Anxiety and Panic Attacks In Emphysema/ Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) | Vijai P. Sharma, Ph.D., psychologist
Chapter 10Physical and Mental Relaxation
Identify the Difference between Relaxation and TensionPeople mean different things by the word, "relax." For some people, relaxing means coming home from work, taking their shoes off, sipping that drink, reading the paper or watching TV. Sitting in the recliner is relaxation for some people while for some relaxation is that nap they sneak in during the day. Not being mad and upset all the time is relaxation for others. Actually, physical and mental relaxation means undoing the physical and mental stress or tension one is experiencing at the time. There are people who are really apprehensive of the word relaxation. They view it with suspicion and hesitancy. They fear that if they begin to relax, they will become lazy, unproductive, and lose the "fight" in them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Relaxation can nourish you, make you stronger and help you fight better with any challenge/s you might face. We do not always recognize that we are tense even when we are tense. Most people who have been habitually tense have been that way for many years. Tension and stress has become the natural state of their body and mind. They are unaware of the tension they carry it with them day and night, literally, twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. If one were to ask them, "Are you tense?" They would say "No! I'm okay," because they have not truly experienced relaxation and thus do not know any different. Benefits of Relaxation I often wonder when so many effective relaxation methods are available today, why do people go for sleeping pills and chemical relaxants. Relaxation techniques can help us to sleep and feel better. The effect of sleeping pills and chemical relaxants wears off over time as one develops tolerance for them. "The more you use them, the more you lose them" as the saying goes. With relaxation techniques, the more you use them, the more effective they become. When you can deepen your relaxation, you can enjoy it even more. And unlike the sleeping pills or other chemical relaxants, there are no bad side effects of relaxation! Regular practice of mental and physical relaxation may help you to breathe more easily and may also relieve part of your breathing discomfort. Three Types of Physical and mental relaxation exercisesLearning Objectives
It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to do a "full relaxation" session. In the beginning, it is more effective to learn relaxation by using full relaxation methods. If the stress level, pain or another type of challenge is really high, do even two or three full sessions a day. One session a day is "good," two times "better" and three times is "excellent." Once basic relaxation skills are acquired, you may practice "short relaxation" session for 5-10 ten minutes for most of the time and do full relaxation methods once or twice a week. As short methods are learned, "quick relaxation" method for 1 to 2 minutes can be practiced many times a day and as time permits, practice full and short methods as many times as you want or need in order to manage your stress and maintain a relaxed attitude as you go about the business of the day. Quick methods take the "wind out of the sail" of the stress ship. When you are actually in the middle of a challenging situation and things are happening, you can apply quick methods right then and there, in the face of the situation. Helpful Tips
"Full" Relaxation Methods (15-20 minutes)Preparation for Relaxation Relaxation exercise can be done lying down or sitting down. If you prefer to lie down, make sure you have proper pillow support under your neck and low back or knees if needed. Lie if you prefer, sitting, make yourself comfortable. Sit with arms and hands in the lap or the thighs, back, neck and head straight but relaxed. Affirmation (You may silently or out loud say to yourself with conviction) "I do my best to relax physically and mentally in spite of such annoying problems as the outside noise, cough, shortness of breath or pain. Thoughts, feelings and sensations may interrupt me but I can quickly bring my mind to the part of the body I want to relax. Staying relaxed and calm, I simply bring my attention to each part of the body. Progressive Relaxation "Feet relax….Relaxing soles of the feet, toes and ankle joints…. Legs from ankle joints to knee joints….From knee joints to thigh joints. "Relaxing shoulders, shoulder pads and the shoulder blades…now the space between the shoulder blades. "The feeling of relaxation flows down my face. "I observe my breathing without trying to change it in any way." "I can imagine as if the breath enters through the crown of my head…and exits through the feet. Breathing in as if through the crown of the head and breathing out through the toes and the soles of the feet. "Neck and shoulders become more relaxed and loose. "Diaphragm is soft, relaxed and increased in length. "I exhale softly and slowly. Diaphragm on both sides goes up like two domes pushing at the bottom of the lungs. The center of the diaphragm goes up and massages my heart at the same time. As the diaphragm moves up, lower ribs slightly lower down towards the hips. I exhale and feel the diaphragm moving up towards the lungs. "Observing effortlessly and calmly. As I breathe IN softly and gently, my diaphragm goes down….side ribs spread out and up like the little wings on both sides. My ribcage lifts, lumbar curve arches…at the same time, abdomen between the navel and the breastbone tip lengthens. Whole Body Breathing "Whole body breathing! Ten relaxing breaths! Visualization Picture for a few minutes in your "mind's eye" any of the following: Think about the place you would like to be right now Or, the time of your life you loved and enjoyed most? Spend as much time as you have at your disposal. Savor that time and place in your mind and occasionally return to whole body breathing. Relaxed Breathing Relax your body, relax your breathing and relax your mind! Take a few minutes now and just do relaxed breathing. Relaxed breathing is smooth, rhythmic and consistent flow of breath. Inhale and exhale slowly and gently. Regular practice of relaxed breathing over time can help towards regulating your breath. "STRING" or "SWITCH" RELAXATION TECHNIQUE Lie flat on your back. 31/61 POINT BODY SCAN 1. Lie in relaxation pose. THIRTY-ONE POINTS BODY SCAN 1. Eyebrow Center SIXTY-ONE POINTS BODY SCAN For the points 1-31 body scan, refer to the "Thirty-One Point Body Scan" 32. Solar Plexus Center "Short" Relaxation Methods (5 to 10 minutes) Preparation for Short Relaxation After 20-30 practices of "full relaxation" sessions, you may begin utilizing the short relaxation. This relaxation exercise can be done lying down or sitting down. If you prefer to lie down, make sure you have proper pillow support under your neck and low back or knees if needed. Lie if you prefer, sitting, make yourself comfortable. Sit with arms and hands in the lap or the thighs, back, neck and head straight but relaxed. Body Scan--Putting the Mind into the body Scan and relax one body part at a time and silently say to yourself the name of the body part just scanned
"Joints" Breathing--Putting the breath and the mind into the body We all know that we breathe in and out through the nose and if the nose is blocked we breathe through the mouth. So just for the sake of relaxation exercise, if I ask you to "Breathe in as if through the crown of your head and breathe out as if through your toes" it would sound silly. Wouldn't it? But, it is a relaxation exercise and we use our imagination a lot to relax the body and the mind. So, do the exercise "as if" it is true. Remember as children how we played "Let's pretend" games? Play the "game" and enjoy it. Basic Instruction Each time inhale "as if" inhaling through the crown of your head. So, the inhalation will always be through the crown. However the point of exhalation will change each time. Therefore, each time you may exhale "as if" through a particular joint. I will say the name of the joint you are supposed to exhale from. Then you exhale from the joint specified. Let's begin Inhale through the crown Exhale as if through the toes Inhale crown-exhale toes 1 Inhale through the crown Exhale as if through the ankle joints Inhale crown-exhale ankles 1 Inhale through the crown Exhale as if through the knees Inhale crown-exhale knees 1 Inhale through the crown Exhale through the hip joints Inhale crown-exhale hips 1 Inhale through the crown Exhale as if through the pelvis and perineum Inhale crown-exhale pelvis 1 Inhale through the crown Exhale as if through the solar plexus and lumbar area Inhale crown-exhale solar plexus 1 Inhale through the crown Exhale as if through the heart area Inhale crown-exhale heart 1 Inhale through the crown Exhale as if through the pit of the throat Inhale crown-exhale throat 1 Inhale through the crown Exhale as if through the center of the eyebrows Inhale crown-exhale center of the eyebrows 1 Back to exhaling as if through the toes! Inhale crown-exhale toes 1 Inhale….and exhale through the left side of the body Inhale…and exhale through the center of the body Inhale…and exhale through the lower body Inhale….and exhale through the outer side of the body Inhale….exhale through the inside of the body Whole body breathes 1 Whole body breathes 2 Whole body breathes 3 Whole body breathes 4 Whole body breathes 5 My breath lengthens vertically Quick Relaxation Methods (1-2 minutes)Preparation for Quick Relaxation After you have had adequate practice of the "full relaxation" and "short relaxation" sessions, you may begin utilizing the quick relaxation method. It is important that you continue practicing both the full relaxation and short relaxation methods as well. Without the continuation of the full and short relaxation exercises, quick relaxation method is not likely to be very effective. Quick relaxation exercise can be done lying down or sitting down. Three exercises are provided here, the "balloon technique," "elevator technique" and the "switch off technique." Each one takes a minute or two. Do the one that works best for you. 1. Balloon Technique Remember when the air escapes out of the balloon, how the balloon shrinks and becomes totally flaccid, soft and limp. So, imagine you have air tubes in your hands and feet. Now exhale as if the whole air escapes from your "body balloon." Try again. Take in a breath, fill up the air in the body balloon, squeeze (tighten) the whole body from toes to head and release. Exhale as if all the air escapes out of those tubes. Let the whole body become loose and limp just like the balloon emptied out of the air. Take as many rounds of this exercise as you like. 2. Elevator Technique Imagine you are standing, sitting or lying down in your own private elevator on the seventh floor. Take in a breath and exhale. While exhaling imagine and feel the elevator comes down to the 6th floor. Take in a breath and exhale. While exhaling imagine and feel the elevator comes down to the 5th floor. Take in a breath and exhale. While exhaling imagine and feel the elevator comes down to the 4th floor. Take in a breath and exhale. While exhaling imagine and feel the elevator comes down to the 3rd floor. Take in a breath and exhale. While exhaling imagine and feel the elevator comes down to the 2nd floor. Take in a breath and exhale. While exhaling imagine and feel the elevator comes down to the ground floor. As you come down to the ground floor, "see" the elevator opening out to a beautiful scenery that makes you totally refreshed and energized. 3. Switch Off Technique You may try the switch off technique at night before going to bed. Imagine your body is a multi storey house. Start from the top floor, the "head room." You are to go from the top floor to the bottom floor, the feet, switching the lights off in each room. Thus, while exhaling switch off the lights of the head room and come down to the middle room, the "mid-chest" room. Inhale. While exhaling switch off the lights of the mid-chest room and come down to the "waist room." Inhale. While exhaling switch off the lights of the waist room and come down to the "leg room." Inhale. While exhaling switch off the lights of the leg room and come down all the way to the bottom floor the "toe room." Feel all the lights are off, it is dark, quiet and very relaxing. The whole body and the mind are relaxed. 4. Tension release and relaxation In order to relieve tension and stress, imagine your tension is something like tight and twisted ropes spread throughout your body. As you exhale, those ropes inside you are slowly untwisting. Or tension is that dirty and blackened liquid swirling out of your body, draining downward until it totally drains out through your toes. Gentle music can enhance the effect. While breathing out, let the whole torso become loose and relaxed. After a round or two of relaxing the whole body, bring your arms overhead and lightly stretch the abdominal and pelvic area. Relax the abdomen externally and internally. Breathe softly and gently diaphragmatically. 5. Inhale and tense, exhale and release 1. Lie flat on the back, feet about 24 inches apart, hands about 18 inches from the sides of the body, and palms facing upward. 2. Scan your body and exhale fully. 3. Draw in a deep breath and simultaneously tense all the muscles of the body while lifting the arms, head, and legs from the floor.* 4. Try to balance on the lower back while holding your breath. 5. Hold this pose for 5 seconds after the inhaled deep breath. 6. Release the tension from all the muscles, gently dropping the body down to a relaxed position on the floor. 7. Exhale while gently pulling the abdomen in. 8. Inhale, allowing the ribcage moving up the breath filling in both lungs evenly. 9. If you still feel tense, repeat the steps from 1 to 8. 10. Gently roll the legs, arms, and body from side to side a few times and relax in Savasana. *Helpful Hints Beginners may do the arms and head together first, and then the legs separately. If you are flexible and have a strong back, you may place your hands on your waist. Primary involvement of muscles Muscles strengthened: Abdominal muscles, hip flexors and knee extensors. Benefits Leads to relaxation of the whole body and prepares for Savasana. Cautions People with heart disorders or hypertension (high blood pressure) should not hold their breath during this pose. Continue to Chapter 11 Return to Chapter 9 Copyright 2009, Mind Publications |
Dr. Vijai Sharma
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