"Visualization Method"
The following method involves the use of your imagination to achieve a state of relaxation.
Steps 1-2:
1. Select a calming scene to focus on- ex. You're favorite vacation spot, a happy childhood place, or just countryside, mountains, or the beach. Write down a description of the place. Fill in all the details, such as sounds, smells, tastes, and textures.
2. Sit in a comfortable chair and create the scene you have just written down in your mind for 10-15 minutes. Become completely absorbed in the details, and let your mind explore all the wonders of that place. Let your body relax in the chair, and your mind travel millions of miles away from reality. Miles away from all the hardships and burdens of the day.
After you will conclude the experience and wake up, you will feel nothing but peace and calm. You will feel relaxed and refreshed.
" Muscle Relaxation"
Muscle relaxation is an alternative. It produces a reflexive automatic release of tension. (A minimum amount of concentration and attention required).
Remember that those muscle groups that will release tension in a more obvious manner are your personal stress points. (Ex. jaw) Consider this method more of an exercise practice rather than just muscle relaxation. The following exercises are for your-arms, shoulders, jaw, and legs.
Arms: Raise your arms from your sides, make fists, and tense up all your muscles from your fingers to your biceps (8 sec). Release the tension in your arms, let them drop down, and experience the sense of relaxation in all the muscles that were tensed (15 sec).
Shoulders: Raise your shoulders into a high shrug. Feel the tension across the shoulders and the back of your neck (8-sec). Release and feel the relaxed sensation (15-sec).
Jaw: Press your molars together-not too hard-to clench the muscles of your jaw. Feel the tension (8-sec). Then release (15 sec).
Legs: (If sitting) push the soles of your feet directly into the floor. Feel the tension in your leg muscles, from your feet up through your calves and thighs (8 sec). Then release (15 sec).
(If lying down) Tense your legs (8-sec). Then release (15 sec).
After completing your muscle exercises, repeat your "re-lax" phrase relaxation practice. It will help you relax better if you do two relaxation practices one right after the other.
The "re-lax" relaxation practice is also beneficial in maintaining restful sleep. If you have disturbing dreams or insomnia, then repeating the "re-lax" phrase right before you go to sleep is very important.
Relaxation is very helpful in reducing or preventing headaches. Learn to recognize early signs of headaches and try your hardest to take the time to do at least one simple relaxation practice. This method will not cure your headaches completely, but at least it keep you pain free for most of the day.
"Healing Imagery"
This method is very effective in helping to promoting a sense of well being, stress relief, and symptom control. It creates a sense of sudden strength, energy, and control over your illness. It gives you the feeling of power and mastery over the constant ill feeling.
Steps 1-10:
1. Take a seat on a comfortable recliner.
2. Take, a long, deep breath, and release it. Focus on the inhaling and exhaling of your breaths. Feel the natural rhythm of your breathing. Each time you exhale you release the tension of the day. (Exhale, release…)
3. Now allow your relaxed feeling to radiate upward to your shoulders, going across and descending through both arms. Going down towards the chest area, flowing into the stomach. Now let the relaxed feeling spread through every body part, in order to relax your entire body.
4. Recognize the feeling you now have since you are in completely relaxed state.
5. Now ease the pounding of your heart by the quieting of your mind. Imagine yourself far away from reality, somewhere near a flowing stream. Allow yourself to do anything you wish. This is your time now! Imagine yourself doing something you always wanted to do something that makes you completely happy! Take the time to dwell on it, in order to provide a sense of happiness.
6. Now let your thoughts loosen. Free yourself second by second from all your thoughts. Release everything from your mind and just feel a complete sense of nothingness occupying through your mind.
7. Your healing now begins! It begins within your own self. Feel a sudden sense of inner strength. Feel a sense of power. Feel yourself becoming re-energized, and re-vitalized. Feel a sense of freshness. Let these feeling radiate throughout your entire body, so you can feel them grow stronger and stronger within you.
8. Now you can start to feel powerful and able to succeed in accomplishing your goals. Believe in rebuilding and restoring your body. Believe that you are a strong, confident person who will not be weakened by this debilitating disease. You will not let it defeat you, you will defeat it. You will have control over your symptoms and help fight them.
9. Now, you will hopefully feel less fatigued… as this message remains with you, and allows you to fight off any tension or stress of the day.
10. Slowly bring yourself back to wakefulness, eyes opening gradually, as you feel relaxed and refreshed.
I hope that these suggestions will help you relax better and deal with stress. The healing imagery and the "re-lax" phrase helped me a lot, and I pray that they will help you too. Not all of these practices may work, but I guarantee at least one or two will definitely help you feel better.
These relaxation methods were provided by DR. Fred Friedberg Ph. D. The author of Coping with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
