You can do a breathing exercise of a hundred controlled breaths. But if you're not any more relaxed after it then all you did was breathe a hundred times. I know. I've done it.
You can relax on your exhales but not your inhales. In that case you're just taking a step forward and then a step back. Done that too.
Interestingly relaxation doesn't actually depend on breath. It's possible to relax when holding your breath, or even upside down, or during a physically active task.
In all cases it's clear that breath without relaxation is idle. And further, relaxation IS the goal of breath.
It's a very subtle thing, relaxation.
Doing this thing that requires the absence of effort.
Almost paradoxical.
It's the letting go.
When you've quieted your mind to the point where you can feel slight changes in the body, try letting go.
As if you're standing and you close your eyes and fall back.
If you did it successfully you will feel a slight release somewhere within the body and a correlating emotional sense of relief.
You may feel the release in your chest, your belly, your face, around your eyes, around your nose, your brow, neck, back, shoulders, groin, legs, feet, anywhere.
Try building up that act of release.
I find attaching it to my inhale and exhale produces a compounding effect.
After a few minutes of successful relaxation you will feel physically more energetic as is you've gotten a full nights rest. You'll also feel physically limber as if you've been stretching for an hour. As well as physically stronger.
Mentally, you'll notice a significant increase in processing. An elevated feeling of clarity. Along with a boost of positive energy.
You can do this anytime of day and with a bit of practice anywhere too. One of my favorite places is on my commute in the NY subways, sitting or standing. I've also utilized this in getting me through 19 hour jobs with only a few hours of sleep the night before due to being extra social ;)
You can do it multiple times a day for extra boosts.
It's like taking a coffee break or energy drink without the side effects and you're actually addressing the cause of tiredness, which is simply the accumulation of tension over the course of the day.
You'll find that the less sleep you go on the easier and faster it is for the body and mind to get tired again after relaxing. So use it for when you need it and by all means if you need to get through an entire night without sleep go for it, but eventually give in to what the body needs and get a full nights rest.
Which will increase the effectiveness of relaxation for the next time.
Things get really cool when you can relax while doing things. That is what I believe the Masters at whatever subjects are able to do. They've repeated their act so many times that they are completely relaxed during it. And so can do it with all their attention i.e. excellence. And can get imaginative during the act i.e. creative.
That's the goal.
To be a Master of Life.
Namaste Bitches 🙏
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