Relaxation Exercise

Compiled by Ragdale’s Health and Fitness consultant – Dean Hodgkin

 

• Choose a quiet place where you will not be interrupted. Play very quiet, slow instrumental music. Sit or lie in a comfortable position, making sure that you are warm and that you feel well-supported, including your head. Regular practice of this simple exercise can have a huge influence on your general well-being.

•  For a minute or two, concentrate on slow abdominal breathing. Breathe in deeply, watching your abdomen rise. Hold the breath in your lungs for a few seconds then let it fall out in a rush. Close your eyes. Now, as you take each breath in see it as a stream of sparklingly clean air entering and penetrating your whole body. As you hold the breath for a couple of seconds, see your tension as a lump of grey material at the centre of your body, then as you exhale, see a thick layer being stripped off from the lump and expelled with each breath. Let the lump get smaller and smaller until at about the tenth breath the last of it is breathed out. Then breathe normally and forget about it.

• Now, feel the heaviness of your own body. Imagine the bed or chair is actually pressing upwards under you, rather than your weight pressing down. Move your attention first to the place where the back of your head is supported and feel the pressure, then to the place that supports your feet. Keep all of your attention in those two spots and feel that the rest of your body is suspended between them like a hammock.

• Now return your attention to your breathing and after five or six deep, slow abdominal breaths, open your eyes and allow yourself to return to your usual surroundings. Think about how it feels to be relaxed, let yourself yawn a bit then get up slowly and have a drink of water before getting back to your everyday tasks.
   

Don’t forget Ragdale’s fitness timetable includes a number of unique relaxation classes. Why not try Chinese Wand, Dragon Fan or Tai Chi Sword on your next visit.

Special offer for laterlife visitors from Ragdale Hall

Ragdale Hall Health Hydro, Ragdale Village, Nr. Melton Mowbray. Leicestershire LE14 3PB
General Enquiries: 01664 434831, Fax: 01664 434587. www.ragdalehall.co.uk 

 

laterlife interest

The above article is part of the features section of laterlife.com called laterlife interest. laterlife interest contains a variety of articles of interest for visitors to laterlife.com written by a number of experienced and new journalists.

It includes both one off articles and also associated regular columns of a more specialist nature such as Healthwise, Talkback, Gardener's Diary, and a beauty section called Looking good in later life.

There's also 'It could be you' by Maggi Stamp laterlife's counsellor on human relationships. 

Also don't forget to take a look at our regular IT question and answer section called YoucandoIT by IT trainer and author Jackie Sherman.

To view the latest articles click on laterlife interest or to view indexes to previous articles click on laterlife interest index. To search for articles about a certain topic, use the site search feature at the top of the navigation.