“Relax now… as you now know how…”
-Tamo Willsat (ProjectGlobalAlchemy.com)
I know.
I told you I was saving relaxation for last.
And though we are definitely in the 2nd half of the 101 Proven Tips for Powerful Meditation series, we aren’t quite to the end, yet.
(if you haven’t been keeping up, you can check out the other posts in the series:
101 Proven Tips for Powerful Meditation!
101 Proven Tips for Powerful Meditation (Part 2)
Why the change?
Why bring up relaxation now?
Well, I recognized I needed at least two posts on relaxation. This post covers the basics, the very last post in this series will cover the next level of relaxation!
So what’s so important about Relaxation?
Well…
Relaxation is a core skill for meditation, but more importantly… it is a core skill for excelling in any area of your life!
When you can relax in any area of your life, it will allow you to flow and manifest skill much more easily.
Meditation Master Key 5: Learn to Relax Your Entire Being!
When you learn to relax more and more, you will find that your intention can truly flow through you. Use these step by step relaxation tips at home. Then when you are comfortable with them, you can walk through them quickly at work or in any other place in your life!
You can make this a part of your formal meditaiton… or enjoy it as an ‘informal’ meditation exercise throughout your life.
Meditation Tip 57: Start at the top and work your way down! You can do this with focus, or you can actually lightly massage… starting at the head, and gradually moving down. When you work your way down, there is a naturally relaxing effect… as you move your peaceful awareness and deep acceptance down your body, you can relax more and more deeply as you go.
Meditation Tip 58: Begin with your scalp: You can imagine pure light entering the crown and flowing down the body, or you can imagine warmth or relaxation starting here and gradually moving down the body… relaxing everything else along the way. A lot of tension can hide in the scalp, so make sure you become aware of it, pay attention to the entire scalp… notice any subtle tensions or pressures… and then let them go.
Meditation Tip 59: Move to your forehead: a lot of tension can reside here. Look around and notice all the furrowed brows. Much of the expression in our face shows in our forehead. A lot of tension from the muscles around the eyes can bleed into the forehead, as well. Be sure to notice this tension in and around the forehead, and allow it to relax.
Meditation Tip 60: Relax your eyes: The eyes tend to be our most used sensory organ. This tends to develop a lot of tension. You will be amazed at how relaxed you can become when you simply release the tension in and around your eyes. Notice the eyes… the muscles around the eyes… notice the space behind the eyes… pay attention to any tension in the area… then relax and let it go.
Meditation Tip 61: Let go of tension in your face: Our face is the seat of our expressiveness. Smiles, frowns, laughs, etc., can all leave their own little bit of tension in our face. Notice the muscles in your cheeks, around your mouth, in and around your nose, around your jaw… pay attention to any areas that are tense… accept them, and then let the tension go.
Meditation Tip 62: Work on your ears: our ears are another major sensory channel. Anything you hear during the day that you don’t care for or disagree with… can cause a little bit of tension in or around your ears. Pay attention to them. Notice the ear, the area around the ear, and inside the ear… if you find any tension… accept it. Then relax and let it go
Meditation Tip 63: Relax your tongue: The tongue typically works along with the ears in verbal communication, so it is a great place to relax right after the ear. Notice the tongue, all the way from the tip down to the root. Do a quick scan of the inside of your mouth as well. Accept any tension you find. Hold your awareness there for a moment, and then let it go.
Meditation Tip 64: Work on your neck: your neck holds up the weight of your head all day. I don’t need to tell you how common neck pain is in America. When you develop these relaxation skills, you can let go of neck pain permanently! Notice the front and the back of your neck. Notice all the muscles around your spine. Notice any tension in the middle of your neck. Pay attention… accept it… and then let it go.
Meditation Tip 65: Relax your shoulders: tension in the shoulders (and the trapezius muscles that connect your neck to your shoulders), goes hand in hand with tension in the neck. When you get a chair massage, this is where the masseuse will spend the majority of their time. Let your shoulders relax and move down. Notice any remaining tension… smile into it, and then let it go.
Meditation Tip 66: Ease your arms: frequently, if you relax the shoulders, you will notice the arms becoming incredibly relaxed as well. It is good to still give them a quick scan, and for some people, a lot of tension can still come up in this area. Feel the relaxation flow down the arms. Notice each part of the arms, paying particular attention to the hands and the forearms. Notice any tension… accept it… then release all tension and move on.
Meditation Tip 67: Find peace in your chest: The chest and upper back are full of large and small muscle groups that can hide a significant amount of tension. Pay attention. Notice all the muscles around your chest… notice all the sensations inside your chest… notice all the muscles around your spine… notice any sensations in your spine itself… if you notice any tightness, accept it… then let it go
Meditation Tip 68: Work on your stomach: The stomach and lower back can hide just as much (if not more) tension as the chest and upper back. Direct your awareness into your stomach and lower back. Pay attention to any tightness in your abdominal wall. Notice any tension around or in the lumbar vertebrae. Focus on it, then relax and let it go.
Meditation Tip 69: Let go of tension in your hips: There are untold secrets hiding in the hips. I never knew just how tight my hips were until I really relaxed my shoulders. Once I could see past my shoulders, I began to notice all the specific muscles in and around my hips. Pay attention to your hips, the very bottom of your spine, your tail bone, your buttocks, and the tops of your thighs. Relax and look closely for a while. Notice any tension. Smile into it. Accept it. Then relax and let it go.
Meditation Tip 70: Relax your thighs: The quadricepts are an incredibly large muscle group, and you put all your weight on them anytime you stand, walk, or run throughout the day. Let them relax. Focus your attention into them. Notice any remaining attention… and then let it go.
Meditation Tip 71: Relax your knees: At the junction of your thighs and calves… lies an area ripe for hard to find tension. It is very easy to skip over the knee, but I encourage you to pay attention. Knee trouble is also pretty common, so to avoid it, I suggest you focus in on your knees, and learn to relax them. Pay attention. Notice any tightness in the knees. Relax around it. Relax into it. Focus in. Let it go.
Meditation Tip 72: Let go of all tension in your calves: Your calves, just like your thighs, support your weight anytime you stand, walk, or run. Give them the attention they deserve. Focus in. Relax. Notice any tension in the ankles or calves… accept it… and let it go.
Meditation Tip 73: Work on your feet: at last… the feet. Love your feet. Take care of your feet. Rub your feet anytime you can (or get someone else to 
). Notice any tension in or around the feet. Accept it. Let it go.
When you practice this sequence of relaxation, it gradually becomes more and more a part of you. You will realize that you can
relax more quickly and easily!
This is a wonderful thing to do just by itself, but when you learn to integrate it with all the other skills you use in your life, you will be thoroughly shocked at the power of the skill of relaxation… I’m certain you will be more than satisfied with your results!
keep smiling,
Ben
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Hey Ben,
Thanks for this great website. This is not specifically geared towards this particular article but I’ve begun practicing some of your techniques as shown on your website and YouTube. They have been affecting me positively but I’m not sure if I’m doing them correctly. I was just wondering what good indicators of proper practice and results would be.
Thanks,
Connor
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Ben reply on August 12th, 2009 1:46 PM:
I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Connor!
It is relatively easy to notice when things are going in a positive direction. Are you consistently feeling better? Do you experience moments of deep peacefulness? Are you smiling more often?
A journal may be useful to keep a more accurate record.
From a more advanced point of view, you might ask yourself “How can I continuously recognize that feelings, states, & emotions are something that I experience… not who I am…”
“How can I recognize the perfection of this feeling right now?”
keep smiling,
Ben
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