March 5, 2011

New Yorkers move fast and are not known for their patience. So when asked to take five minutes to calm themselves they may quickly reply, “I don’t have time to relax.” With this in mind, below are three quick relaxation exercises from Harvard Medical School’s HEALTHbeat newsletter that are designed for one, two, and three minutes of free time.

Relaxing in 1 minute: “Place your hand just beneath your navel so you can feel the gentle rise and fall of your belly as you breathe. Breathe in slowly. Pause for a count of three. Breathe out. Pause for a count of three. Continue to breathe deeply for one minute, pausing for a count of three after each inhalation and exhalation.”

Relaxing in 2 minutes: “Count down slowly from 10 to zero. With each number, take one complete breath, inhaling and exhaling. For example, breathe in deeply saying ‘10’ to yourself. Breathe out slowly. On your next breath, say ‘nine,’ and so on. If you feel lightheaded, count down more slowly to space your breaths further apart. When you reach zero, you should feel more relaxed. If not, go through the exercise again.”

Relaxing in 3 minutes: “While sitting down, take a break from whatever you’re doing and check your body for tension. Relax your facial muscles and allow your jaw to fall open slightly. Let your shoulders drop. Let your arms fall to your sides. Allow your hands to loosen so that there are spaces between your fingers. Uncross your legs or ankles. Feel your thighs sink into your chair, letting your legs fall comfortably apart. Feel your shins and calves become heavier and your feet grow roots into the floor. Now breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly. Each time you breathe out, try to relax even more.”

Source: Harvard HEALTHbeat (http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/)

Dave Gorczynski is president of SPARK, a non-profit organization that has provided free energy work sessions and workshops across New York City since 2002. He writes a regular column about energy work and meditation for the Compact News in New York City's Chinatown. E-mail him at dave@sparkenergy.org.