There are so many ideas on relaxing that it’s hard to know which is best.

Being relaxed is important because it helps you think clearly, solve problems and accept things. You can be more creative when you are relaxed.

When you are tense or stressed, you can feel your muscles tighten up, especially in your neck and shoulders. You can be sure your brain will also tighten up the more overwhelmed you become.

There are all kinds of relaxation techniques, but the other day I used one that I found very effective.

It starts with some breathing – not really slow like you’re under water or anything, but not breathing as usual.

… I remember the first night home from the hospital with Karlie, our first born. It was a brutal night – not that she kept waking up; she actually slept right through.

It was her breathing, and it was anything but relaxing! In fact, I had my worst night’s sleep ever.  Her breathing was so erratic that every time she would pause in breathing, I would look over to make sure she was alright.

In the morning I said to Lily, “If Karlie stops breathing she’s going to have to do it in the other room because I can’t sleep this way.”

That was the only night Karlie slept in our room.

Relaxed breathing is slow and deep as you gradually let the air out. It’s the kind of breathing where your body relaxes, your heart beats slower, your muscles lose their tension.

Then you think of something in nature that you are truly grateful for … gratitude is a very important part of this relaxation technique.

We are still in the middle of winter, and though the snow has melted at record paces these last three days, I didn’t think of snow or anything that was winter-related.

Maybe you are grateful for a frozen pond with snow-laden fir trees all around it. That’s a nice thought, but I’ve been frost bitten too often to let my mind go there.

What I thought of was a narrow, hard-packed trail in the middle of the woods, in June or July.

Even writing that sentence brought back a mental video of trails I’ve biked or walked, with trees on each side, rich green leaves all around and above, and sunlight streaming down, creating shadows and highlights on the ground.

And immediately I felt gratitude for experiencing that in nature, for getting to drink in that sight with my eyes and savour it with my memory.

All the tension of the day and the concerns of the coming events faded away. I was relaxed; it was like I got new energy, a new appreciation for life.

I was in a better place than I had been a few minutes before. I was ready to tackle things that I had been close to giving up on.

Here’s the thing: There was one more step to this relaxation technique. Sure, it’s important to physically calm down, and it’s essential to mentally be grateful, but it’s powerful to connect it all to God. So I asked Him if there was something He wanted to let me know. I paused and waited and then sensed these words: “Ride with me, Paul.” I realized that in the middle of this whole process Jesus is there with me. He is at the centre of my gratitude, and He is my calm, He wants me to relax and work with Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you do to relax? Leave your comments below.