Relaxation Basics

"Relaxation is never accidental" - Robert Fripp

For those who like to skim, we humans have an instinct that allows us to relax naturally, and in the past, circumstances outside oursleves often triggered it. Once upon a time our leirsure time also outstripped that devoted to work greatly. Culturally we may have had more supportive structures too, such as a village to raise a child.

Or at least these are plausible enough statements describing their times versus ours. Relaxation is a key aspect of wellness, but so many of us are always stressed. We have a relaxation instinct, but we seldom trigger it. We often don't know how to relax.

I don't like to romanticize the past, but your genetics and mine probably do favor that of paleolithic man. While today is thankfully not like then, our body instincts no longer receive the same stimuli the past presented. This altered environment challenges our genotype's expression of our phenotype negatively. As such we must develop skills for engaging those instincts crucial for wellness and even thriving. The problem or relaxations is actually several problems of relaxation, and so also several solutions.If indeed you decide that you value relaxation and want to develop the skills to do so, here are some basic problems and basic solutions. Things you can do yourself basically involve creating a relaxation mood and/or engaging in relaxing activities. Easy enough, but all efforts should proceed without hightech or drugs, for now. Private relaxation means setting aside time, and space, for relaxation. Toned down, happy places with low light, low presence of electro magnetic flow, and organized around a value of silence, food, or company is a solid way to go. These qualities begin to trigger our relaxation response. You can choose to make these spaces pet or child optional, but keep the intent to relax sacred. Should you proceed, these spaces and your comitment to enhabit them, will be a kind of private dojo for develop relaxation skills. These skills include smiling, being thankful for what you have (aka enjoyment), breathing, physical contact. Should you fail to access such a place, imagine one now. how does that person   Your first objective is to spend time there, preferably doing nothing. The learning curve can be steep here, but any amount of time doing nothing helps, and your space will support you. At first it may seem like your trying to get bored as quickly as possibe. You may only do nothing for 3 minutes, but try to get it to 15 or 20 minutes. Focus on your physical body. Other days you will discover your posture, or have your first relaxed breath, or feel the weight of your body when it is relaxed. Your very mind and personality may present your most formidable oponent. Forget that for now, and focus on relaxing.        

inherent skill lost skill caveman glass of wine, paleo but true constant threat brain tricks deep skill, requires deeper, subtle attention simple but not easy because of brains relaxation, the brain issue recruiting the body noticing, attention incidentally, also the beginning of any true spiritual practice is body.