Give yourself a little love...you'll be glad you did!

Stress causes the muscles in our body to tense up and contract. This may cause Headaches, back and neck pain and difficulty sleeping.  When our bodies are subject to prolonged stress it can interfere with the body’s ability to produce chemicals necessary to fight viruses etc.  As well as being linked to psychological problems.

I read about the following exercises years ago and have heard it mentioned several times lately as an aide in relaxing before meditation.

You will be working your muscles separately and then finally all at one time.

Start this exercise lying down.  When you are more familiar with the process it may be done sitting or standing.

Arms at your sides, palms facing down. Do not cross legs.

Breathe slowly and deeply for a few minutes and relax.

On an inhale, breathe in slowly through your nose and at the same time clench your left hand in a tight fist while inhaling.  Clench fairly hard.  You want to feel the muscles tighten but not cramping. Keep your fist clenched as you hold your breath for a few seconds and exhale through your mouth as you relax your fist. Now focus on the relaxation in your hand. Do this three times.  Now do the same for the right hand.  Next  use both hands at the same time. Clenching and relaxing 3 times.

Do the above with your fists bending at the wrists.

Now put  tension in the forearms. Left three times, right three times, then together three times.

Same for the biceps. Left, right then together.

Next your shoulders by trying to move the left shoulder to your left ear. Left, right and then both.  Three times each and together.

Now move to your feet.   Three times with left, then the right and then together.

Toes, next arches, then ankles, then caves, then thighs, then buttocks. Left, right then together three times.

Now the muscles of the abdomen (as in doing sit ups but do not move back), then back, next chest and then shoulders  (try to bring your shoulder blades together)  Three times each.

Tense your face by frowning, smiling whatever you can do to add tension to the face muscles.  Tense, hold, relax   three times.

Next, face shoulders and neck at the same time. Three times.

Now try to tense and relax the entire body 3 times.  

Relax as much as possible.  Focus on breathing easily and slowly.

When you are ready to finish these exercises, move your body slowly and sit up.

Try to reach a deeper level of relaxation each time you do these exercises.