touching in the centre of your body at the apex where the ribcage
divides.
2. Breathe in through your nose only and out through the mouth in your own time.
3. Notice if anything happens to your fingers.
What did you notice? (Fingers moved away from each other on the inhale. If breathing is shallow
and „normal‟ then the fingers won‟t have moved).
4. Now try again and inhale very slowly pushing your ribcage out to the sides as far as you
can, as if it were a balloon expanding.
‘The Accordion’
1.
Bend elbows and place hands together at waist height
2. Then breathing slowly out move your hands apart in time with your breath.
3. Then breathing slowly out move your hands back together as though squeezing the
accordion together.
4. As you do these imagine your ribcage expanding and contracting with the accordion.
Give this a go a couple of times and see what you think.
‘In Time’
1.
“Breathe in to the count of 4 and you will count for them 1 through to 4.
2. Then hold your breath as long as you are able up to the count of 4
3. And then breathe out, allowing the exhalation to last for as long as you can up to the
count of 5.
4. Now, we‟ll be substituting the word „in‟ for the number 1 on the in breath, ‟hold‟ for
number 1 on the holding breath and „out‟ for the number 1 on the out breath. “
5. Now either using the accordion or bellow position….
6. “In-2-3-4, hold-2-3-4, out-2-3-4-5” (Pause)
7. Repeat this cycle 3 times.