Relaxation Article

[mactombs]

I believe that learning how to relax is the most important key in the overall goal of conscious projection or phasing.

I've taken some steps back from my attempts to give myself the time to be able to just relax deep enough, to be able to do so without excitement, without anxiety. After today's session, I thought I would compile an article on the most important things I've learned so far. This article might be a little obvious in some ways - or it might seem that way, but it's easy to overlook some of these things or think they aren't important.

This article doesn't cover relaxation techniques. Maybe someday I'll revise and expand it to cover more area, but this is what I have learned so far.

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TIME

Try to choose a time for your session that can be consistent one day to the next. In this way, you establish the purpose of the session in your mind. This also allows you to impress that this as a time to be left alone. No interruptions. This is a time when you can set aside the work day, the phone, family, friends and any other distraction. This is your time. You have nothing to do and nowhere to be.

ENVIRONMENT

It is desirable to have a space set aside for your session. The bed is associated strongly with sleep (and, for some, other activities which are beyond the scope of this article). A couch, or a chair where the legs can be elevated, is preferable. Even a few blankets spread over the floor make a good space. No space is the wrong space, so long as it is the most comfortable for you. Choose your space and let it be the right space without worrying further on the matter.

You need a quiet place. If you cannot get away from noise, consider white noise (i.e. a fan, Hemi-Sync CDs,) or earplugs.

Lighting should be as dark as is comfortable, from pitch black to a subtle glow. Being able to be choosy with lighting might not be a luxury. In this case, consider an eye-pillow. If that's uncomfortable, no worries. Any light condition will still allow a state of relaxation.

Keep the temperature comfortable and warm. If you use a fan as white noise, turn it away from you so that it does not directly blow on you.

POSITION

You might not even know what "comfortable" means to you and your body at first. Experiment. Move around to find what feels best. Once you have found the most comfortable position, try to keep that position throughout the duration of your session (but allow yourself small adjustments and so forth). Scratching itches is allowed. Don't worry about them.

The position of the arms and legs is an important factor in how you lay. If your arms are spread out you have a different alignment then if your arms rest close to your body – by alignment I mean it affects how your head rests, thereby your neck, and how your breathing is freer or more obstructed. One position for one person is probably not superior to another position for another person, so the position of your limbs needs to be experimented with.

Different surfaces affect how you lay as well; for instance, lying on a couch will be different from lying on a bed.

Having your arms resting on your body is probably not a good idea, as it puts pressure (no matter how light) on organs and bones. It may also ground you.

Pillows are also an important consideration. Having a pillow may be less desirable than lying without one; lying without a pillow may also reduce the tendency to fall asleep. It also affects the alignment of your spine.

EYES

While your body as a whole needs to be deeply relaxed, one key part of your body may be especially important – your eyes. Where your eyes are focused (or not focused) may influence things greatly. Relaxing your eyes might be difficult at first, so take care to learn how to relax your eyes; be patient in this endeavor. There are no expectations, no time limits in how long it ought to take to learn this relaxation.

BREATHING

Let yourself breathe naturally and freely. Some people recommend certain methods of breathing. Generally, in a state of relaxation your out breaths are longer than your in breaths. There is no need to control your breathing, however, and the less you try to breathe the better. Let your lungs breathe you.

TIME FRAME

Always give yourself as much time as needed to learn to relax completely and effectively. Allow yourself time to relax without any expectations whatsoever to have any kind of experience.

Relaxation sessions should be kept short – probably on average 30 to 45 minutes for longer sessions. This helps impress on the mind that you are relaxing and not sleeping (unless you are accustomed to falling asleep and napping all within such a short time frame). Keeping sessions to a limited time also helps reduce frustration, and adds a level of discipline – impressing on your brain that this time is set aside for a particular purpose.

FINIS

[Ramone]

Pretty good technique you got there.  Seems pretty sound.

One thing that really stuck out to me was the "This also allows you to impress that this as a time to be left alone. No interruptions." bit.  Are you hinting at something?  Just because you post it here doesn't mean I will stop barging into your room singing in sweet operatic tones while jumping on your bed...

[mactombs]

Just because you post it here doesn't mean I will stop barging into your room singing in sweet operatic tones while jumping on your bed...

Oh, I enjoy the Operettas of the Kangaroo, I really do, it's just not exactly conducive to that nice, nice melted-muscles feeling under the soft tones of the Hemi-Sync ...

I hear at TMI they have a 300-gallon water bed - the water is salted and body temperature and supports your weight without feeling like anything is supporting you. Wouldn't it be neat if they had places like tanning salons with TMI CHEC units?

Which brings up the point, has anyone ever tried to see if expanded states come more easily to them while lying on just a normal waterbed?

[labouts]

I have a waterbed and find a normal mattress is harder to relax on but easier to reach higher levels of conciseness on for some reason.