A relaxation technique

I would like to thank my first yoga teacher, Ursula from London (who I still miss), for teaching me how to relax. This is part of her method and I find that it gives you just enough to think about to stop your mind wandering, but beautifully relaxes body and mind. There is a much longer version called Yoga Nidra, but I am just going to give you the first 5/10 minutes to start you off. If you would like me to create a full, audio version, let me know.

Read through the relaxation first, and try and remember it (or at least understand the concept). Then, ideally, lie on the floor with your arms slightly away from your body and your palms facing upwards. But if you happen to be on a bus, or a chair somewhere, it still works quite well, so give it a try:

• With your eyes closed, feel your body still and steady
• Tell yourself you will stay absolutely still and repeat silently to yourself "I am about to relax"
• Feel the natural rhythm of your breath as you breathe in and out (don't try to change your breathing, just notice the natural rhythm).
• Become aware of any sounds, near and far, let them come and go  
• Notice any smells, sense them coming and going  
• Now is the time to repeat your "sankalpa" or personal affirmation three times. This could be your life goal. (If you don't have one, either listen to my free bonus audio on my website by signing in on the first page, or give me a ring). While our mind is quiet, it has a powerful, positive impact on your life.  
• Become aware of your stillness and notice your lungs expanding as you breathe in and moving down as you breathe out.  
• Take a trip around your body (this bit really works) You can do this quite quickly, but take enough time to focus on each part of your body in turn. Focus on each of these parts:

1. Right hand side: Right thumb, first finger, second finger, third finger, little finger. Palm of the hand, back of the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, armpit. Right side of the torso, right waist, hip, thigh - inner thigh and outer thigh, knee - front of the knee and back of the knee, shin, calf, ankle, heel. Right foot - top of the foot, sole, instep, big toe, second toe, third toe, fourth toe, little toe.
2. Left hand side: Left thumb, first finger, second finger, third finger, little finger. Palm of the hand, back of the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, armpit. Left side of the torso, left waist, hip, thigh - inner thigh and outer thigh, knee - front of the knee and back of the knee, shin, calf, ankle, heel. Left foot - top of the foot, sole, instep, big toe, second toe, third toe, fourth toe, little toe.
3. Back torso: Buttocks, spine - lower, middle and upper spine. Shoulders - left shoulder, right shoulder and both shoulders together, neck - front and back
4. Head and face: Back of your head, scalp, top of your head, forehead, left and right eyebrows, space between your eyebrows (eyebrow centre), ears - left and right, eye and eyelids - left and right, cheeks - left and right, nose, upper lip, lower lip, chin
5. Front torso: Throat, chest - right and left sides, heart, stomach, diaphragm, navel, abdomen, pelvis
6. Whole body - right leg, left leg, right arm, left arm, head, back of body - shoulders, back and spine, front of body - chest, heart, abdomen. Whole body.

• Repeat your sankalpa 3 times, take a long inhalation and exhalation, stretch your fingers and toes, move your head gently from side to side, roll onto one side before slowly coming up to sitting and opening your eyes

If this looks like too much to remember, see if you can get a friend or partner to read it out to you. Alternatively just think of it as relaxing each part of your body in turn, and focussing briefly on that body part as you do it. That is the core of the exercise.

If you have any other relaxation methods that you would like to share, why not comment here and let everyone know so that they can benefit too?

“The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.” ~ Sydney J Harris

Learn to relax


Do you ever feel like you're running up the down escalator? Do you feel you have to constantly be doing something to get through everything you should do? Could you be a busyaholic?

If this is you, then the chances are, you're addicted to the buzz you get from being under stress. It may even make you feel guilty if you take time off (and I can hear you screaming..."but you don't understand, I have too much to do to take time off..."!).

The theory says that if you want to be a peak performer (in sport, at home or at work) you need periods of intense activity followed by periods of recovery.

"life is not a marathon - it is a series of sprints" ~ Loehr

1.Listen to your body's natural rhythm. Research has shown that your mind and body have an 'ultradian rest phase' every 90 minutes. Notice when you are finding it hard to concentrate and there is a subtle feeling of relaxation. Don't over-ride this with caffeine or ignore it. You may have to listen very hard to your body and mind if you are in the habit of ignoring it.

2.Relax for between 5 and 20 minutes. When you notice this feeling, go with it and relax, twice a day. Your body is able to do important restorative work during this phase, if you let it. You can relax whilst on the bus, cuddling your kids or just slip out for 5 minutes and find a quiet spot (please just don't do it whilst you are driving!).

If you are a busyaholic, by relaxing every day you will become more efficient and less likely to succumb to a stress related illness (and sadly there are many). It may seem trivial, but it could be one of the most beneficial habits you ever acquire.

Decluttering

Quick Quote


"My riches consist, not in the extent of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants." ~ J. Brotherton

Top Tips on de-cluttering

Christmas is over and we now have too much stuff…Clutter creates stress. And stress zaps your energy and creativity. By taking some time to clear out and tidy, you'll be re-energized and clutter-free.

1. Break the job down into manageable parts. As with all projects, if you view it as one enormous project, it is impossible to take a bite out of the elephant and you will procrastinate. It is better to list which areas you are going to de-clutter by room and then by smaller area/thing, a drawer or a shelf at a time, and prioritise.

2. Schedule some time to do it. Put half an hour on your calendar next week when you are going to do some de-cluttering. It is ideal if you don’t have anything scheduled straight afterwards as you may get really into it! Also, do 5 minute bursts when you get the chance. It’s amazing what you can do in 5 minutes.

3. Put everything into one of 4 "buckets":

•  I'd like to keep it – find it a home and put it there

•  I’ll give it away – find someone else who would like it. Either give it to a friend, a charity shop, or give it away on freecycle:www.freecycle.org/

•  I’d like to sell it – try and sell it on ebay, www.ebay.com/ or gumtree www.gumtree.com/

•  It’s rubbish - Bin it. Also throw away anything from the second and third buckets which are still hanging around after 1 month of trying to find them a home

4. Set up systems so that the clutter doesn’t build up in the same way again. For example, file the piece of paper straight away, don’t have a "filing pile". Throw one item of clothing out for every new one you get.

Do you have any other successful methods for keeping clutter to a minimum ?

Goal setting

It’s the start of a new decade. A great time to put behind you things that are holding you back, clear some space (in your head and your home), and work out what you would really like to achieve this year. And don’t set a New Year’s resolution – they rarely work. Set a goal which excites and motivates you.


Quick Quote

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” ~ Bill Copeland

Set a goal

1.Don’t set a New Year’s resolution. Many people set the same one every year and often don’t last beyond the first week. “I want to give up smoking” is unlikely to yield results as it doesn’t have any emotional attachment. Instead try this:

2.Set a goal. You need a real goal, or a vision to motivate you – to keep you alive and to make sure you have something on which to hang your plan. For the smoker, something along the lines of “healthy enough to run around with my kids without getting out of breath” has an image, emotion and a reason behind it. It is more likely to succeed. Make sure youur goal is what you really want, not what you think you should do. Write it in the present tense as though you have achieved it. It should make you excited but a bit scared too.

3.Believe you can achieve your goal. If you don’t believe it then it is unlikely to happen. If this is hard then find other people who have achieved similar goals. Also delve deep to understand what your fears and obstacles are and work out what you need to do to overcome them.

4.Create a plan. Work out what you need to achieve to reach your goal. Break it down into manageable components and then set a step-by-step plan, with deadlines.

5.Share the journey. Work with one or more people so that you are accountable for achieving your action plan, and have support when the going gets tough.

6.De-clutter. Keep you mind focussed on what you are trying to achieve. Try to get rid of distractions and build in sustained periods of time to achieve certain tasks. If you find this hard, yoga and/or meditation can help. When your mind is clear of clutter and your surroundings are neat and orderly, your stress diminishes.

If you need help with any of the above steps, I’m the person to help you…