Taking a few minutes to relax each day can ease insomnia, reduce heart disease, stress, dependence on smoking and tranquillisers, and generally improve your sense of well-being. Set aside 10- 15 minutes at the start and end of each day to concentrate on deep breathing or relaxing your muscles. For all these exercises, loosen your clothing, take off your shoes and lie on your back, with your head, neck and back aligned.
Diaphragmatic breathing This is the natural way to breathe, but we often use our rib muscles instead, for short, shallow breaths. Diaphragmatic breathing is based on the contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm. By contrast, chest breathing promotes tension and is appropriate for getting the body ready for action but is not appropriate for relaxing.
Place your hands on your abdomen. Slowly fill and empty your lungs. If you are breathing properly it should feel as if air is filling your abdomen and your hands should rise and fall as you breathe.
Slow breathing Breathe in and out very slowly, counting from 10 to 1 for each breathing cycle. Start at lo and breathe in, counting 9, 8 and 7. Pause at 6 and 5. Breathe out and count 4, 3, 2 and 1. Relax any muscles that you feel are tense.
Muscle relaxation This exercise successively tenses and relaxes groups of muscles.
Lie with your feet about 18in/460mm apart, palms turned upwards and held 6in/150mm away from your body. Raise your eyebrows and tense your forehead muscles. Count to 5, then relax. Repeat. Follow the same procedure by tightening and relaxing each of these muscle groups. Squeeze your eyes shut and then open them wide; open your mouth and eyes wide; purse your lips; tighten your chin; clench and relax your jaw muscles; raise your shoulder and tense your neck and shoulder muscles; raise one arm, clench your fist and tense the muscles, then do the same with the other arm; tighten your stomach muscles; lift one leg slightly off the floor and push the foot against an imaginary obstacle, then drop; repeat with the other leg.
Then lie still for several minutes, completely relaxed, and try to feel as if you are floating.
