First Method (Corpse Pose)
Think about your feet, move your toes, flex your ankle and slowly let it go, let go all the tension and let your feet feel relaxed and heavy.
The simplest thing to do is to select a quiet place with clean air, free from insects and unpleasant smell. Spread a blanket or sheet on the ground or a wooden plank. Remove the hoes, loosen the belt, remove glasses or have only light clothing. Lie on your back. When you lie on a hard surface, without a pillow, your spine is straight almost touching the floor all through. This is the most relaxed position for the body. If you feel your spine is not touching the floor, bend both knees, see that it touches the floor, stretch your legs ajar. Stretch out both your arms, resting them by your side, forming an angle of 15-20 degrees at the arm pit, feet slightly apart and let them fall outwards evenly, eyes gently closed.
Think to yourself that you are going to relax completely and will wake up completely relaxed.
Think of your leg, calf muscles, knee, thigh and ankle, tighten it and let it go completely relaxed. Feel the weight increasing and feel the muscles sinking on the floor heavy, and feel relaxed.
Think of your hands, wiggle your fingers, flex your wrist and let it go, feel it dropping heavily on the floor and get relaxed.
Think of your fore arm, elbow, upper arm and shoulders. Feel them getting, limp and becoming heavy and relaxed.
Think of your abdomen, draw it in and think of your waist, tighten your hips and them let them go, watch it mentally relaxing inch by inch. Let your breath flow smoothly and deeply.
Think of your chest, take few deep breaths, think of your shoulders, your neck. Feel the tension flowing out and you are relaxing more and more.
Think of your neck, head and face, relax your taut neck muscles, relax the face muscles. Drop the jaw parting your lips and teeth.
Concentrate now over all your body, feel all parts relaxed, to it, to see their tension ebbs out, you feel relaxed.
When the whole body is relaxed, you feel it all gone, heavy and sinking to the floor. You feel as if you are partially paralysed and even if you try, you will not be able to lift your leg or arms. Stay in this bodily state as long as you can. Pay much attention to your breath, let it flow smoothly and deeply. Remain in this position for 10-15 minutes. You can picture some pleasant thoughts or you may make your mind feel vacant or empty, enjoy the state of light sleep. It is a state of deep rest and peace which brings us perfect health.
When you are ready to get up say to yourself that you are completely relaxed. You are there ready to wake up. Feel the body gradually gaining back its strength, your feet your hands, feel you have regained full control of your body. Bend your right knee and then the felt knee, bend your right arm and them the left arm. Open up your body, as it were, stretch the arms above head, stretch the legs and all of your body. Sit down for a few moments and you are ready to start your nest routine.
Second Method (Lateral Swing)
If you have difficulty in getting sleep try the following method:
Step I – Stand with feet apart by 11\2 feet.
Step II- Loosen your arms. Do not keep them straight. Keep them hanging loosely.
Step III – Swing from one side to another by twisting the waist and carry your arm alongwith the upper part of the body. When you twist to right keep your left leg straight and bend your right knee and slightly shift the direction of your feet to right. Do the opposite movement when you twist to the left. Keep blinking for 10 minutes. You may feel giddy in the beginning. You will feel drowsy after this period. Wash your face and feet with cold water and go to bed.
In three days this exercise will definitely help you to get better sleep. Loss of sleep is caused by the fact that you are not able to relax, you are not able to keep away your mind from thinking.
Third Method (Relax Anywhere)
Relaxation is to make use of your mind to calm the body. But, it is more important, that in the first place your mind is calm. You can relax anywhere even in your office, the aircraft, in the bus or train. Make yourself comfortable whether sitting of reclining. Close your eyes. Raise your chin and then let it fall. Take a few deep breaths, see that your mind is calm and tranquil. Imagine that you are sitting on a rock or on a sea beach or even in a garden with a lot of flowers, try to picture any place or situation you have enjoyed the most. See in your mind’s eye the different colours of the flowers, watch their freshness, smell the soft smell flowing from them, feel the cool breeze flowing over your body. Imagine a place you have visited in the past and which represent, to you an ideal spot for physical and mental relaxation.
Children can also be tense and it affects their health. Many children therefore suffer from peptic ulcers and heart diseases. A report from Tokyo prints out that pressures to do well in school have led to a rapid rise in stomach ulcers among the elementary and middle school children. Remember, the seeds of future heart attacks are laid in childhood.
Fourth Method (Relax Your Child)
If you find that your child is not relaxed, if he is not able to sleep well due to tension, you may recommend to him a very simple exercise for relaxation. For instance let him lie down comfortably in bed. Switch the light off, close the door to cut down the noise, if necessary.
Ask him to imagine that he has got holes in the soles of his feet. Let him imagine breathing in and out through these holes. Let him imagine that fresh cool air is entering from his sole and passing through his feet, thighs waist and reaching the chest. In the same way while breathing out let him imagine that the air is passing down his waist, his thighs, feet and through the imaginary holes in his feet. Let him do this exercise for 5-10 minutes. He will feel thoroughly relaxed with exercise and sleep much better.
Relaxation can be achieved through a steam bath, sauna bath warm bath and the various cold water applications, which we have already mentioned in detail in the chapter on water treatment. Massage can also be very relaxing. Any treatment which relaxes the muscles and the body physically will relax the mind also.
If we relax our muscles this cycle of mind tension tensing our muscles can be broken. When our muscles are relaxed our mind is also relaxed. That massaging, when done with strong hands and with strong pressure will be more beneficial is not true. For relaxation, the massage should be done with soft hands and it should be soothing and pleasant. If the massage causes pain it will not relax. It can be done with your hands if help is not available, it can be done by your life partner, a friend or a relation.
It is not the pressure but the awareness of your body which helps you to relax deeper. It should be done systematically from the toes to head. It should be done with a certain rhythm and always from the periphery towards the heart. There is short verse from Granth Sahib written by Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion:
As a lotus in the water remains dry
As also a water fowl in the stream
So on meditating on the world
Shall thou be unaffected by the world