Chronic Fatigue Hypnosis
Remove Chronic Fatigue - Guided meditation
Relaxation techniques
You can't fall asleep or get back to sleep if your mind is racing or your muscles are tense. To calm the mind and relax the muscles, learn the relaxation techniques described below, and practice them for 15 or 20 minutes a day. You'll not only enjoy their many health benefits, you'll also establish a routine you can invoke when you wake up in the middle of the night.
Breath focus
The first step to practicing breath focus is to learn to breathe properly. Proper breathing goes by many names. You may have heard it called diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, or belly breathing. When you breathe deeply, the air coming in through your nose fully fills your lungs, and you will notice that your lower belly rises.
Diaphragmatic breathing is the foundation of breath focus, which is quite simple to do. Here's how:
Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit or lie down. Start by observing your breath. First take a normal breath. Now try taking a slow, deep breath. The air coming in through your nose should move downward into your lower belly. Let your abdomen expand fully. Now breathe out through your mouth (or your nose, if that feels more natural).
Alternate normal and deep breaths several times. Pay attention to how you feel when you inhale and exhale normally and when you breathe deeply. Shallow breathing often feels tense and constricted, while deep breathing produces relaxation.
Now practice diaphragmatic breathing for several minutes. Put one hand on your abdomen, just below your belly button. Feel your hand rise about an inch each time you inhale and fall about an inch each time you exhale. Your chest will rise slightly, too, in concert with your abdomen. Remember to relax your belly so that each inhalation expands it fully.
Once you taken the steps above, you can move on to regular practice of breath focus:
As you sit comfortably with your eyes closed, imagine that the air you breathe in washes peace and calm into your body. As you breathe out, imagine that the air leaving your body carries tension and anxiety away with it.
As you inhale, try saying this phrase to yourself: "Breathing in peace and calm." And as you exhale, say: "Breathing out tension and anxiety." When you first start, 10 minutes of breath focus is a reasonable goal. Gradually add time until your sessions are about 15 to 20 minutes long.
Body scan
A body scan is a relaxation technique that incorporates breath focus and visualization. This technique helps you become more attuned to your body and aware of the connection between your mind and body.
Almost everyone carries unnecessary tension in his or her muscles. But where each of us feels it varies. A body scan can help you locate — and release — the tension in your body.
Performing a body scan is quite simple. Concentrate on one part of your body at a time. As you do, picture that muscle in your mind. Imagine it open, warm, and relaxed. Feel any tension melt away.
As a guide, follow these steps, which are adapted from Dr. Herbert Benson and Aggie Casey's book Mind Your Heart:
Sit or lie down. Breathe deeply, allowing your stomach to rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. Breathe this way for two minutes before you start.
Concentrate on your right big toe. Imagine the atoms in your toe and focus on the space between each atom. Imagine your toe feeling open, warm, and relaxed.
Now shift your focus to each of the other toes on your right foot, visualizing them one by one. Again, notice the sensations of your toes and envision them as open, warm, and relaxed.
Slowly shift your focus to your foot, moving mentally from the ball of your foot to the arch, then the top of the foot.
Now work your way up your leg, turning your attention to your ankle, calf, knee, thigh, and hip. Take your time, slowly working through each area. For each body part, envision the atoms and the space between those atoms. Picture each muscle feeling open, warm, and relaxed.
Allow your right leg to relax, sinking into the support of the floor.
Now repeat these steps, focusing on your left foot and leg.
Next, become aware of your back. Does it feel tight or tense? Pay attention to each vertebra and the space that surrounds it. Let each vertebra feel light and spacious. Slowly work your way up your back, relaxing each muscle there.
Gradually, move on to your abdomen and chest. Picture your organs and the space between them. Allow your belly to feel light and open.
Become aware of your right thumb, and then your remaining fingers. Envision each finger one by one, then slowly work your way through your hand and arm: relax your palm, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, and shoulder.
Feel your right arm relax and feel warm, spacious, and light.
Do the same thing with your left hand and arm.
Think about your neck and jaw. Yawn. Allow each part of your face to relax, working through your jaw, eyes, and forehead. Shift your attention to the top and back of your head.
Let your whole body sink into your chair or bed. Does it feel light and relaxed? Focus on your breath. Imagine yourself breathing in calm and peace. As you breathe out, imagine any remaining tension being expelled from your body.
If any part of your body is still tense, focus your breathing in that area, releasing tension from that spot as you exhale.
Sit or lie quietly for a few minutes, noting how light and spacious your body feels. Then open your eyes slowly. Take a moment to stretch, if you'd like.
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