Deep relaxation / meditation? Tips?

[Mrs P]

I've been reading a book on traditional chinese medicine (ok, THREE books ) and looking for ways to complement the therapy I am currently having.
So I'm looking at things like diet, regular exercise (yay body transformation challenge!) etc.

And of course, reducing STRESS (the root of ALL evil ).

Suggestion is to do 20 - 30 mins of deep relaxation / meditation a day. Now I'm thinking I can just lie down and do the thing where you go from toes to head, thinking about each body part and 'relaxing' it... but does anyone have any tips/suggestions on how they do it??

[squidipa]

i lay down get comfortable and i tense up each individually part of my anatomy then hold and release then move on to other parts going head to top even eyebrows bottom neck thighs and all. it works i have even had this recorded and i lay down and play it and go through it.

or think of a really happy place you remember like a memory

and reenact it step by step in your head eys shut of course vizulising every texture and colour

[krysalyss]

If you do a google search for meditations you can actually get some online including some 'guided meditation' sound clips. HTH

[Heaven]

Try this one:

Begin by taking a couple of deep, full breaths . . . and let the out breath be a real 'letting go' kind of breath . . . make sure you are comfortable . . . and not too close to anyone, so you won?t be disturbed.
As you breathe comfortably and easily, invite your body to relax and let go of any unnecessary tension . . . take the time to bring your attention to each part of your body, and invite it to release and relax. . . .
Release and relax any tension you may have in your left foot . . . your right foot . . . your calves . . . your thighs and hamstrings . . . your hips . . . pelvis . . .. . . lower back . . .
Take your time and sense the comfortable feelings of deepening relaxation beginning in the lower half of your body . . . easily . . . naturally . . . invite your abdomen to release and relax and join in this more comfortable and pleasant state of relaxation . . . relax your mid-back. . . your chest . . . the muscles across and between your shoulder blades . . . deeper and more comfortably at ease . . relax your neck . . . relaxing more deeply, more comfortably, more easily . . . .
As each part relaxes, you relax more deeply . . . and as you go deeper, it is easier to relax . . . the relaxation is flowing down your upper arms . . . your elbows . . . forearms . . . wrists . . . and hands . . . sense the relaxation in the small muscles between your fingers . . . and all the way to the tips of the index fingers . . . the middle fingers . . . ring fingers . . . little fingers . . . and thumbs . . .
Scalp and forehead soft and relaxed . . . the muscles of the face soft and at ease . . . the little muscles around the eyes relaxing more deeply . . . more pleasantly . . . more comfortably . . . .
And imagine yourself at the top of an imaginary staircase that leads down to an even deeper and more comfortable state of mind and body . . . at the bottom of the stairs is your special place where you feel comfortable, it could be somewhere you?ve been before or somewhere new that you have just imagined now? still at the top of the staircase, notice what it looks like in your special place down below. . . and descend down the staircase one step at a time . . . going deeper, more comfortably relaxed with each descending stair . . . let it be an enjoyable experience . . . head for that special inner place of peacefulness and healing. . . .
As you step down count the stairs, ten . . . nine . . . deeper, more comfortably relaxed as you go down the stairs . . . eight . . . seven . . . not being concerned at all with how deeply you go or how you go more deeply . . . six . . . easy . . . comfortable . . . five . . . just allowing it to happen . . . and four . . . comfortable and pleasant . . . three . . . two . . . body relaxed yet your mind still aware of where you?re going . . . one . . . .
And go in your mind to a special inner place of deep relaxation and healing . . . an inner place of great beauty, peacefulness, and security for you . . .
It really doesn't matter where you go now in your mind as long as the place is peaceful, beautiful, and healing to you . . . take a few moments to look around this special inner place and notice what you see . . . what you hear . . . perhaps there's a fragrance or aroma here . . . and especially notice any feelings of peacefulness, safety, and connection that you feel here . . . .
As you explore, find the spot where you feel the most relaxed, centered, and connected. . . become comfortable and quiet in this place . . . .
When you are ready, focus your attention on a problem that has been bothering you . . . simply put your attention on it while staying completely relaxed . . . allow an image to emerge for this symptom or problem . . . accept the image that comes, whether it makes sense or not . . . whether it is strange or familiar . . . whether you like it or not . . . just notice and accept the image that comes for now . . . let it become clearer and more vivid, and take some time to observe it carefully . . . .
In your imagination, you can explore this image from any angle, and from as close or far away as you like . . . carefully observe it from different perspectives . . . don't try to change it . . . just notice what draws your attention . . . .
What seems to be the matter in this image? . . . what is it that represents the problem? . . . .
When you know this, let another image appear that represents the healing or resolution of this problem . . . again, simply allow it to arise spontaneously . . . allow it to become clearer and more vivid . . . carefully observe this image as well, from different perspectives . . . what is it about this image that represents healing? . . . .
Now recall the first image and consider the two images together . . . how do they seem to relate to each other as you observe them? . . . Which is larger? . . . Which is more powerful? . . . If the image of the problem seems more powerful, notice whether you can change that . . . imagine the image of healing becoming stronger, more powerful, more vivid . . . imagine it to be much bigger and much more powerful than the other . . . .
Now imagine the image of the problem or symptom turning into the image of healing . . . watch the transformation . . . how does it seem to happen? . . . . Is it sudden, like changing channels on television, or is it a gradual process? . . . . If it is a process, notice how it happens . . . notice if what happens seems to relate to anything in your life . . .
Focus clearly and powerfully on this healing image . . . imagine it is taking place. . . notice whether you can feel or imagine any changing sensations as you imagine this healing taking place . . . let the sensations be sensations of healing . . . affirm to yourself that this is happening now, and that this healing continues in you whether you are waking . . . sleeping . . . imagining . . . or going about your daily activities. . . .
When you are ready, prepare to return to your waking consciousness . . . imagine yourself standing up and walking back to the bottom of your imaginary staircase . . . and then begin to ascend . . . one . . . two . . . allowing this image of healing to continue to work within you . . . three . . . becoming more and more aware of your surroundings . . . four . . . when you reach ten you may come wide-awake and alert, feeling refreshed and better than before . . . five . . . lighter and lighter . . . six . . . aware of the room you are in . . . seven . . . feeling refreshed and relaxed and better than before . . . eight . . . almost wide- awake now . . . nine . . . your eyes may want to open now . . . and ten . . . allow your eyes to open and come fully wide-awake . . . feeling refreshed, relaxed, and better than before . . . and stretch and smile and go about your day . . . .

[Michelle_k]

theres a few good meditation podcasts on itunes that i use regulary