Relaxation and meditation exercises involve learning to consciously relax your body through a variety of techniques, such as meditation or guided imagery. As with any new skill you are just beginning to learn, daily practice is mandatory to acquiring mastery of these techniques.

After a day full of hectic work, attending meetings, juggling multiple tasks, driving kids to school and back, preparing meals and so on, you will always be looking forward to some relaxing time. There are many ways to relax, and one method that is quite effective is meditation.

Perhaps you have already heard or read about meditation. In fact, it is not as hard as you think. The idea revolves around focusing your thoughts to a certain relaxing thing over a sustained time. This way, your mind is capable to rest, and your thoughts about stressful things and events are paused. Your body can recover through deep relaxation; toxin build ups are also cleared away.

You will notice that while you are relaxing or meditating your breathing patterns change, your blood pressure is reduced, the muscles relax, anxiety and irritability are reduced, stressful thoughts and lactic acid are eliminated, clears your way of thinking, headaches and stress are also lessened, and you can now concentrate and focus fully.

Focusing on just a single thing is the true essence of such practice. This is an active process unlike that of hypnosis. All your mental faculties should be concentrated on the meditation’s subject. Meditation is usually done for about 15 to 45 minutes, so be sure that you are in a comfortable position. You can lie on your bed, sit on a couch, or choose any position that you are really comfortable with.

You can focus on different things when you are meditating like breathing, an object, a sound, or even imagery. Whichever you choose, it is very important to maintain your focus. If you experience any distractions and external thoughts, just acknowledge them and re-center yourself.

You can try these relaxation exercises and incorporate it in your daily meditation so that you can achieve total relaxation.

1. Tense Relax: start by clenching your fists, and then pull forearms firmly against the upper arms. Keep your muscles tensed, as well as that of your leg muscles. Now, your jaws must also be clenched and your eyes shut tightly. While holding those tense, breathe deeply and then hold for about 5 seconds. Then let go of everything at once. Feel the sensations while your tensions are being released.

2. Heaviness/ Warmth: this is done by feeling your legs and feet getting heavier and warmer by the second. Imagine that it’s like wearing lead boots. After that, try to imagine that your central body portion is also getting warmÖ warmer and relaxed. Tell yourself that you’re forehead is getting cooler and relaxed. Breath slowly and regularly. Just feel all the heaviness and warmth spread over your entire body.

3. Ideal Relaxation Place: close your eyes and try to create an ideal relaxation spot inside your mind. Choose any place whether it’s imagined or real and decorate the place according to your own preference and style, while you imagine that you are already there. Feel mellow and at ease in your imagined and ideal relaxation place. Enjoy that special moment for about a minute.

These are just simple relaxation and meditation exercises that you can do. Whenever you are feeling stressed and tensed, practice any of these exercises to reduce tensions and improve your well-being through relaxation.