We keep reading and reading about how to relax but has it happened yet? Have you ever really felt relaxed?
We frequently hear that to truly relax we have to get away, go on a vacation or take a class on meditation or yoga. Yes! Do those things too if you can. But there is something else that is right there for you every second of your personal day and your personal life – THE PAUSE.
You don’t have to take a vacation to relax. There are things you can do right now.
There are many “forced” pauses throughout our day
Some examples of when to PAUSE:
- We stand in the grocery line behind a woman with a FIST FULL of coupons!
- We get caught in that horribly long red light—AGAIN!
- We have now sat in the doctor’s waiting room for an ETERNITY!
- We have been in line at the fast food drive up window FOREVER!
Ways to Relax and Be Happy
- Begin to exhale long, slow and steady. Focus on exhaling. See how long you can stretch each exhallation out.
- Keep exhaling and slowly count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 as you exhale. Feel yourself exhaling for longer periods of time than you are inhaling. So if you inhale at the count of 1 and 2 then exhale at the count of 1 and 2 and 3 and sometimes 4.
- Be very interested in how long you can stretch out your exhalations.
- Now notice that there is a split second of quiet and stillness at the very end of every exhaling breath. Notice that still moment again and again.
- Now watch and feel yourself inhaling. At the end of each inhalation there is also a split second of quiet just before exhaling. Notice that very still moment again and again.
Pause and Breath
There are 2 moments of pause within every single breath that we take. Each pause offers a still moment in your physical body….a still moment in your rampaging thoughts….a still moment in your hectic day….a still moment in your life.
The stress hormones immediately drop and your brain instantly receives relaxation signals. This pause is there for you wherever you go and whatever you do. It’s all in the pause!
Tina Zion
Award Winning Author