relax
I'm telling this to myself as much as I'm telling you, but if I could offer just one piece of advice, it would be this, relax.
I want to be specific here, this really is advice to just to do one thing.
Of course, it is the nature of the universe that as soon as we decide that we've got a good bit of advice to share with someone else we're given an opportunity to test the theory for ourselves.
Like I said, this is as much for me as it is for you.
All the same, let's give it a go.
Relax.
I'm not going to tell you to take a deep breath. I want you to try and take a slower breath, whatever a slower breath. You can breathe deeply if you want, but no more than 80% capacity, at least for now.
Take your time.
Breathe out at the same rate you breathe in.
Maybe a little faster.
Go at the slowest pace that feels the most relaxing.
Continue until you get the hang of it.
Next, sigh....
Relax.
A couple more rounds of slower breathing.
Relax your eyes.
Relax the muscles in your body.
Keep your structure open, don't slouch, just relax everything that you don't need to hold you up.
When you're ready, focus in at the top of your head and let a wave of relaxation slowly leave down over the surface of your skin, through your muscle, and through any place within that you are holding tension too.
Don't feel like you have to relax everything all in one go.
Just start with the bits that you can.
Relax there.
Relax around the places that are most relaxed, at the tension, if there is any, disperse into those areas, and relax them again.
Keep going, piece by piece, or as a whole.
Relax.
And remember that you can do this at any time, in any place. And the more you do, the more you release physical tension from your body, the less tension you will be holding onto. Just let it go. Relax.
The more you can let this physical tension go, the more you may find yourself able to release tension and resistance in other areas of your life as well.
Yes, like anything worthwhile, it can take time to get good at.
It really is as simple as that.
And the less we expect from that state of relaxation, the more we tend to gain.
"Relax, stop feeling anxious."
"Relax, enjoy yourself."
"Relax, stop worrying."
Do you see the difference?
I'm only saying this because I've fallen for this trap 1000 times. It's no fun if you're suffering from anxiety or any other emotional state that would regulate your psychosomatic well-being. For telling anyone to stop being anxious, or stop worrying, or to enjoy themselves, appears to be very little to change those states.
Of course, this is more than regulating the body, it is as much about clearing the mind, but the more you can focus on the physical act of relaxation, the better you can get at finding spaces you can practice that safely first, try it.
Just relax.
And you don't have to do it while you're sitting still. Sometimes our nervous systems will be so overstimulated that they just won't let us. Sometimes walking is the only alternative. The invitation there, is, as best you can, slow down. Walk slowly, as comfortable and relaxed as you can. Learn to breathe slower.
And trust that your body has the power to regulate your mind because as much as we have the ability of mind over matter, the reverse is also true.
So relax.
And if that fucking dog barks one more time....
