How to relax - two simple breathing exercises

Two simple breathing exercises that require little practice or preparation.

Step 1 Exercise one: Fading Sun

This exercise is good for helping yourself drift off to sleep.

Sit or lie down comfortably.

Close your eyes.

Picture the deep blackness of space, filled with a giant red sun. It is huge, but dull. You can feel its warmth all over your body, but it doesn't burn.

Watch the Sun as you slowly breath.

Breath in through your nose and watch the Sun expand slightly.

Breath out through your mouth and watch it shrink.

The longer you breath out, the smaller and fainter the Sun gets.

Keep breathing slowly as the Sun fades away.

The smaller the Sun gets, the slower you breath.

Smaller ... fainter ... slower ...

Smaller ... fainter ... slower ...

.............................sleep..........

Comments

[tictaclad]

wow...i just tried method 1 and almost fell asleep in my chair!!! ill try this next time i need to sleep but cant...where did you get these??

[Kiteman]

They're something I've cobbled together from personal experience and practice, mainly trying to help pupils calm down after stressful events.

[tictaclad]

awesome!! that brought me into a lucid dream!

[CameronSS]

You should make mp3 recordings of you (or someone with one of those amazing radio-announcer voices-I've never heard you) stating the instructions. It's difficult to read with your eyes closed.

[Kiteman]

Hmmm....

I might put myself to sleep. :-)

[Lithium Rain]

Bumped to concur with Cameron. ;)

[Scoobie Snack]

I just had an argument with a friend and then found this exercise. It works like a charm!
I also feel colder after but maybe its got something to do with this being my first try at it?

Thank you for the 'able!

[boblordofmonkeys]

this works so great i just did it and i feel so much better it got rid of most of my stress.

[shabaki]

this is cool and works but i dont feel warmer i get colder......

[Kiteman]

...pass...

If you're comfortable feeling cooler, then that's fine. If you're not comfortable feeling cooler, then try another exercise.

[fwjs28]

i usually just lay down and feel calmness slowly spreading upwards from my feet all the way to my head it make me feel calm relaxed and loose

[Gavabc123]

The first one i have to try.

[caterpillar-y]

Really useful!
I'll try this exercises during the workday.
But I should say, there's nothing better than nature that can make you relax and feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
relax with nature is a good source with a great collection of nature relaxation videos. really helpful.

[killerjackalope]

I've added this instructable to a group for teenagers, on a mission to lower forum posts about teen problems that we have the answers to, leaving the ones we don't to get answered.

[Kiteman]

OK.

[Whaleman]

The second method can also help you cool off after the gym. I learned it a different way, though. When I learned it, I was taught to sit on the floor with my legs crossed, shoulders relaxed, eyes closed (not too tightly), and palms face up in my lap. As you take a deep breath in through your nose, imagine all the heat and tiredness balling up in your hands, then as you breath out, imagine them going away. Works well for me.

[Goodhart]

Kind of reminds me of a shortened version of some of my self-hypnosis tapes. Great relaxers they are.

[mikesty]

Awesome. This gem also does the trick: The sky is blue. The grass is green. All is calm. All is serene. Stopped an axe murder or two.

[Dont blame me if Im wrong]

that reminded me of the axe i sharpened enugh to use as a knife

[Goodhart]

If you sharpened it in the same way as a knife, it will dull quickly. The blade of an ax should be sharpened at a more obtuse angle then a knife.

[Grundle]

Woah! This had me falling asleep at my desk.