Relaxation Technique from Mrs. Braddy

"What joy to feel all the parts of my body moving in unison!" I think this every time I go for a run. (After I drag myself out of my house.) Another great joy, though, is to feel all the parts of my body. My eight grade reading teacher, Mrs. Braddy, had the class do an exercise one day that allowed the class to relax and concentrate on one part of the body at a time. I have used this technique from time to time since then to help myself fall asleep.

If you are at your desk, sit with your head down on the desk top and your eyes closed. If you are free to lie down, lie in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Concentrate on your toes. Feel all the stress and tension flow out of your toes. Move your concentration to your feet. Feel the balls of your feet, the arch, the heel. Think about the tension flowing out of each part. Feel the top of your feet relaxing.

When your feet feel relaxed, begin to concentrate on your ankles. Feel the tension release and shoot out of your ankles. Concentrate on your calves for a few minutes. Think about the stress and tension leaving your calves, then your knees. Relax your upper legs.

In this manner, go through each body part and consciously relax. The more specific you can get, the better. For example, don't just relax your torso. Relax your buttocks, your hips, your pelvis, your stomach, your diaphragm, your ribs, your lungs, the small of your back, your upper back, your shoulder blades, your shoulders, your ribs, and your clavicle. You can even think about relaxing your belly button.

Go slowly. Give your body time to respond to your request for relaxation. Do not move on to the next body part until the one you are focusing on feels ready. Think about one body part at a time, focusing on leading the stress out of your body. You are not in a fight with your body, pushing and shoving stress out. You are healing, relaxing, calming, and soothing one single body part.

Continue relaxing each body part until you have reached the very top of your head. If you are trying to fall asleep, keep your eyes closed and continue to relax your body. Breathe evenly and well (like yoga-breathing). If you are not trying to fall alseep, slowly begin to wiggle your fingers and toes. Open your eyes and gently lift your head. Stretch gently through your torso, arms, and legs.

When I do this, I feel like I have had a wonderful 1 1/2 hour nap with only 10 minutes of relaxation! Try it and let me know what you think!