Skip to content
עברית Read this post in
Relaxation | an island of Peace and calm
“To get genuine relaxation we need to give ourselves some inner space.” Vicki Mackenzie
Relaxation is defined as a condition of calm attained when tension levels are brought down.
While we often associate the idea with our body, it concerns our state of mind as well.
Piling up tasks upon tasks, we exert effort and energy, that can simply become too much.
Knowing when it’s time to give yourself a break is important if you don’t want to burnout.
Pace yourself
Our to do list keeps on growing and the more responsibilities we take on, the heftier it feels.
Question is whether or not we know how to manage the daily triathlon without overstraining ourselves.
Rushing about from errand to errand, going from project to project, fatigue and stress built up.
If we don’t want to suffer from physical and mental exhaustion, we have to pace ourselves.
Balancing work & life
“If we relax at the right time, we will soon be able to apply new effort again.” Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
You may think you have no choice, that taking the time to relax is a luxury you can’t afford.
But as you push yourself to beat the clock, you also accumulate strain in your body and your mind.
If you keep going and don’t take care of balancing your effort you’ll soon run out of juice.
Not only, you risk overloading your nervous system, which over time is harmful to your health.
Relax just a notch
Obviously neglecting the long-term effect of constant tension is not the smart way to go, so…
As with everything else in our lives we need to be proactive, it is up to us to change our ways.
Taking time off, slowing down, rest are necessary measures if we want to keep ourselves healthy.
Besides, fatigue hampers our judgement and heightens our irritability, it’s not in our best interest.
Relaxation keeps you attentive
“Generally, the more relaxed we are, the more stable our attention can become.” B. Alan Wallace Ph.D., Daniel Goleman
Dealing with multiple things at a time, our attention is pulled right and left, staying focused isn’t easy.
The energy spent mentally and physically takes its toll, not only on ourselves but on our work as well.
When we’re tired, keeping our attention can feel like a mammoth task, that impacts the quality of our actions.
Since that’s not our aim, we ought to adopt habits that help sustain our performance throughout the day.
Unload
Taking a few minutes to relax in between obligations is time well spent, it allows us to make space.
By investing a few moments in the practice, we bring clarity to our mind by clearing out the clutter.
At same the time, breathing mindfully relieves the stress in our body, the less tense we are the better.
Above all, splitting our day by taking short meditation breaks facilitates our shifting gear while staying sharp.
Time out
“We can develop a sense of relaxation and release from torment—from this-and-that altogether.” Chogyam Trungpa
Being overwhelmed by a mountain of responsibilities can affect our state of mind, make us anxious.
The more we have to do the stronger the sense of urgency, the greater the pressure we experience.
Under such circumstances, our mind is easily triggered by what it perceives as potential threats.
The thoughts and emotions that often accompany our experience only make our challenges seem bigger.
No go
Mental agitation and negative emotions can be hard to take, especially when we’re not trained to deal with it.
Typically, we try to control our mind by pushing out the thoughts we dislike but that only makes things worse.
Similarly, instead of facing our emotions we deny their presence, or better yet bury them away.
Our attempts at blocking thoughts adds oil to the fire and suppressing emotions invites them to come back later.
Understand this
“The human mind is something like an iceberg—the part that we are aware of, the conscious mind, represents a very small part of the total.” John E. Sarno
Life feels hectic because our mind is frantic, our body reacts by tightening up to alert our attention.
We may be a long way from controlling our mind, but it doesn’t mean we can’t do something about it.
Remember prolong stress doesn’t add to your wellbeing, in fact it takes it away in small instalments.
Even short episodes do harm because they stack up in heaps, creating disruptions that wear us down.
No pressure
Stressful events leave imprints, the stories they hold fill our mind and the emotions make knots in the body.
The approaches we’ve employed so far may help in the short term but they do not treat the root cause.
To rid ourselves of mental and physical discomfort, we must unearth its origin, see what it conceals.
Before anything we apply methods that help us out of the tailspin, the earlier we do the easier it is.
Use techniques that work
“By bringing attention to the body, we are helping it relax.” Chade-Meng Tan, Daniel Goleman, Jon Kabat-Zinn
To quiet emotional turmoil, practice as soon as you discern it’s there, to calm the sympathetic system.
Find refuge, take a break to help your mind settle down by anchoring yourself to the breath.
Mindfulness techniques are especially helpful because they bring about the relief we need in no time.
By concentrating on our breath, we reduce mental agitation, and as a result our body begins to relax.
Now proceed
Now we welcome whatever comes and tend to it, Venerable Robina Courtin calls it “damage control”.
We address everything in a friendly manner, instead of fighting it as we usually would, we greet it.
Every pain has its tale, our thoughts and negative emotions point to what we feel we’re not getting.
It’s our job to take care of ourselves, what we feel on the surface obscures a wound, it is ours to heal.
Deep relaxation | unwind
“The practice of deep relaxation is a way to acknowledge and soothe the suffering in the body and the suffering in the mind.” Thich Nhat Hanh
To get to the bottom of our nervousness, we intently focus on the body while keeping an eye on our mind.
At this point there’s less interference, locking our attention is like turning on the light, we can explore.
Recognize the feeling, where does it reside in your body? listen carefully to what it is trying to tell you.
Observe each part with attention, attend the areas that store stress like the neck, shoulders, chest…
Go to the mat
The environment in which we find ourselves can either assist the process or obstruct it, pick a nice spot.
If you don’t want these feelings to stick around, remedy your mindset right away do not wait until ‘later’.
No matter what, do not entertain your negativity, once it’s out of control we’ll have a hard time shaking it off.
Deep relaxation is perfect because it is a soft, compassionate approach to our troubles, all we need is a mat.
Mind training | be consistent
“Relaxation here refers to relaxing the mind, letting go of the anxiety and concepts and depression that normally bind you.” Chogyam Trungpa, Carolyn Rose Gimian
The spiritual path and mind training demand rigorous effort and plenty of forbearance.
Training does not happen in a bubble, same as anyone else, we’re confronted with fears and stress…
We forge ahead only to fall back and at times it feels like we’re walking in circles, lost, that’s discouraging.
Our wanting to ‘arrive’ triggers stress, habits die hard, that’s how expectations become obstacles.
Deep relaxation | let go
Since mental training can take years and last a lifetime, we use techniques that maintain our practice strong.
Deep relaxation does just that, it not only helps boost our effort but also brings tranquility to our body and mind.
Don’t forget, mindfulness is vital, it is the foundation, no matter the practice, your routine is important, stay the course.
As long as we’re in touch with what moves through us, we can do something about it, stay tuned and relaxॐ
Nathalie Bizawi, founder of Wisdom & Mindfulness meditation center. Senior Meditation, Mindfulness and philosophy instructor, From Wingate Academic College. M.A in Education from TAU University, Tel Aviv.
Wisdom & Mindfulness your meditation center in Tel Aviv