By no means am I an expert on the art of relaxation, but I do have some working knowledge in that area. Having several years experience as a psychiatric nurse has taught me many tips and tricks that can be used to promote a soothing atmosphere and help the mind to relax as well as the body.

I will attempt to give you some breathing exercizes you can utilize. But, before I get to that, I want to give you some tips on ways you can help relax other than by using breathing. First you must limit your intake of stimulants. This can include, but is not limited to coffee, tea, caffeinated soft drinks, chocolate and some over-the-counter medications. Try to eat a balanced diet of healthy foods from the basic food groups. Drink plenty of fluids, but restrict fluid comsumption during the last few hours before you retire for the night. This will help prevent frequent trips to the bathroom during the night. Physical exercise is healthy, but again, limit your exercise just before bedtime. Somtimes a nice warm bath can be very relaxing. And if possible, turn off the lights and take that bath by candlelight! You will be amazed at how relaxing this can be. Just be very careful to make sure those candles have a stable base and won't get knocked over or be a fire hazzard in any way. Another tip on promoting a good night's sleep is to use natures own sedative, L-Tryptophan. It is found in honey, milk, turkey, and bananas just to name a few foods. My secret trick is to fix a banana milkshake with an added tablespoon of honey in the late evening. Now on to my relaxation breathing exercizes.

First, you need to be comfortable. Whether you lie down or sit up is not important, as long as you are comfortable. Close your eyes if you wish, but you may also leave them open. Begin by taking a long, slow, deep breath in through your nose. Hold it for a few seconds, then slowly release it through your mouth. Repeat this several times, perhaps five times in all. Now breath at a normal rate but continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Now, I want you to focus your concentration on your toes and feet. Think about your feet as if they were floating in a pool of warm soothing water, or maybe on a fluffy white cloud. Whatever pleases you is fine. They are completely at rest with no tension at all. Continue to focus on this area until you feel that they are totally relaxed. Continue to breath as I instructed you earlier.

Now begin to focus your attention on your lower legs and feel all the tension release from the ankle up through the calf of your leg. Feel the tension leave the leg as you continue to relax your legs. You may begin to experience some "tingling" sensations, and this is normal.

When you feel that you are completely relaxed in your lower legs, I want you to begin to focus on your upper legs, knees and thighs. Continue to breath as I instructed you earlier. You might even think the word "relax" each time you exhale. You may feel as if your legs are floating and not connected to your body.

Now, continuing to practice the breathing, I want you to begin to focus on your hands and wrists. Think of your hands as also floating. They will feel as if they have no weight at all. Continue to focus on your hands until they are totaly relaxed.

Now begin to focus on the lower arms, again continuing to breath as you were instructed. Allow your arms to completely relax.

Now that your lower arms are relaxed, begin to focus your attention on the upper arms and elbows. Continue to breathe and relax even more. Try to think of yourself as being in the most restfull and peaceful place you could ever imagine. Whether this is a real place or a fanntasy place is not important. What IS important is that it is a place where you can be totally relaxed without any worries.

As you continue to breathe, begin to focus your attention on your hips and abdomen. Do not worry about "holding in your tummy." You are not trying to impress anyone by appearing to have a slim, trim figure. You are relaxing and your appearance is of no importance. Just relax and let the muscles loosen. Let all the tension leave from your lower torso.

Continue to breathe as you were instructed. Now focus on your upper body and pay particular attention to your shoulders and upper back. Allow all tension to simply float away as you relax more and more.

Now that your body is relaxed and comfortable, you should begin to think about your neck. Allow your neck to be completely at rest. If you elected to remain sitting, you might find your head begin to tilt as your neck relaxes and all the tension is released.

Once your neck is relaxed, I want you to focus on the muscles in your face and your head. Allow all the tensness to float away as you become more and more relaxed. Continue to think of yourself as being in the most wonderful and relaxing place, this is "Your Special Place" and it belongs to no one else.

Now that your entire body is relaxing you can start to think about this special place of yours. Let yourself be immersed in this place. You may be aware of sounds or sights you can see and they are very pleasing to you. Take a deep breath and slowly release it. Are there smells you notice? Are you alone in your special place, or are there other creatures there? Perhaps animals or birds are there with you. You might detect the odor of nearby foliage or even the ocean or the rich earth of your special place. Can you feel the kiss of a gentle breeze or the warmth of a glowing fireplace against your cheek? Whatever you notice is entirely up to you, for this is your place alone. Spend a few moments here in your special place as you continue to relax.

Now that you are completely relaxed and at peace, you will want to take a last look around you at your special place. Remember the details of this wonderful and relaxing place you have created for yourself. The next time you feel tension and stress start to become overwhelming, you can take three deep breaths and let them out slowly while you whisper the word "relax" as you think about this place and it will bring back this peaceful, relaxed feeling again.

I want you to take a few deep, slow breaths as you did at the beginning of this exercize. Let each breath out slowly through your mouth. Now slowly begin to focus on the present. Open your eyes if you have closed them and look around you at the sights and the sounds of the real world around you. You know that anytime there is a need, you can return to your special place for a few moments just by taking three deep breaths. At this point you should feel as if you have just taken a long, wonderful nap and your entire body feels relaxed and your mind is stress-free.

I hope that you will find this little exercize to be of benefit to you. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail and I will try to answer them as quickly as possible.






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