There seems to be a constant hum of activity in the majority of our lives. Even when we find physical stillness at the end of a long day, the mind often continues to race. Thoughts about things we should have done differently, or fears about things to come, can flood us without our being consciously aware of it. Many of these thoughts replay in the background and go largely undetected. While there is much that pulls at our attention every day, exploring a variety of mindfulness exercises for relaxation can help us feel into what it means to be at peace.
What Does It Mean to Relax?
It seems like a simple question, but we may not be entirely aware of what exactly happens when we enter into a state of relaxation. On a mental level, relaxation can be experienced as a sense of inner peace, acceptance, and contentment with things as they are. When we are relaxed, worry, fear, and concern tend to loosen their hold on us, at least for the moment.
The Relaxation Response
On a physical level, relaxation has observable and measurable signs, which can be grouped into a physiological response known as ‘the relaxation response’. This term was coined by Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiologist who studied the body’s state of deep rest. When we move into the relaxation response (whether consciously leaned into or occurring after an outside threat has subsided), the body tends to show:
- A lowering of blood pressure
- A decrease in our heart rate
- A return of digestive system functioning
- A rebalancing of hormone levels
- A slowing of our breathing rate
- An increase of blood flow to the extremities
This response can occur naturally when we move away from whatever stressor set off our stress response. It can also be evoked when we consciously slow our breathing and bring the mind into a more mindful state. So, while we can wait for it to arrive after a stressful event, we can also practice invoking it during times of chronic stress, when we are not face-to-face with any grave danger.
So, what does it mean to relax?
Relaxation is a slowing down of both mind and body – a return to a natural state of balance. Through mindfulness relaxation exercises, we can learn to take an active part in that return and, over time, to find more peace and stillness.
What Stands Between Us and Relaxation?
Why do so many of us struggle to relax on a regular basis? The answer isn’t straightforward, and many factors play a part. Some of them – all stressors in their own way – include:
- Disharmony within relationships, whether with friends, family, partner, self, or other
- Increased demands in the workplace or job insecurity
- Constant stimulation through social media, news feeds, and other online information sources
- A decrease in one’s sense of connection – to either the world at large, to community, or to some sense of meaning and purpose
- Emotional challenges, such as anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem
- A traumatic event, such as violence or natural disaster
- Lifestyle factors, such as poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, and disrupted sleep cycles
This list is far from exhaustive. Many other factors can contribute to or worsen the effect that stress has on our lives. And when stress becomes too much to handle, it becomes much harder to rest, reset, and rebalance.
There are many mindfulness exercises for anxiety, stress, insomnia, and relaxation that may support our ability to relax. The techniques that work will vary with who we are, why we’re stressed, and other personal factors, and there are several simple ones worth exploring. If anxiety, depression, trauma, or poor sleep is weighing on you for more than a short while, these practices can complement, but not replace, support from a doctor or mental health professional.
Simple Tips for Finding Inner Peace
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to releasing stress. That said, here are a few simple steps we might take toward the tranquility we yearn for:
1. Take deep, mindful breaths into the belly.
Belly breathing is often used to help us transition out of a ‘fight or flight’ state and toward the ‘relaxation response’. Whether we have two minutes or twenty, we can begin easing our stress response by closing the eyes and paying closer attention to the breath. As we soften the belly and welcome the breath into this space, we might find our experience of stress begins to lessen.
2. Stretch or practice yoga.
Mindfully tuning into the body can help us to shift our attention away from the preoccupations of the mind and into what is most real in this very moment. By stretching, practicing yoga, or scanning the body and breathing loving attention into any areas of tension, we may find the mind clears a little and we gain a new perspective on whatever is holding us back from relaxation.
3. Practice mindful journaling.
Journaling daily, even for just ten minutes, can help us release some of the stress caught up in the entanglements of the mind. A journal can act as a witness to whatever is going on and may help us process what is causing us stress, worry, or anxiety.
4. Move towards a more nourishing diet.
What we eat and drink plays a role in our ability to maintain homeostasis, or balance. Whole, natural foods supply the nutrients and fiber we need, and many people prefer them to foods with added flavorings, preservatives, and colors. Food influences our blood sugar levels, our hormones, and our circadian rhythms, among other cycles in the body, so many people find that eating more simply helps them feel clearer and more balanced. For personal dietary advice, a doctor or registered dietitian is the best guide.
5. Listen to soothing music.
Many people feel that music affects their inner world, and some traditions describe this in terms of energy and vibration. Exploring soothing, tranquil tunes, such as meditation music for sleep, may help us deepen a sense of inner harmony.
7 Mindfulness Exercises for Relaxation
There are many mindfulness exercises and resources that can support relaxation. From more active meditations to soothing, passive music designed for sleep, different exercises have different applications. Here are seven free mindfulness exercises worth exploring.
1. Tranquil Spirit Music
If you struggle to relax before bed, meditation music for sleep is a gentle way of winding down. What we listen to can affect how we feel, and music such as this three-hour recording may help settle the mind as you transition toward sleep.
2. Basic Relaxation Meditation – Body Scan
This mindfulness worksheet provides instruction on how to guide yourself through a basic body scan meditation. It encourages physical and mental relaxation and a more mindful connection with the body. It can be practiced seated during the day or lying down before bed, and when practiced lying down, it may make it easier to drift into sleep.
3. Visualizing Ease
This printable worksheet is an invitation to slow down and meet your experience with curiosity, honesty, and kindness. You might read through each prompt slowly, noticing which questions soften you and which tighten you, and write down what is true for you in the moment.
4. Peaceful Meditation with Jack Kornfield
For those yearning for a longer formal meditation practice, this 42-minute recording from Spirit Rock’s Monday night sitting group is a quiet practice led by Jack Kornfield. After an introduction, much of the meditation is in silence. It is a practice that invites us to pay compassionate attention to what moves through us, and to relate to our thoughts, emotions, and physical experience in a more mindful and kind way.
5. Learning to Belly Breathe
Slow, deep breathing is one of the ways people can evoke the relaxation response described above. For some, though, this practice is more difficult than it sounds. This worksheet offers a step-by-step process for learning to breathe into the belly, and it tends to become more familiar and comfortable over time.
6. Mindfulness of Sensations and Breath
This hour-long talk by Tara Brach is an introduction to how mindfulness can draw us back into the present and loosen the trance of habitual thinking. As we become more aware of sensations and the breath, the mind may soften and we can begin to witness what is here. Over time, being more rooted in the present moment can bring a growing sense of peace and acceptance.
7. Tension Release
This short mindfulness meditation focuses on tension release. Often, without us being aware of it, constriction is held in various parts of the body, such as the shoulders, the neck, the forehead, and the stomach. This simple meditation brings awareness to any tension we are holding and invites us to release it gently as we notice it.
Relaxation is not something we attain, or figure out how to ‘get’; it is a way of being we practice coming into again and again. Over time, relaxation often comes more easily as mindfulness becomes a way of being. Through these mindfulness relaxation exercises and whatever other techniques work for us, we can build a steadier foundation of peace and tranquility.
