Suggestions on relaxation methods?

Hi everyone,i have just been signed off work for another week because of an injured shoulder. to be honest its come at a good time. as some of you may know ive been having a few problems menatally in the last few weeks, and even though i am feeling better recently (in the last 2 days) i still need to use this week off as a "recovery" week, to cleanse my mind of all the negativity.

i wondered if any of you have any good relaxation techniques, like meditation etc. when i need to relax i lie on my back on my bed (the comfiest bed in the WHOLE world hehe), plug my headphones into my mp3 player and listen to some of the best songs ever made. that to me is meditation because i detatch myself from my physically self and fall into the song, it becomes 3D to me, i picture it on a stage, with all the different sounds at different places on the stage (like an orchestra) and it becomes another world. that it excellent for me, it fills me with such warmth and cosiness. my physical self gets so relaxed and all my limbs become relaxed and i get an amazing feeling rush through my body.

i would like to try other techniques too, and as i have until next thursday before i go back to work, it is the perfect time to try them, so any suggestions welcome? what works best for you?

I use things on these websites daily if not more LOL

weekly practices in conscious living practices, and various meditations by therapist Nancy J Napier -
http://www.nancyjnapier.com

relaxation visualizations by Belleruth Naparstak -
http://www.healthjourneys.com

Go to Google and type Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Good stuff.

There's deep breathing exercises you can do, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, etc.

honestly when I want to really relax I put in a great Native American cd I have. It is so relaxing to me.

Simon, honey, it's music for me also. big cushy headphones that i've had 300 years and the best music ever. i adjust for the treble and i listen to the guitar strings and then the bass, etc. you get the whole OCD picture??? love ya, pat

Simon..I have a hard time relaxing anymore.. I used to be able on a dime..or maybe I was just lazy..lol

Now I take a book or my Ipod full of my favorite music and I find a place outside over looking our lake and I lay a blanket down in a sunny spot and I read or I just sit and look up at the sky and listen to music..sounds really silly..but I have time to think about things..or not to think if I wish not too..and I can relax. I spend all day inside at my job..so I want to be outside as much as possible when I am at home..and sometimes getting to do this by myself is nice..just a little peace of heaven that takes me away from the rest of the world..and helps me recenter and focus on myself..Good luck to you and ((((HUGS))))

thanks for the suggestions everyone. i have tried a few breathing techniques whilst laid flat on my ultra-comfy (hehe) bed, and i have to say, it was fantastic. i had my heaphones in, listening to my favourite music, and i did breathing techniques that were ont he sites "myself" reccomended, and it really relaxed me, i was almost going into a trance with my music aswell. i do it regularly now, im glad i asked the question anyway hehe.

so thanks again everyone. i might buy some relaxation cd's too, give them a try, i love meditation and things to do with that so it might be worth my while. although i love meditation, i do not believe in god and alot of the relaxation/meditation things make numerous references to god so i need to find one that isnt like that, any suggestions hehe?

speak soon, i will let you know what i decide to do...

You are welcome glad you liked the sites.

Ive been doing the Nany J Napier stunff now for 5 years and it had made a world of difference not only in gaining relaxation but also in my gaining cotrol of my mental disorders PTSD and DID.

My therapist came back from a workshop with Belleruth Naparstak information and it has helped so much in just the past 6-10 months.

so do you have the tapes, or any of the books etc?

I have Getting Trough The day (Nancy J Napier) and also Recreatiing Yourself (nancy J Napier) and have printed off and put into binders the stuff on her website. I have Sacred Practices for Conscious Living on request order from the l;ibrary for the umteenth time (one of these days I will have my own copy.)

As for the tapes after seeing my printouts, and books my therapist appied for agency funds to get me the 8 tape set but that fell through because the city cut the budget for mental health flex funds so now I am putting aside money towards buying them. I will be purchasing them soon. Just from reading the books and the website material I know they are well worth the money.

The Belleruth Naparstak - My therapist has the book Invisible heroes and during sessions we have been working our way through the book. and a coup[le of the relaxation visualizations we recorded as we were doing them so that I can use them here at home too. We decided at our last session to go ahead and not just record accasionally but record each time we do the relaxation visualizations so Im off to the store soon to pick up dinner and some blank casettes.

The last recording we did was really cool because we added our own background instumental music while we did once of the activities.

I have also been recording the Belleruth Naparstak audo samples off the website as I listen to them. I do plan on investing in her books and tapes also.

im not sure if id like the books, im not a big fan of reading, i lose concentration easily, although, saying that, if its something i really am interested in i will read it for hours, so i might try it, i will prefer to get the tapes though. the only trouble with that is the fact i dont have cassette players anymore, am abit of a gadget geek with all the latest stuff, if they did them in cd form i could put them on my mp3 player and listen to it when i go to bed. do they do cd versions?

CD's good question. Nancy J Napier printable order form says "audiopcassettes" thats tapes so no she hasn't upgraded to CD's yet at least not on her website.

BelleRuth Naparstak - MP3's yes and CD's yes as well as casettes. you can find them by clicking on - stop - icon in the tool bar.

excuse me for being abit slow, but who and where is BelleRuth Naparstak? is it the second link you gave me: the helath journeys one?

ive just found it, it is that link, sorry hehe

Try this one: free meditation (20 min) MP3) http://www.meditainment.com/free/

im just downloading it now, if you find out anymore, please let me know.

i have just purchased 3 of the meditation mp3's from the health journey's website, and they said i have to wait until office hours for the order to process, so thats tomorow which is good. i will try the free one now, am going to bed and will listen to it there...will let you know what i think soon. i have a psp which i can access the web on so if im still awake and not too chilled out when it finishes i will let you know then, but if not. i will post in the morning. its 25 past 1 in the morning here now so im off to bed, night all.

Nice timing on this thread. My first client wants to do relaxation work, which is not something I have ever been very comfortable with. I have always resisted anything having to do with being nice to myself. So I have been looking for sources so that I can learn enough about relaxation to do this with my client. I have added the suggestions from this thread to my list. Here's what I have so far:

http://www.utexas.edu/student/cmhc/RelaxationTape/ http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/resou...ling/relax.asp
Guided relaxation exercises in audio files.

http://relaxation.com/relaxationexercises.htm
http://www.ucop.edu/humres/eap/relaxationrespone.html
Relaxation practice instructions.

http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/musclerelaxation.html
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/pmr.htm
Progressive Muscle Relaxation.

http://www.nancyjnapier.com/
Book and weekly online guided meditations.

http://www.healthjourneys.com/
Guided imagery and other resources.

http://www.meditainment.com/
Guided meditations (at least one free, and others on specific subjects with membership).

http://www.enhancedhealing.com/
Relaxation music (low-cost) and articles.

http://www.futurehealth.org/stresscn.htm
Stress management and relaxation resources and links – products and free articles.

http://imt.net/~randolfi/StressLinks.html
Links for stress management.

Yes health journeys is the name of BelleRuth Naparstaks website.

Great links. Rapunzel

i will try those links out soon. thank you very much for those.

i tried that "secret garden" meditation one, the free one. it is wonderful! i was so relaxed lol, i decided to listen to it a second time last night after it finished for the first time, i was asleep within minutes lol. i will keep that one on my mp3 player for definate.

thanks for the suggestions, they are proving to be good for me. i havent felt that relaxed for ages than i did last night, and it must have worked becuase i fell asleep at approx 2am and didnt wake up until 11:20am lol, i really dont like waking up this late normally but i dont mind today hehe.

speak soon