It's time to relax.
 
Our fourth method of relaxation isn't as easy to do while sitting upright at a computer, but it can be done. 
 
Much of the tension that we feel is carried in our muscles, which often feel tight and tense.  Make sure your clothing is loose--no tight belts or ties or shirts.  Tightness adds to our stress and keeps us from relaxing.
 
Start either with your feet or your hands, and flex your muscles.  If you start with your feet, tighten your toes--not as hard as you can, just with moderate pressure--and hold it for ten seconds.  If you start with your hands, make a fist with moderate tension.  After ten seconds, let go and feel the release of the tension.  It helps if you time the release to happen as you exhale slowly and calmly.
 
Working your way up your arms or your legs, continue to tighten your muscles for ten seconds each, then release the tension.  If you have more time, you can do one leg at a time and one arm at a time, but if not you can do your legs and arms simultaneously.
 
All over your body, tense your muscles and then let them go.  Life your shoulders to your ears, tighten your stomach muscles, flex your biceps.  Find muscles that you didn't know were there.  Tense them, then let them go.  If you have less time, then work only on the major muscles in your legs, arms, and torso, paying special attention to those muscles that tend to "carry" your stress for you (for me, it's been my shoulders for the last few years).
 
Continue to pay attention to your breathing as you do this exercise, and continue to think positive thoughts, keeping the negative and stressful thoughts out of your mind.
  

next page
  
 

  

  




Two new editions now available!
A new expanded edition of Just for Today from Living Life Fully Publications:
Over a year of "Just for Today" passages from our popular e-mail daily quotations, and our new expanded edition includes over 180 reflections on those thoughts.  Full of ideas and focal points that you can use to help to make your day brighter and more fulfilling as you focus on different ways of giving and awareness of the blessings in your life!  Click on the image to the left for the print version.     Kindle Version

   
Also available:  The print edition of Daily Meditations, Year One
One full year's worth of our daily meditations that until now have been available only on our site or through e-mail.  Now you can have the entire first year's worth of daily meditations for just $2.99 on your Kindle.  (Print edition now available here.)