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3 to 4 times. Then lie down and repeat the stretching operation again 3 to 4 times. Relaxation is an exercise in nonactivity which is its basic principle. Don't think that you are going to do something, but let yourself go. This is essential. Now you are ready to start the practice of relaxation.
Always relax on a hard surface. Lie down on a blanket on the floor on your back, legs slightly apart (about 10-12 inches between the heels), arms gently alongside the body, palms turned up. The head must be laid very carefully on the floor so that there is no tension in the neck. If this is not comfortable, a folded towel may be kept under the neck. Later, do without it, but complete comfort is essential.
Since breathing and relaxation are linked together, pay attention to your breathing first. If it is shallow, hasty and/or encumbered, or if its rhythm is irregular, regularise it by autosuggestion. The breathing should become calm, slow and rhythmic but not necessarily deep. The stomach rises and falls rhythmically and silently without effort. Having regulated the breathing, forget it, and commence stage by stage relaxation of every muscle in each part of the body from the toes in the feet to the top of the head. The body itself will remain entirely motionless (except for the slight rise and fall of the abdomen) and the Conscious Will will slowly move over every part, patiently persuading it to relax.
Proceed in small steps, beginning with the toes of the right foot, working systematically upwards in each limb, in turn. Relax the toes, instep, heel and upto the ankle joint of the right limb. Move upwards in small steps from joint to joint i.e. from the ankle to the knee, relaxing the calf muscles and then from the knee to the hip joint relaxing the thigh muscles. Now repeat the same process with the left limb. Both the limbs from waist downwards are now relaxed and lifeless. In the next stage, relax the muscles of the abdomen at the hip, around the waist and at the base
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| SR No. | 006550 |
| Book Title | Preksha Dhyana Human Body Part 2 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Jethalal S Zaveri |
| Publisher | Jain Vishva Bharati |
| Publication Year | 1993 |
| Total Pages | 118 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English & Yoga |
| File Size | 6 MB |