Positive Imagination and Affirmations for Breathing and Health - Part 1 |
|
"Relaxation for the Body, Breath and Mind" |
Editorial Note: Positive Imagination for Breathing and Health has two parts: Part-1"Relaxation for the Body, Breath and Mind" and Part-2 the "Healing Imagery." You can do either one or both parts. If you choose both parts, you may do them as two sessions at different times of the day or in continuation, Part-A followed by Part-B.
I believe we should exercise positive imagination and self-affirmation just as we should perform mental and physical exercises on a daily basis. Such mind-body exercises strengthen our hope and will power and keep us in a state of preparedness for positive health actions. I invite you to a few such healing images, positive beliefs and self-affirmations.
Equipment Needed
Have a cassette recorder or any other type of recording device on which you can record this script or something along the lines of this script in your own voice. You can change any words, ideas or images of this script to the ones that you prefer or feel more natural to you. In fact you can re-write the whole script in your own style and format. As you record your script, play soft and soothing music of your choice in the background.
Software Needed
1. Belief in yourself and in the power of your mind.
2. Inner knowing that entire body is represented in the mind and mind is present through out the body.
3. Right feelings and emotions to correspond with the words in the script. Remember the saying, "Put your money (or your heart) where your mouth is?"
4. Faith in your action. Increase the potency of the mind-body medicine by placing your faith in the action you are about to take. Even though the body tells otherwise, imagine positive outcomes for yourself any way.
5. Mind over matter. By resolving to place your mind over your own matter, it might just be possible for you to imagine that positive changes have already occurred even though you might be experiencing discomforting symptoms that very moment.
Caution: This exercise invites you to relax and pay relaxed attention to breathing. If physical and mental relaxation or bringing attention to your own breathing makes you uncomfortable, you may skip this exercise. If any part of this script upsets you or creates a negative feeling in you any way, please delete that portion and use the rest.
Position: Make yourself as comfortable as you possibly can in a sitting or lying down position.
Now for the words
"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.
"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 pelvis….abdomen….mid-section ….and chest.
Relaxing, hips…the low back….mid-back….and now the upper back.
The whole upper body relaxes…front….back….from inside….from outside…the entire upper body relaxes." Aaah! (Sigh while exhaling)
"Relaxing shoulders, shoulder pads and the shoulder blades…now the space between the shoulder blades.
Relaxing the upper arms from shoulder joints to elbow joints….
Upper arms and elbows lower down towards the hips…
Forearms to wrists…
Hands relax all the way down to the finger tips.
The top of my hands and palms relax.
Nice, lazy, relaxing feeling of warmth and heaviness…from finger tips all the way up through the arms and shoulders….
The back of the neck and head relaxes.
All the tiny, tiny and large muscles in my neck and throat relax.
Feeling of relaxation spreads over to the nape of the neck….back of the head….over the entire scalp….Down to my forehead.
Forehead feels smooth and shiny like the touch of lavender or cool breeze.
"The feeling of relaxation flows down my face.
Nostrils relax and feel more open than before.
Any blockages in the upper part of nose relax and shrink.
Sinuses relax and open up.
My jaw relaxes.
Gums, teeth, tongue, hard and soft palate, and the throat relax from inside.
"I observe my breathing without trying to change it in any way."
While inhaling, silently saying, "in."
While exhaling, silently saying, "out."
"In"…..and "Out"
"In"…..and "Out"
"In"…..and "Out"
"In"…..and "Out"
"In"…..and "Out."
"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.
Inhaling "Inn.…" exhaling "Ouutt…."
Inhaling "Inn.…" exhaling "Ouutt…."
Inhaling "Inn.…" exhaling "Ouutt…."
Inhaling "Inn.…" exhaling "Ouutt…."
Inhaling "Inn.…" exhaling "Ouutt…."
"Neck and shoulders become more relaxed and loose.
Shoulders back and down….shoulder blades slightly lowered towards the mid-back.
"Diaphragm is soft, relaxed and increased in length.
It contracts and relaxes and breathes me.
When I exhale, my diaphragm goes up higher than ever before and pushes up against the bottom of my lungs.
It expels the air more completely.
I can picture my diaphragm attached to my lower ribs as a sheath separating abdomen from lower chest.
I can feel the diaphragm moving in all the three dimensions, up and down, sideways and back to front.
As my diaphragm moves the lower ribs also move. Muscles between the ribs are becoming strong and flexible, helping my ribcage to move.
"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! Ten relaxing breaths!
Ten….Inhaling as if through the head going down all the way into the toes. Exhaling, starting with toes, going up and out as if through the crown of the head.
Nine…. Inhaling from crown to the toes and exhaling from toes to the crown.
Eight…Inhaling crown to toes…Exhaling toes to the crown.
Seven…In through the crown…Out through the crown.
Six…In through the crown…Out through the crown.
Five…In….Out…
Four…In….Out…
Three…In….Out…
Two…In….Out…
One…In….Out…
Whole body breathing from head to toes!
If you have more time, think about the place you would like to be right now? What time of your life you loved and enjoyed most? Imagine you are in that time and place you love right now…. lying down or sitting as you prefer. 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.
Return to Stress Reduction Tips
Return to Self Care
Copyright 2007, Mind Publications
Posted January 2007
Dr. Vijai Sharma
Your Life Coach
By Telephone