Imagery:

Sit or lie in a comfortable position, and make sure you have a blanket or sweater in case you get cold.

Just focus on your breathing and allow your breathing to become deeper and deeper and slower and slower. When you are ready, allow your eyes to close. Then imagine yourself in your favourite place in nature.

Images can be faint or unclear or just a hint of a feeling or a thought and still be very effective. Imagine what your favourite place looks like, sounds like, smells like, and feels like...

Imagine that your inner self or spiritual guide appears to you in the form of a person. Imagine that you can ask questions and receive answers from this person. The answers may be in the form of a thought, feeling or symbol.

After you have finished the questions and answers, you may spend as long as you want in your special place in nature, drift off to sleep, or open your eyes and come back to the room.

Alternating Relaxation And Contraction:

This exercise involves tensing and then relaxing each part of your body for ten seconds each, and then tensing and relaxing each part of your body more quickly to become aware of the tension and relaxation contrast.

1. Frown as hard as you can for ten seconds; then relax those forehead muscles for ten seconds. Now repeat this more quickly, frowning and relaxing for one second each and becoming aware of the different feelings of each movement.

2. Squeeze your eyes shut for ten seconds. Repeat quickly.

3. Wrinkle your nose hard for ten seconds; then relax for ten seconds. Repeat quickly.

4. Slowly press your lips together; then relax. Repeat quickly.

5. Press your head back against the wall, floor, or bed (real or imaginary), then relax. Repeat quickly.

6. Bring your left shoulder up in a tight shrugging motion, relax. Repeat quickly.

7. Do the same with your right shoulder. Repeat quickly.

8. Press your straightened arms back against the wall, or floor, or bed. Repeat quickly.

9. Clench your fists tightly for ten seconds. Relax your hands and let the tension flow out through your fingers. Repeat quickly.

10. Contract your chest cavity for ten seconds and release. Repeat.

11. Press your back against the wall or floor. Repeat quickly.

12. Tighten your buttock muscles for ten seconds; relax. Repeat quickly.

13. Press your straightened leg against the wall, or floor or bed; relax. Repeat quickly.

14. Slowly flex your feet, stretching your toes as far back towards you as possible; relax and let tension flow out through your toes. Repeat.

15. Check for tense spots and repeat the exercise where you find any.

Soon you will begin to recognize muscle contractions caused by tension, and be able to release them at will.