By Sakuni Weerasinghe
Raise your hand if you’re experiencing
- Headaches
- Tiredness
- Upset stomach/acid reflux
- Lack of appetite
- Sleep problems
- A racing heart
- Irritability
- Sit or lie on a bed (or any other comfortable, flat surface). If you are lying down, keep your knees bent. You can use a pillow to support your head and legs
- Place one hand on your upper chest and the other one on your belly (just below the ribcage)
- Breathe in through your nose, slowly and deeply until your tummy protrudes
- Then gently release by breathing out through the mouth through pursed lips
- As you do this, note how the hand on your chest remains still, while the hand on your belly moves with each breath in and out
- Sit on a comfortable chair or lie down. Keep your eyes closed in order to ward off any distractions which allows you to keep your focus
- Take a few deep breaths using the diaphragmatic breathing technique (above)
- If you’re seated, you could focus on your senses; on the feeling of your feet on the ground. Feel the muscles in your feet and begin tensing them, beginning with curling your toes and pressing your heels to the ground. Gently release them after a few seconds, stretching them
- Work your way up towards the head by tightening and relaxing muscles, one muscle group at a time
- Tighten the muscles in your calves and thighs and release gently
- Next, move towards your glutes, your back, and then towards your abdomen, and proceed to your shoulders, arms, and hands, and tighten each muscle group and relax after a few seconds
- Finally, proceed to your neck and facial muscles, tightening them for a few seconds and then relaxing
- Scan for any areas in your body where you still hold tension. Notice the tension and relax, taking gentle breaths as you do
- Take a few more deep breaths to complete the exercise
- Sit or lay down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes in an effort to not get distracted
- Take a few deep breaths using the diaphragmatic breathing technique (above)
- Start to vividly imagine your place of calm; what sounds you hear, what things you see, what smells you can sense. If you’re imagining a beach, vividly imagine the bird sounds, the sounds of waves crashing, the smell of salty water, the aquamarine hues of the water, the hot sand below your feet, and the coldness of the waves that appease them. Focus on all the details of the place you are imagining. Feel a sense of peace wash over you
- Stay with this image as long as you like and bask in the feeling of peace. Once you are ready to come back, do so gently by taking your time
- Take a few deep breaths to complete the exercise