Instant Relaxation Anytime, Anywhere

If there was a way of relaxing quickly and easily in any situation would you want to know what it is? Ancient cultures knew this secret, and followers of Hawaiian Huna used it to access altered states. In more recent times martial artists used it as a way to develop relaxed alertness, and today photoreaders use it to relax before reading books at speeds of 25,000 words per minute. What is the secret? It has to do with how you use your eyes!

Pick a spot on the wall straight ahead and a little above eye level. Now continue to look at that spot with soft focus and after a few moments you will notice that the room seems to become fuzzy as you develop tunnel vision. This tunnel vision goes hand in hand with the worry, stress and anxiety you feel when you get fixated on getting what you want when you are under pressure.
If only you could snap out of that tunnel vision when it clouds your judgment then you could be more relaxed when you choose to be. You can in a moment if you know how to access your peripheral vision.

How to access your peripheral vision:
1. Pick a spot on the wall in front of you, slightly above eye level.
2. Extend your field of vision, little by little, to take in more of what you can see to the left and right. Continue like this until you are aware of what you can see out of the corner of your eyes on either side.
3. Let your awareness go even further. Use your sense of space to guide you all the way around behind you through 360 degrees.
When you stay in peripheral vision for a few minutes, you will notice that your breathing tends to slow down and even become deeper; the muscles of your face may have relaxed; and even the rest of your body may feel heavier and more relaxed.
When you use your peripheral vision your nervous system seems to automatically calm your body, mind and emotions.
4. Return to normal everyday awareness by letting your vision return to normal.
When you are speaking to a group or even to a large audience, accessing your peripheral vision is a valuable skill. It will let you relax immediately while also allowing you to see your entire audience and any small movements, consequently you can be more aware of reactions to your message.

Which do you prefer, tunnel vision with stress or peripheral vision with relaxation? The choice is yours. To have a choice when it matters you need to practice accessing your peripheral vision at will. Then the next time you feel anxious, scared or tense in front of other people you will be able to quickly and easily access your natural state of relaxation.

see also our various powerful stress buster menu on the right of each page.

 

REPROGRAM THE BODY'S RESPONSE TO STRESS
The next time you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or highly emotional, try the following exercise:

1. Lightly place the fingertips of each hand or the palm of one hand on the bumps on your forehead directly above your eyes. If you can't find these slight lumps simply place your hands about an inch above the eyebrows.
2. Take a deep breath and "drop into your stress." No need to try to be positive. It's better to sink into the negative or unpleasant feeling while holding the points. Keep breathing deeply and stay focused for two to five minutes.
3. As the blood returns to the forebrain you will feel very strong pulses under your fingertips or hands. At the same time, you are lifting out of the stress, beginning to think more clearly and reconditioning your response to that particular event or memory.
This action is sometimes instinctual: how often has your child or loved one complained of feeling upset or ill and you find yourself placing your palm on their forehead? Or when hearing shocking news, do you automatically find your hand on your own forehead? Touching these neurovascular points called the frontal eminences impacts blood circulation. Holding these points not only stops the blood from leaving the forebrain, it also draws blood back into the forebrain and retrains the body's automatic stress response.

This simple but valuable tool can be used to systematically remove accumulated stresses from the past and to control reactions in the present. Practice on yourself, experimenting with a single memory until you no longer feel a stress response in your body. The next time you automatically place your hand on someone's forehead, leave it there for a few minutes and watch their response — this is especially useful when a child wakens from a nightmare. The more often this technique is practiced, the quicker the body reconditions its response to stress, creating a healthier and more tranquil life!

see also our various powerful stress buster menu on the right of each page.

Powerful meditation...

Over the years in which I have been exploring the world of spiritual practice, I
have had any number of wonderful experiences meditating on the here and now,
including many moments of great peace. Unfortunately, I have also found that it
can get kind of boring after awhile. At that point, I generaly allow myself to
drift back into the world of fantasies and daydreams until reminded by an outer
prompting or inner feeling to once again return to the present.

Recently, I came across the following passage in Christina Baldwin's new book
'The Seven Whispers' which points to a different way of thinking about both peace
of mind and the present moment:

'Peace of mind is the cornerstone of spiritual life. It is the tabula rasa, the
clean slate, upon which messages of spiritual guidance may be written. The
only way I can receive these messages is to hold myself in a quiet, receptive
state I call peace of mind.

Here is the image that comes: With outstretched hands, I am holding a shallow
bowl. The bowl is filled with clear water. The botom of the bowl is lined with
pebbles and shells that represent all the things that clutter my mind: extraneous
thoughts, feelings, tasks, commitments - the stuff of life. I stare through the
water, and see the busyness of my life slightly altered by the sheen of
stillness. I am separate from my doing, waiting and calm.

This peace of mind is where all spiritual direction starts, and to keep finding
our way, we need to keep returning to this state of calm mind and open heart.'

For me, this suggests an exciting new possibility - that peace of mind may be not
only a final destination but also a jumping off point - a gateway to as yet
uncharted inner worlds and as yet unheard from inner wisdom.

If you would like to explore this perspective for yourself, try this simple three
breath experiment, derived from the teachings of Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat
Hanh...

Breath One: Let Go

In order to tune in to the present, we must first let go of those things which
are pulling us into the past and future. As you breathe in, take a quick
inventory of what is going on in your mind and body. On the outbreath, give
yourself the instruction to 'Let go'.

Breath Two: Be Here

As you breathe in, focus your attention on your physical body, which of necessity
is always rooted in the here and now. On the outbreath, give yourself the
instruction to 'Be here'.

Breath Three: What Now?

As you breathe in, allow your awareness to expand beyond your physical body and
immediate environment to include the wider world. On the outbreath, ask yourself
the question, 'What now?'

Each time you repeat this sequence, you will have a deepening experience of being
present and at peace, and you will find your clarity, insight, and intuition all
increase. Rather than passively 'doing your time' in meditation because 'it's
supposed to be good for you', you may find yourself actively engaging with the
moment on an ongoing basis throughout the day.

My own experience of it is as a state of active wonder, a sort of 'readiness' for
whatever is going to happen next.

As Hamlet put it:

'If it be now, 'tis not to come;
if it be not to come, it will be now;
if it be not now, yet it will come:
the readiness is all.'

Have fun, learn heaps, and practice peace!

see also our various powerful stress buster menu on the right of each page.