Instant Relaxation
By: Yoga teacher Anna Ribanská
Photo: Maria Makeeva
Disconnect
The most important and simultaneously most difficult task is to limit external stimuli – close the windows if you live in the city and find a spot in your apartment or house where no one will disturb you. And this includes the phone. Simply turn it off for five minutes or switch it to airplane mode. The world won’t stop turning.
Introduce Aromatherapy
One of the most effective anti-stress methods is a therapy using fragrances. In recent years, the most popular were wood incenses such as Palo Santo and Agarwood, as well as smudges from white sage, cedar or Yerba Santa.
Use Tapping
A low-lit room will enable all your other senses to sharpen, but you can awaken them further through emotional acupressure. Simply tap your fingers across your rib cage to more easily release accumulated stress. The effect is similar to acupressure – tapping releases the points and balances your energy.
Create a Pleasant Atmosphere
You needn’t visit a yoga studio, massage table or sauna to relax. If there is one thing we learned from the pandemic, it’s to be self-sufficient! All you need do is turn on smaller light sources, such as candles or lamps. Then listen to some calm music and flow into your meditation. Try to practice at least 10 minutes per day. We guarantee that this new ritual will quickly become one of your favorites!
Enjoy Silence
The human nervous system responds to the slightest sound stimuli. A honking horn, an ambulance siren or ordinary city noise outside your windows causes subconscious chemical reactions in the body. The muscles evaluate this as a threat and respond by contracting. If you really want to relax properly, close your windows. Enjoy leaving them wide open only if you live in a place where birds sing.
Let Your Imagination Run
Those who know how to relax hold the key to health and longevity. Let your thoughts flow freely, coming and going. See yourself from a different perspective. Try to merely observe your thoughts, feelings, others or yourself, without judgments.
Take a Breath
Our master glassmakers swear by the miracle of working with something as simple as your breath. In the first minute of your relaxation, prolong your exhalation by a half as opposed to inhalation – if you breathe in on the count of 4, breath out on 6. Just let your breath flow. The inhale becomes exhale becomes inhale. No beginning and no end. As your breath flows, your mind calms.
Activate Your Points
A popular point for decreasing headaches is located between your brows. Massage it with your index finger. Your heart-rate can be slowed thanks to a massage point located 2 centimeters below your wrist. Put 3 fingers of the other hand on your inner forearm to measure the distance. Your pulse, as well as your stomach, will relax by massaging the point located where your ribs meet above your belly.
