Before we cover those areas that deal with yourself – more specifically your inner self, we shall deal with your outer self. I’m talking about your body. Today’s article will equip you with a useful mind and body relaxation technique. With this skill, you can increase your productivity without expending too much unnecessary energy.
You will also know when to pause and take a beak when your body demands it, because if you don’t listen to the signals that your body has been giving, it will only cost you your health, energy, time and ultimately your success. You won’t need your journal and pen or any writing materials for this exercise. Although it’s not a must, I recommend you get a tape recorder or some voice recording device for this exercise. The usefulness of this device will be demonstrated shortly after I go through the steps of this exercise.
Find a comfortable place where you will not be distracted for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
Here are the steps:
1. Take a mental note of what your body is experiencing now. Is there any discomfort, any tightness, any aches, any cramps or even physical pains that you are experiencing now?
2. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and imagine the oxygen nourishing and cleansing every part of your body from head to toe and toe to head. Let go. As you exhale, imagine all your pains and physical discomforts escaping your body and floating far, far away.
3. Repeat step number 2 until you are feeling really comfortable.
4. Check again if you are still feeling anymore physical discomforts. If so, continue doing steps number 2 and 3 until your body is completely free of discomfort and totally relaxed.
5. Now that you are feeling totally calm and at peace, gently speak out loud the following command to your body:
“Whenever I need to rest and take a break, please send me a gentle, clear and apparent signal to pause from what I am doing now, step back and take a break by doing this relaxation exercise. Whenever I feel any discomfort, please help me find the internal or external source of it and a way to avoid it, remove it or deal with it in the healthiest and best possible manner. Please guide me to the best, most optimal, healthiest, and most energy efficient postures and positions to adopt to get the most productive results possible.”
6. Now take another deep breath, express your gratitude to your body in whatever ways is comfortable to you and as you let go of your breath, slowly regain awareness of your surroundings and gently open your eyes.
You may also want to record your voice gently narrating the above steps on a recording device, so that you may listen and be guided along for this exercise. If you can find someone with a more appropriate voice than yours, that would be even better.