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The 10 Best Ways to Relax
Konstantin Koss asked:
(c) 2008 Konstantin Koss
The body follows what the mind conceives. The condition of the mind often affects how the body performs, which explains why people who are stressed often suffer from accelerated aging and health problems. There are techniques that can help avoid or at least minimize stress. Follow these top 10 ways to relax and give your mind and body a good break.
1. Learn to breathe.
Breathing comes unconsciously, which sometimes encourages us to take it for granted. Several times a day, when you feel stress coming on or you feel tired and unenthusiastic, do a few deep breathing exercises. Here’s how:
Sit or stand with your spine straight and stretched slightly. Then slowly take a breath at a slow count of 3 and exhale just as slowly. Allow your lungs to expand as you take in the air and empty it as you breathe out. If it helps to close your eyes, then do so. Fresh oxygen helps enliven your blood and the slow breathing encourages you to sit or stand still for a moment.
2. Stretch.
Another way to relax is slow stretching. Whether you’re standing or seated, make sure to keep your spine straight and allow your arms to dangle loosely at your side. Feet should be flat on the floor and relaxed.
Slowly raise your arms high, as if you’re reaching for the ceiling and slowly raise yourself on the ball of your feet. Follow the movement of your hands with your eyes so that your head can tilt back. Hold this position for a count of 10 and then slowly bring down your arms.
3. Increase your physical activities.
Or at least get yourself one if you haven’t got any up until now. Contrary to what other people think, exercising actually helps you relax afterwards. It cleanses your body of toxins by inducing sweat, increases your blood flow and the flow of oxygen to the brain and it works up your muscles.
Start slowly and gradually build up until you are able to maintain a regular schedule.
4. Watch your diet.
What you eat affects your mood. Another great way to relax is to maintain a diet that is rich in nutrients, such as antioxidants, folate and omega-3 fatty acids. Eat more fruits and vegetables and when you’re thirsty, grab a bottle of water and keep away from sodas and flavored drinks.
5. Get enough sound sleep.
Sleep is about quality and not just quantity but in times of stress, it’s best to get as much sleep as you can. About 6 to 8 hours should get you the rest you need.
Getting enough sleep is an excellent way to relax. It allows your body to regroup and recover and it eases your mind of other concerns.
6. Use music.
If music works for you, use it. Stick to soft tunes and don’t whip out that Metallica CD just yet. Rock music tends to use heavy bass lines, hard percussions and strong lyrics. If you want to relax, turn to soft and easy listening and save those faster tunes for some other time.
7. Turn away from the modern trappings of your life.
Often, the most relaxing things are also the ones that are the most basic. Once a week at least or more often, turn off the TV. Unplug it and keep the remote outside of your reach. Turn off the computer as well.
These two are common sources of distractions. Due to the rapidly changing images and the overflow of information, they can sometimes overload the mind and hinder relaxation. Keep things simple and don’t sweat the small, insignificant stuff.
8. Have time to yourself.
A good way to relax is to set aside time for some peace and quiet. What better way to do this than to schedule short vacations for yourself? You don’t have to pack your bags or even leave the house – simply close the door, find a nice, quiet place to sit and enjoy your own company.
9. Try yoga or meditation.
Yoga and meditation helps you attain a good body and mind connection. As a result, you’re more likely to feel relaxed and refreshed. Try simple yoga steps or learn to meditate a few minutes each day. Do these regularly and you’ll find that it will get easier to relax and manage stress later on.
10. Laugh.
Find your sense of humor again. Be with family and friends you can be yourself with. Laughter is one of the best ways to relax and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. It also helps you build connections with people in your life who really matter.
End Anxiety And Panic Attacks
(c) 2008 Konstantin Koss
The body follows what the mind conceives. The condition of the mind often affects how the body performs, which explains why people who are stressed often suffer from accelerated aging and health problems. There are techniques that can help avoid or at least minimize stress. Follow these top 10 ways to relax and give your mind and body a good break.
1. Learn to breathe.
Breathing comes unconsciously, which sometimes encourages us to take it for granted. Several times a day, when you feel stress coming on or you feel tired and unenthusiastic, do a few deep breathing exercises. Here’s how:
Sit or stand with your spine straight and stretched slightly. Then slowly take a breath at a slow count of 3 and exhale just as slowly. Allow your lungs to expand as you take in the air and empty it as you breathe out. If it helps to close your eyes, then do so. Fresh oxygen helps enliven your blood and the slow breathing encourages you to sit or stand still for a moment.
2. Stretch.
Another way to relax is slow stretching. Whether you’re standing or seated, make sure to keep your spine straight and allow your arms to dangle loosely at your side. Feet should be flat on the floor and relaxed.
Slowly raise your arms high, as if you’re reaching for the ceiling and slowly raise yourself on the ball of your feet. Follow the movement of your hands with your eyes so that your head can tilt back. Hold this position for a count of 10 and then slowly bring down your arms.
3. Increase your physical activities.
Or at least get yourself one if you haven’t got any up until now. Contrary to what other people think, exercising actually helps you relax afterwards. It cleanses your body of toxins by inducing sweat, increases your blood flow and the flow of oxygen to the brain and it works up your muscles.
Start slowly and gradually build up until you are able to maintain a regular schedule.
4. Watch your diet.
What you eat affects your mood. Another great way to relax is to maintain a diet that is rich in nutrients, such as antioxidants, folate and omega-3 fatty acids. Eat more fruits and vegetables and when you’re thirsty, grab a bottle of water and keep away from sodas and flavored drinks.
5. Get enough sound sleep.
Sleep is about quality and not just quantity but in times of stress, it’s best to get as much sleep as you can. About 6 to 8 hours should get you the rest you need.
Getting enough sleep is an excellent way to relax. It allows your body to regroup and recover and it eases your mind of other concerns.
6. Use music.
If music works for you, use it. Stick to soft tunes and don’t whip out that Metallica CD just yet. Rock music tends to use heavy bass lines, hard percussions and strong lyrics. If you want to relax, turn to soft and easy listening and save those faster tunes for some other time.
7. Turn away from the modern trappings of your life.
Often, the most relaxing things are also the ones that are the most basic. Once a week at least or more often, turn off the TV. Unplug it and keep the remote outside of your reach. Turn off the computer as well.
These two are common sources of distractions. Due to the rapidly changing images and the overflow of information, they can sometimes overload the mind and hinder relaxation. Keep things simple and don’t sweat the small, insignificant stuff.
8. Have time to yourself.
A good way to relax is to set aside time for some peace and quiet. What better way to do this than to schedule short vacations for yourself? You don’t have to pack your bags or even leave the house – simply close the door, find a nice, quiet place to sit and enjoy your own company.
9. Try yoga or meditation.
Yoga and meditation helps you attain a good body and mind connection. As a result, you’re more likely to feel relaxed and refreshed. Try simple yoga steps or learn to meditate a few minutes each day. Do these regularly and you’ll find that it will get easier to relax and manage stress later on.
10. Laugh.
Find your sense of humor again. Be with family and friends you can be yourself with. Laughter is one of the best ways to relax and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. It also helps you build connections with people in your life who really matter.
End Anxiety And Panic Attacks
Top 7 Tips to Recognize Muscle Tension to Relax yourself
Raymond Lee asked:
Before you can learn to relax you must first be able to recognize tension. I have seen many classes where members were told to relax, and they and the teacher believed they had been successful when, in fact, their muscles were still tense. Some people have acquired the habit of muscle tension over a great many years and are so accustomed to it that they are unaware of inappropriate contraction of muscles. It is no use telling such people to relax; they are quite unaware they are tense or what it feels like to be relaxed. Knowledge is required about the state of the muscles. Here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to relax yourself.
1. Recognizing Tension By Touch
The most natural and also one of the most effective methods of assessing muscle tension and relaxation is by touch, by actually feeling the difference between a tense, contracted muscle and a soft resting one, either on yourself or on other people. You can feel the varying degrees of tension in your arm in the following way. Reach across with one hand and take hold of the top of your upper arm. Raise that arm a little and make the whole of it tense. You will feel the muscle go tight and hard. Feel all over the arm. Then let the arm rest by your side and feel the difference. The muscles are soft and you can get hold of handfuls of flesh. Now do this again but without actually moving the arm, just prepare to lift it. As you do this you will feel a differing degree of tension. This is the sort of contraction you make when you are on the alert and ready fro action. Release the tension and feel the contrast. You will notice that, when it is soft and relaxed, your shoulder has dropped also and is no longer held tightly.
2. Learning By Observation
Another way of recognizing tension is to observe movement in other people. Watch dancers, golfers, musicians, even someone beating an egg or driving a car and spot the tense and relaxed phases of the movement. Grace and ease of movement are the result of economy of effort with muscles contracting only when they are needed. Look out for tension in other people and notice tight shoulders, neck, ankles. Some people remain tense when they are asleep.
3. Partner Testing Relaxation In Neck Muscles
Kneel behind your partner who lies on his/her back with knees bent. Cup your hands under your head and lift it very gently just a little way. Feel the weight of it. If the neck muscles are relaxed, the head offers no resistance. If the muscles are tense you can see the tendons standing out as the muscles lift the head.
4. Feeling Tension In Hands
Grasp one wrist with the other hand. Grip it tightly so that your muscles show white and you are actually holding up the underneath hand. Feel the strength of this grip on your resting hand. Now release the tension and feel the difference; the fingers on the top hand are feather-light and the underneath hand is giving all the support. Try to notice when you hold your hands tight during the day, and notice other people too.
5. Feeling Tension In Neck Muscles
Feel the muscles in the back of your neck by taking hold of them as though you were picking a cat up by the scruff of its neck. If your head is resting easily the muscles are soft. Keep hold and slowly jut your head forward to the tense position. You will feel the muscles go tight and hard under your hand. You can sometimes see tramlines of tension in these muscles.
6. Testing Relaxation With A Partner
Try this out on your friends and see whether they can relax arm muscles. Place one hand under the wrist and the other under the elbow. Lift the arm and if it is relaxed it will feel heavy and limp. You will be able to move it easily because your partner neither helps or hinders the movement. If you let go it will immediately drop to the side. Some people will resist the movement or tighten up to offer the arm to you. Others really relax and you can tell this at once. By testing this way, even if your partner cannot relax, it gives you an idea of what tension and relaxation feels like, and also of the wide variety of individual differences between people.
7. Learning By Contrasting Contraction And Relaxation Of Muscles
This method is favoured by clinical psychologists, behavioural therapists and many relaxation teachers. It involves a systematic routine of contracting strongly each group of muscles of the body in turn and then releasing the tension. All parts of the body are involved and learning and practice take a long time. These strong contractions certainly help many people recognize the difference between tension and relaxation but there is now evidence that some anxious people find it difficult to dissipate the tension and are actually more tense afterwards.
No Nonsense Muscle Building
Before you can learn to relax you must first be able to recognize tension. I have seen many classes where members were told to relax, and they and the teacher believed they had been successful when, in fact, their muscles were still tense. Some people have acquired the habit of muscle tension over a great many years and are so accustomed to it that they are unaware of inappropriate contraction of muscles. It is no use telling such people to relax; they are quite unaware they are tense or what it feels like to be relaxed. Knowledge is required about the state of the muscles. Here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to relax yourself.
1. Recognizing Tension By Touch
The most natural and also one of the most effective methods of assessing muscle tension and relaxation is by touch, by actually feeling the difference between a tense, contracted muscle and a soft resting one, either on yourself or on other people. You can feel the varying degrees of tension in your arm in the following way. Reach across with one hand and take hold of the top of your upper arm. Raise that arm a little and make the whole of it tense. You will feel the muscle go tight and hard. Feel all over the arm. Then let the arm rest by your side and feel the difference. The muscles are soft and you can get hold of handfuls of flesh. Now do this again but without actually moving the arm, just prepare to lift it. As you do this you will feel a differing degree of tension. This is the sort of contraction you make when you are on the alert and ready fro action. Release the tension and feel the contrast. You will notice that, when it is soft and relaxed, your shoulder has dropped also and is no longer held tightly.
2. Learning By Observation
Another way of recognizing tension is to observe movement in other people. Watch dancers, golfers, musicians, even someone beating an egg or driving a car and spot the tense and relaxed phases of the movement. Grace and ease of movement are the result of economy of effort with muscles contracting only when they are needed. Look out for tension in other people and notice tight shoulders, neck, ankles. Some people remain tense when they are asleep.
3. Partner Testing Relaxation In Neck Muscles
Kneel behind your partner who lies on his/her back with knees bent. Cup your hands under your head and lift it very gently just a little way. Feel the weight of it. If the neck muscles are relaxed, the head offers no resistance. If the muscles are tense you can see the tendons standing out as the muscles lift the head.
4. Feeling Tension In Hands
Grasp one wrist with the other hand. Grip it tightly so that your muscles show white and you are actually holding up the underneath hand. Feel the strength of this grip on your resting hand. Now release the tension and feel the difference; the fingers on the top hand are feather-light and the underneath hand is giving all the support. Try to notice when you hold your hands tight during the day, and notice other people too.
5. Feeling Tension In Neck Muscles
Feel the muscles in the back of your neck by taking hold of them as though you were picking a cat up by the scruff of its neck. If your head is resting easily the muscles are soft. Keep hold and slowly jut your head forward to the tense position. You will feel the muscles go tight and hard under your hand. You can sometimes see tramlines of tension in these muscles.
6. Testing Relaxation With A Partner
Try this out on your friends and see whether they can relax arm muscles. Place one hand under the wrist and the other under the elbow. Lift the arm and if it is relaxed it will feel heavy and limp. You will be able to move it easily because your partner neither helps or hinders the movement. If you let go it will immediately drop to the side. Some people will resist the movement or tighten up to offer the arm to you. Others really relax and you can tell this at once. By testing this way, even if your partner cannot relax, it gives you an idea of what tension and relaxation feels like, and also of the wide variety of individual differences between people.
7. Learning By Contrasting Contraction And Relaxation Of Muscles
This method is favoured by clinical psychologists, behavioural therapists and many relaxation teachers. It involves a systematic routine of contracting strongly each group of muscles of the body in turn and then releasing the tension. All parts of the body are involved and learning and practice take a long time. These strong contractions certainly help many people recognize the difference between tension and relaxation but there is now evidence that some anxious people find it difficult to dissipate the tension and are actually more tense afterwards.
No Nonsense Muscle Building
Burn Fat and Build Muscle the Right Way
Lance Thomas asked:
You hear a lot of people say that you can’t burn fat and build muscle at the same time, it’s not how the body works. And then you hear people say the opposite and you don’t know who is right because either way you’re not getting the results that you want. You want to build up your muscles but not with fat because it won’t matter how much muscle you have if it’s all covered up with a layer of fat.
I was actually on this same search a few months back, trying to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. I wanted to make sure that all of my hard work wasn’t all covered up because I’m motivated by results and I know that if I had spent a lot of time trying to build muscle and it was covered up by fat o would be discouraged, and possibly look bigger. I wanted to have that cut ripped look but it was so hard. I didn’t want to get skinny either, I liked my size I just wanted to be more muscular without the added fat of getting bigger. A buddy of mine had let me know about this program that he was using to do just that and he was looking pretty ripped. So I decided to give it a try and it was actually working! To my surprise it was relatively easy and detailed. I was extremely satisfied with the results I was getting. Take a look at my link to see exactly what I am talking about. If you’re serious about burning fat and building fat I’m sure you will not find anything better!
End Anxiety And Panic Attacks
You hear a lot of people say that you can’t burn fat and build muscle at the same time, it’s not how the body works. And then you hear people say the opposite and you don’t know who is right because either way you’re not getting the results that you want. You want to build up your muscles but not with fat because it won’t matter how much muscle you have if it’s all covered up with a layer of fat.
I was actually on this same search a few months back, trying to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. I wanted to make sure that all of my hard work wasn’t all covered up because I’m motivated by results and I know that if I had spent a lot of time trying to build muscle and it was covered up by fat o would be discouraged, and possibly look bigger. I wanted to have that cut ripped look but it was so hard. I didn’t want to get skinny either, I liked my size I just wanted to be more muscular without the added fat of getting bigger. A buddy of mine had let me know about this program that he was using to do just that and he was looking pretty ripped. So I decided to give it a try and it was actually working! To my surprise it was relatively easy and detailed. I was extremely satisfied with the results I was getting. Take a look at my link to see exactly what I am talking about. If you’re serious about burning fat and building fat I’m sure you will not find anything better!
End Anxiety And Panic Attacks
Favorite Diet Solution
