Buch lesen: «Relaxation»

Index

  Introduction

  Relaxation

  A dive into the depths of man

  1st The memory

  2st Forgiveness

  Note

Andrzej Budzinski

RELAXATION!

TO

UNDERSTAND ONESELF

Original title: Rilassamento. Per conoscere se stesso

Translated by: Martyn Fogg

San Bonifacio 2017

Introduction

When we begin to reflect, we discover that we have so many, I would say so very many, things to change - so many that we do not know where to start.

Well?

Too much confusion!

Calm down. Calm down!

One thing at a time!

Without hurrying!

With patience, you can achieve everything!

Today, unfortunately we lack patience. We all want everything immediately and, even better, for the day before yesterday. Do you know this saying?

Patience is the virtue of the strong!

Observing life today, we ourselves and what is happening around us, we realise, with sadness, that the strong are lacking, that is: THE PATIENT PEOPLE.

We want to become strong. Well? Thinking logically, we must become patient. Either we do things well or it is better not to do them at all.

OK? Do you agree?

Whoever does not, please shut this book, do not continue reading it - it’s for those who want to become strong.

Who of us does not want to become strong?

No-one!

That’s the correct answer!

Goodness – we’ve taken the first step. I was thinking it would be worse You’re convinced! However, we often use the word “patience” in the wrong way, as a justification for our wrong behaviour. The mechanism is more or less like this:

we are wrong

to say to ourselves “patience”,

but then to not do anything to change our behaviour

– we remain as we were before

and we make mistakes again,

saying to ourselves “patience”

and so on, ad infinitum!

! In this case, patience does not come into it: this is not patience. I’ll repeat it again – it’s a justification!

When I talk about patience I am thinking of Patience with a capital P.

P

P

P

that is: a planned and constant work on ourselves which brings us to improvement. We can make mistakes, but we don’t want to remain with our mistake, drowning, we commit ourselves to be braver. Braver every day, step by step.

There you are, now I would like to give you some practical suggestions on where to start. What habits to develop.

Relaxation

In my opinion, I say it from personal experience, this habit is fundamental,

I would say the habit of all habits,

The mother of all habits.

Because when people become whole inside and outside, they live in peace with themselves and with the whole universe, when they are capable of controlling themselves - their own emotions, thoughts and behaviour, and they understand themselves, well then, yes - everything becomes easier. The improvement becomes a natural thing, gradual and constant, without beating yourself up.

Why is it so important?

Because at the same time it helps me change inside and outside. I embrace my whole person, visible and invisible, my body, my soul and my spirit¹. The method that I propose is suitable for everyone, without excluding anyone – a believer in God² and non-believers.

1st. What must we know before starting?

1 An autonomous method, that is: every one of us can perform it on our own: it’s a series of exercises in concentration that focuses on various zones of the body, to obtain a state of relaxation both at the physical, and the psychological, level, to increase vital energy and control one’s own behaviour.

2 Through exercises that we can consider “mental”, we can obtain real body changes, which are capable of influencing our psyche.

3 The mind and the body are not autonomous and independent, but they are strongly linked, in a relationship of reciprocal and constant influence, for this reason it is possible, through mental activity, to obtain changes in the organic functions and vice-versa.

4 To obtain psycho-physical benefits, that is: relaxation of the mind and body, the exercise must be repeated constantly, so that it does not become autogenous, that is: that it generates itself, without the concurrence of will, in an automatic and spontaneous way.

5 To shape your own personality according to desired traits.

6 Help to overcome negative psychological states: insecurity, fear and depression.

7 Help to regenerate physical and psychological energy.

8 Already after a few weeks of the training, we can notice the feeling of well-being, relaxation, calm and self-control that come on their own spontaneously, without any effort on our part.

To learn the fundamental things about the method, we need at least 6 weeks divided into 6 stages. The exercises must be carried out at the right moment and in an appropriate place, in a comfortable position. The most suitable position is supine.

2nd. What do we have to work at?

1 Feel the weight of your body - bringing on a gradual inertia and muscular skeletal relaxation.

2 Feel the heat of your body - which gradually brings on the smooth relaxation of the musculature and vasodilation.

3 Mastery of cardiac function (auto-regulation of cardiac frequency).

4 Mastery of lung function (regulation of your breathing).

5 Abolition of tension in the organs of the abdominal cavity, through action on the coeliac plexus (autonomous nervous system).

6 Mastery of the vasomotor regulation in your head (a feeling of freshness on your forehead).

3rd. Exercise plan in order

Phase 1 - Learn the correct posture to facilitate concentration and achieve the right order:

 The state of relaxation of the skeletal muscle to feel the weight of your body,

 The state of relaxation of the vascular system and the feeling of warmth,

 Slowing down of the work rhythm of your body (heart beat and breathing).

2nd Phase - Feeling the sense of peace and internal tranquillity.

3rd Phase - It depends on the individual needs of each person: in a state of deep relaxation - giving suggestions on what we want to work on:

 fear

 self-image

 relations with others

 relations with God

 forgiveness

 self-esteem

 the stages of your life

 the various problems in your life

 the past

Each one of us should know it for him/herself. You can work out every problem periodically, for a few days.

OK, ready?

Shall we start? I knew it - you can’t wait.

Pay attention! Pay attention! If we want to change our life, the theory and knowledge is not enough, but we need practice. The theory is the start, practice is the route to…??? to be discovered. We must exercise relaxation:

1 every day constantly

2 it must become a habit

3 1-3 times a day

4 for 15-30 minutes

5 the most appropriate place and position (the best position is supine)

6 wear comfortable clothes, not constricting

The exercise is divided into 6 stages for 6 weeks.

We breathe in through our nose and breathe out through the mouth. The breathing must be slow, but naturally done through the diaphragm.

Stage I (1 ^st week)

The aim - to feel the weight of your body. Here is the first step to achieve, in a simple way, complete relaxation of the body.

 We start with relaxing the skeletal musculature. In practice, we must imagine that our body is becoming ever heaver: you start with the formula “my right arm is heavy”, then you continue with the left arm, and so on, you gradually proceed, thus generalising the feeling of heaviness over your whole body, all its parts (my body becomes inert), my arms are heavy, ever heavier, very heavy.

Stage 2 (2 ^nd week)

The aim - to feel that our body becomes warm. Here is the second step to achieve, in a simple manner, complete relaxation of the body.

 It is in fact possible to obtain a real peripheral vasodilation, corresponding to the relaxation of the musculature that covers the blood vessels. This condition is realised through the induction of heat which, as for the heaviness, becomes generalised from the arm to the whole body with the feeling of delicate and pleasant warmth.

 In practice, we must imagine that our body is becoming warm, ever warmer: you start with the formula “my right arm is warm”, then you continue with the left arm, and so on, you gradually proceed, thus generalising the feeling of warmth over your whole body, in all its parts (“my body becomes warm, my arms are warm, ever warmer, the warmth embraces my whole body”).

Stage III (3 ^rd week)

The aim - to calm and control the rhythm of your breathing

 With the formula “my breathing is calm and regular” your breathing becomes deeper and spontaneous, approaching that state which you have during your sleep.

 Having reached this phase, we arrive at an ever greater state of calm and less interference from worrying thoughts.

We breathe in through our nose and breathe out through our mouth. The breathing must be slow, but naturally done through the diaphragm. Our breathing must become ever calmer.

Stage IV (4 ^th week)

The aim - exercise to calm your heart (“my heart beats calmly and regularly”).

 This exercise, regulating cardiac activity, allows for the consolidation of the state of relaxation; moreover, as cardiac functionality is very much influenced by psychological and emotional factors, it helps us to reach a deeper emotional relaxation. It helps people who, in stressful situations, feel a violent and sometimes irregular heart-beat.

 Let’s move our attention to the heart, its beat, its rhythm and let’s repeat “my heart is beating calmly and regularly - ever calmer and regular - I’m relaxed, ever more relaxed”.

Stage V (5 ^th week)

The aim - to feel internal warmth in the solar plexus

 A nervous structure situated under the diaphragm, between the stomach and the vertebral column, which connects to numerous internal organs: stomach, intestine, liver, pancreas, kidneys and adrenal glands.

 With the formula “my solar plexus is pleasantly warm”, that structure spreads over all the above-mentioned abdominal organs.

Stage VI (6 ^th week)

The aim - to feel a cool forehead

 While for the body stretching and relaxation are encouraged by vasodilation (exercises of the weight and warmth of the body, see stages I and II), as regards the head, vasoconstriction - a pleasant calming feeling, that is: we feel a delicate coolness on our forehead.

 This exercise foresees the repetition of the formula “my forehead is pleasantly cool”, which induces in us a feeling of well-being and relaxation also around your head.

 In this phase of relaxation, we are by now in a “state of bliss”, that is: a deep feeling of bodily and mental calm, which is the essence of relaxation.

The relaxation is complete and deep.

by now

We have become experts!

The ideal would be, the aim is: that this exercise should become a habit.

Benefits of the constant practice of relaxation:

 stretching the body,

 recovery of physical and psychological energy,

 improvement in vital performance,

 normalisation and self-regulation of the bodily functions,

 emotional tranquillity,

 greater introspection and self-awareness

 control of your behaviour

 reduction in the perception of pain.