Using Meditation and Relaxation to Reduce Stress

Meditation

Meditation is a very effective method of relaxation. The idea of meditation is to focus your thoughts on one relaxing thing for a sustained period of time. This rests your mind by diverting it from thinking about the problems that have caused stress. It gives your body time to relax and recuperate, slows breathing, reduces blood pressure, helps muscles relax, reduces anxiety, eliminates stressful thoughts, helps with clear thinking and focus, reduces irritability, and reduces stress headaches.

Meditation Techniques

The essence of meditation is to quiet your thoughts by focusing completely on just one thing. Unlike hypnosis, which is more of a passive experience, meditation is an active process that seeks to exclude outside thoughts by concentrating all mental faculties on the subject of meditation. In all cases it helps if your body is relaxed, in a position that you can comfortably sustain for a period of time (20–30 minutes is ideal). Sitting in a comfortable chair, lying on a bed, or the lotus position may be equally effective. A number of different focuses of concentration may be used — which one you choose is a matter of personal taste.

Breathing

A useful method is to focus your attention on your breathing. Concentrate on breaths in and out. You can accompany this by counting your breaths using the numbers 0 to 9, or visualize health and relaxation flowing into your body when you inhale, and stress or pain flowing out when you exhale.

Focusing on an Object

Here you completely focus attention on examination of an object. Look at it in immense detail for the entire meditation — its shape, color, texture, temperature, and movement. Objects often used are flowers, candle flames, or flowing designs, but you can use other objects equally effectively (e.g., alarm clocks, desk lamps, or even coffee mugs!).

Focus on a Sound

Some people like to focus on sounds. The classic example is the Sanskrit word ‘Om,’ meaning ‘perfection.’ Whether or not this is practical depends on your lifestyle.

Imagery

This can be a very refreshing and pleasant way of meditating. Here you create a mental image of a pleasant and relaxing place in your mind. Involve all your senses in the imagery: see the place, hear the sounds, smell the aromas, feel the temperature and the movement of the wind.

In all cases it is important to keep your attention focused. If external thoughts or distractions wander in, let them drift out. You may find that your attention keeps breaking as you worry that time is running out. In this case it may be easiest to set an alarm to go off when you should stop meditating. You will find that as you practice, your attention will improve.

Brief Relaxation Exercises

General Directions

For all of these exercises, it is best to be seated, eyes closed, feet flat on the floor or crossed at the ankles, and hands resting comfortably in the lap. Begin each exercise with a deep breath that you let out gently. As you let it out, feel yourself beginning to relax. After each exercise, slowly and gently activate by breathing a little more deeply, wiggling your fingers and toes, and opening your eyes at your own rate.

Exercise I — Tense-Relax

Clench your fists. While keeping them clenched, pull your forearms tightly up against your upper arms. While keeping those muscles tense, tense all the muscles in your legs. While keeping all those tense, clench your jaws and shut your eyes fairly tight. Now, while holding all those tense, take a deep breath and hold it for 5 seconds … then let everything go all at once. Feel yourself letting go of all your tensions. Just enjoy that feeling for a minute, as your muscles let go more and more. (Arouse gently.)

Exercise II — Heaviness and Warmth

Just imagine that your feet and legs are getting heavier and heavier and warmer and warmer. It’s almost as if you are wearing lead boots. Feet and legs, heavy and warm, heavy and warm. Now, imagine your stomach and the whole central portion of your body getting warm … warm and relaxed. My forehead is cool … cool … relaxed and cool. And my breathing is regular … easy and regular. Just feel the warmth and heaviness spread all over the body. (Arouse gently.)

Exercise III — Breathing Your Body Away

Gently focus your attention on your feet and legs. Be aware of all the sensations from your feet and legs. Now, inhale a long, slow breath, and as you do, breathe in all the sensations from your feet and legs. In your mind’s eye, imagine that you are erasing this part of your body. Now, as you exhale, breathe out all those sensations. Repeat this process for each part of your body, moving upward, until you have erased everything. Now, just sit quietly for a minute and enjoy feeling yourself relax deeper and deeper. (Arouse gently.)

Exercise IV — A Favorite Scene, Place, or Person

As you’re sitting quietly, recall in your mind the most relaxing thought you can. Perhaps it’s a favorite place, or it might be a person with whom you feel at peace, or some scene. Take a few seconds to get that in mind. Now, see or imagine it in your mind. Be sure to feel those good feelings you have when you are in that place. Just let them take over your whole awareness. If your thoughts wander, gently take them back to that peaceful, relaxing place. (Arouse gently.)

Exercise V — Ideal Relaxation

With your eyes closed, take a moment to create, in your mind’s eye, an ideal spot for relaxation. You can make it any place real or imagined and furnish it any way that you want. Wear the clothes you are most comfortable in. Enjoy going there in your mind and just enjoy it for a minute. (Arouse gently.)

Exercise VI — Cool Air In, Warm Air Out

With your eyes closed, gently focus on the end of your nose. As you breathe in, feel the air coming in the tip of your nose. As you breathe out, feel the air coming out of the tip of your nose. Notice that the air coming in is cooler than the air going out. Gently focus on the cool air coming in, and the warm air going out. As your attention wanders, gently bring it back to the tip of your nose. (Arouse gently.)

Exercise VII — Focus on a Word

Pick some word that has “good” vibrations associated with it for you — a word you associate with relaxation, comfort, and peace. It could be a word such as “serenity,” “peaceful,” “joy,” or “free.” Now, just let that word hold the center of your thoughts. As your mind wanders to more stressful thoughts, gently bring it back to that word. After a while, perhaps your mind will drift to other gentling, restful thoughts. If so, just let it wander. When it does drift to stressful thoughts, bring it back to your original word. (Arouse gently.)

Exercise VIII — Something for Use Anywhere

With practice, you will become more adept at relaxing while awake, anywhere. You can do it while walking, sitting in class, taking a test, on a date, etc. First, smile — to remind yourself that you don’t actually have all the cares of the world on your shoulders. Then, take a long deep breath, and let it out. Now, take a second long deep breath and, as you let it out, feel yourself releasing the tensions in your mind and in your body. Just let yourself relax more and more, as you continue whatever you were doing. (Arouse gently.)

Counseling Services

If you have any questions regarding the information on this page or want to know more about ways to reduce stress, please don’t hesitate to contact one of the counselors. Counseling Services offers a wide range of information on this type of subject and provides caring, confidential help from professionals experienced in helping students.

Michelle De Rosa can be reached at 757.455.3131 and Sarah Morris can be reached at 757.455.5730.

Please note: The information on this page was adapted from material created by David G. Danskin at Kansas State University.