Stressed, anxious, distressed, annoyed, frustrated, overwhelmed... no matter the label, your body and mind sound in disharmony. Your pulse is racing, your thoughts are racing, you feel caught in a downward spiral... It's time to settle down and try one of these 3 methods to find calm and serenity. In the following lines, discover mindfulness meditation, cardiac coherence and a self-massage for your greater good...
Relaxation or the art of calming the body and mind.
The primary goal of relaxation is to reduce the state of stress by thus influencing heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and cortisol levels otherwise known as the stress hormone.
The common factor of all relaxation techniques is living in the moment, in the here and now. By acting on breathing, focusing on your sensations, taking a neutral look at your surroundings, you learn to detach yourself from your problems, to step back, to experience the present moment. The mind calms down, your tensions are released, your breathing becomes more fluid, the energy circulates without hindrance. Calm, relaxation, peace. Anchored, rooted, present to yourself.
Where and when to practice
Whatever the technique, regularity and practice are the key to success. Choose a time in your day when you are sure you won't be disturbed. Morning when you wake up, evening when you go to bed are usually suggested. Also, it is best to workout for a while in a place that promotes relaxation in a comfortable outfit before you start practicing on public transportation or at the office...
Mindfulness meditation to reconnect to the present moment
Mindfulness meditation has been brought to hospitals in France thanks to psychiatrist Christophe André. This form of meditation is fully secular. It invites you to reconnect to your sensations and your environment while having some distance, a neutral gaze.
To experience it, start by paying attention to your environment with each of your 5 senses :
look around you, without judgment: colors, layout, objects, shapes, rays of light...
Close your eyesand listen to the sounds: one or more voices, an isolated conversation, birds in the background, music in the background...
always with your eyes closed, focus your attention on the smells...
then on touch: the subtle weight of your clothes, a bracelet, your seat, the temperature of your skin...
finally, the taste: feel of the toothpaste, flavor of your coffee, tea or meal...
By living fully the present moment with neutrality, you allow yourself to pause your mind and welcome full awareness.
Heart coherence or the art of breathing.
Cardiac coherence was first mentioned by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber in Healing and then developed by Dr. David O'Hare. This breathing technique is extremely simple to practice and to set up. Videos on the internet can help you get started before you get into a rhythm and do it completely independently.
The benefits are many: from stress reduction to lowering blood pressure, to improvingsleep and listening to your intuition.
For optimal results, it must be practiced very regularly because the physiological effects last only a few hours. Follow the "365" rule: 3 times a day, 6 breaths per minute (frequency 6), for 5 minutes, 365 days a year.
In practice: several breathing frequencies exist depending on your needs. The most common is 4/6: an inhalation on 4 beats to an exhalation on 6 beats.
It is recommended to always start with a deep, full breath as this has a direct effect on the parasympathetic nervous system via the vagus nerve. The heart rate slows down almost instantly putting the rest of the body at rest.
Do-in, from relaxation to fingertips
Practicing self-massage is about reconnecting with touch, your body awareness, the boundaries of your body and your place in space. By massaging yourself, you release endorphin which is the hormone of well-being.
Facial self-massage, palmar, plantar, abdominal or scapular girdle, each area of the body can be massaged, kneaded, brushed, tapped.
Do-inis a self-massage derived from shiatsu. It follows the codes of traditional Asian medicines in order to circulate Qi, the vital energy. Acupuncture points are then pressed on the paths of specific meridians according to a problem. This technique allows you to release your tensions quickly and to recover strength and vitality.
These relaxation methods have the benefit of making you fall in the management of your well-being. However, sometimes this is not enough. Do not hesitate to consult professionals or to train in workshops or courses to benefit from the full potential of these techniques.