Hey all,
I hope you are all doing well and handling this time as well as possible. Today, I’d like to talk a little about ways of relaxing, calming your system down and getting yourself into a more peaceful state. I know a number of people feeling the anxiety and emotional pinch of the moment, because of the virus itself but also of the panic and the financial ramifications of what is happening worldwide.
The first thing to do is to focus your mind and attention on where you are and in this present moment. People talk about this all the time but if you really watch people almost no one does it. I’m not trying to give cliche advice, but if you let your mind take your attention to the future and imagine all the horrible things that might happen somewhere at sometime to someone you will be stuck in anxiety, fear and panic. It’s certainly wise to prepare well, but do that and then be consciously done preparing and then bring yourself back to the here and now.
Now that we are back in the here and now let’s use a little meditative technique for calming your system down. This will direct your attention and bring you back into your body. Try to make this visualization as real as you can and use as many senses as you can. Try to really feel it using as much of that big brain of yours as you can.
-lay down somewhere that is comfortable and you won’t be disturbed
-take a minute to relax your body. Let it sink into the ground or bed or couch wherever you are and take a few deep breaths
-now imagine you are laying on a beach. You are perfectly comfortable. The temperature is perfect for you. You are laying on the sand with your feet towards the water.
-the tide is rhythmically and quietly going out and in. The rhythm begins to lull you like a peaceful lullaby.
-your body is made out of granulated sugar and feels light and airy.
-as you lay there, perfectly comfortable on the beach and are made of sugar. The tide of warm water reaches your toes.
-you feel your toes and feet melt into the warm water. It’s a very pleasant feeling.
-the tide goes back out and rhythmically comes back in and melts your ankles in the warm water. You’ve never felt so much relief as you do in this moment.
-the tide goes in and out and everything feels perfect and freeing. The water slowly and rhythmically moves up your calves, knees, thighs, hips, torso, shoulders, neck and head. It even dissolves your tongue, eyes, ears and hair.
-you feel like you are floating in space, held by a warm light and are completely safe.
-hang out in this feeling. Try to milk the “feeling” aspects of this and stay in it a while.
*when doing this try to really get yourself involved and use your imagination as well as you can. Involve sight, smell, hearing and tactile triggers that help you to feel free and relaxed.
*it’s common for people to let their intellect diminish this experience because they are “too smart” to be influenced, or more rightly said to influence yourself. But really what you are doing is using your mind to create an inner experience that effects all of you. Let your intellectual mind take some time off and try to experience this fully.
This can be done as often as you like. It will get better with practice and as you settle into influencing yourself more. Most of all have fun with this. This should be a complete absence of strain or force.
This is a nice little method to keep your mind busy when there is a lot to think about going on. After a while it will almost do itself.
I’ll have some more specific techniques for how people in many cultures traditionally strengthened their immune system, lungs and life energy.
This little meditation might also be useful for you when you are feeling some strain from the isolation.
I hope you are all hanging in there and taking good care of yourselves.
Copyright Todd Nyholm, 3/21/2020. Please visit me at Nytality.com
