What does relaxation mean to you?

Perhaps it is having no where to go or nothing to do. Perhaps it’s spending time with loved humans or pets. A day at the beach or amongst trees.

Relaxation is a natural state for us to be in. However, it is not always normal. Many people are in a chronic state of fight or flight and in great need of relaxation. 

Consciously you may think you are relaxed – (“I’m fine”) – but subconsciously or unconsciously you are in fight, flight or freeze.

Kind of like Marge thinking she is sitting on the couch.

Our autonomic nervous system subconsciously put us in one of two modes ‘rest and digest’ (parasympathetic) or ‘fight, fight or freeze’ (sympathetic). This is ancient programming because fight, flight or freeze would save us from predators  back in cave man pre fire days (think The Croods) and when the danger past we would be free to sit around rest and digest our food. This would happen automatically we would get flooded with adrenaline so we could react. It happens without thinking. A small version is when you think a stick is a snake or your hair is a spider. It happens to our bodies before our minds know.

When we are stressed we don’t sleep well, eat well or feel very creative, chronic adrenaline prevents these natural inclinations. These days we don’t have literal predators but perceived and real dangers that can lead to disease in the body from chronic stress.

We do have choice in this though. We can become more aware of our bodies, our emotions and our subconscious. Breath is one of the major bridges between our conscious and our subconscious. Breathing happens subconsciously the majority of the time. Breath is a clue to how we are feeling. If we are breathing shallowly or rapidly it often indicates stress. 

I would like to share one quick technique with you. It only take 1.5-2 minutes and will do wonders for you physically, mentally and emotionally. It requires you to consciously turn your attention to your breath.

It’s called 3,3,6 breathing.

• Sit or lie in a comfortably position.
• Fix your gaze on something just above eye level.
• Take a deep breath all the way into your abdomen, bellow your belly button (rather than chest breathing).
• Breath in through your nose for the count of 3, hold for the count of 3 and exhale out your mouth for the count of 6. Repeat 3 times.
• On the third exhale, you may close your eyes, if it feels good stay in that relaxed state for a few moments and when it feels good internally count to 3 and open your eyes.
• Go about your everyday life feeling more refreshed and relaxed.

This technique physically gives your body the message to relax through the stimulation of the Vagus nerve.

I suggest doing it once in the AM and once in the PM. And by the way, it totally counts as a meditation if you are wanting to have a daily practise.