• shoulders
• back
• chest
• stomach
• right leg
• left leg .
Practise in a quiet , darkened room and give yourself plenty of time . Some people find relaxation CDs / DVDs helpful ; you can buy these in shops and online .
Physical exercise
Aerobics , swimming , squash , running , walking , football , weight training , badminton and 100 other sports are a great way to relax .
If you exercise regularly , you ’ ll be less tense and anxious . Why not start to exercise ? If you ’ re unsure how to begin , approach your local gym . If you ’ re very unfit , consult your doctor before you start any strenuous physical exercise .
Yoga is another good way of learning to relax . Muscle relaxation , yoga and meditation all require effort to relax the mind and body .
These methods of relaxing should be carried out each day to have the best effect . Setting aside this time is not always easy . Results will be worth the effort .
The following exercise gives guidelines for one type of relaxation . Before trying it out , remove any tight-fitting clothing and jewellery . Make sure that the room is comfortably warm and that you won ’ t be disturbed .
Exercise 3 : Meditational relaxation
• Sit quietly in a comfortable position ( put your feet flat on the floor and lay your hands flat on your lap ).
• Close your eyes .
• Breathe through your nose . Become aware of your breathing .
• Breathe easily and naturally , not deeply .
• Whenever your thoughts wander to other things , don ’ t worry . Just slowly guide yourself back .
• Carry on doing this for 15 to 20 minutes . Open your eyes to check the time , but don ’ t set an alarm . With practice , you ’ ll acquire an in-built awareness of how long you ’ ve been relaxing .
• Don ’ t worry about whether you have been successful in becoming deeply relaxed . Keep a peaceful state of mind and let the relaxation happen at its own pace . If you ’ re distracted ( and this is common when you first start ), ease yourself back gently .
• When you finish , sit quietly for several minutes . Sit with your eyes open . Don ’ t stand up for a few minutes .