BREATHING

Deep relaxation and relief of anxiety are obtained by special breathing exercises.  The technique is simple, easily learned and requires minimal time.

Stand in front of a mirror, turn sideways, place the palm of your hand on your stomach.  Breath in lightly and at the same time protrude (push out) your abdomen.  Then breathe out lightly and easily (do not force the air out).  Expiration (breathing out) should be about 4 times longer than inspiration (breathing in).  When first trying these exercises, make a soft noise when breathing to provide you with a measure of inspiration and expiration.

When you feel comfortable with the rhythm of breathing, focus on the warm air as it leaves your nose, with expiration.  At first, it is helpful to breathe in with your mouth slightly open and feel the cool air as it passes over the roof of your mouth, contrasting the coolness with the warm air leaving your nose with breathing out.

Expiration should be natural, not forced or active step.  Your torso should almost feel as if it were collapsing inward, relaxing and sliding downward in the chair.  If you are in bed, feel as if you are sinking into the mattress.

It is very normal to experience imagery while practicing breathing exercises, especially after you become familiar with the technique.  Deeper relaxation can be achieved by guiding the imagery to pleasant and relaxing scenes.  For example, watching waves roll in on a beach, a field of wheat swaying in a gentle breeze, the rustling of leaves, a gently flowing stream.  Whatever image feels relaxing is the one to use.

Practice breathing 20 minutes twice daily.  Before going to sleep at night is a very good time for the second practice session.

MUSCLE RELAXATION

Sit in a comfortable chair, lounger, or lie in bed.  Starting with your toes, you will alternately contract groups of muscles and relax them, as well be outlined below, doing both sides of the body at the same time.  Do not contract your muscles to the point of cramping and do not hold the contraction.  The most important part of this exercise is the relaxation phase.  After the initial contraction or tightening of a muscle group, slowly relax the muscles, allowing them to gradually get loose and floppy.  Do not hurry.  The longer the relaxation phase the more effective.

Start with your toes (most prefer to do this with shoes off).  Bunch them up, curl them, both sides at the same time and with equal strength.  Next contract and relax your calf muscles.  Then the quadriceps (thigh) muscles.  Some prefer to do the whole lower extremity at once, providing a massive sense of relaxation.  Next, tighten your abdominal muscles and slowly relax them (letting your hands flop on your lap or on the arm of your chair).  Then shrug your shoulders and slowly let them relax.

Last and very important is the fact "scrunch" where you tightly close your eyes, purse your lips, and wrinkle your forehead.  Slowly relax your face and allow your jaw to drop and your mouth to open.

Practice twice daily, 20 minutes each time, and slowly.  DO NOT RUSH FROM ONE MUSCLE GROUP TO THE NEXT.

Be sure to get instructions before beginning these exercises.

Once you get the routine down, begin visualizing in your eye the muscle going from a bunched-up, contracted, tight state to a loose, long, floppy state.

Imagining or visualizing is best done with the eyes closed, using the back of your eyelids as a TV screen.  The first step in building your imagery is to visualize yourself relaxing in your chair or lounger, or on your couch or bed, while practicing muscle relaxation and breathing.  In addition to visualizing your muscles changing from a tight, contracted state to a relaxed, loose state, imagine your total body going soft and sinking down into the chair, etc.

The next step is to visualize a relaxing scene, one that is pleasant and relaxing.  Recall a favorite vacation place, see yourself relaxed, at ease, passively enjoying the scene.  Try a variety of scenes, both with yourself in them and as seen by yourself, empty of people.  Keep the scenes bland, free of movement (except for trees or water), and try to imagine the feel, sound, smell, and look of every aspect.  Lose yourself in the scene, leaving behind the tensions of the present.  A nature scene, e.g., a beautiful waterfall, a soft spring sky, waves rolling on a beach can all work well.

Next construct an image of a warming scene.  See yourself on a sunny beach, working on a tan, gazing out at the sea...or sitting in front of a blazing fire...or soaking in a hot, relaxing tub...or resting under a snug, warm quilt.

As you feel yourself relaxing and warming, you will begin to experience a "pins and needles" sensation in your finger tips.  The small blood vessels in your hands are beginning to dilate, to open up, and bring more warmth.  The smooth muscle wraps around the blood vessels, are relaxing, getting loose and floppy and the blood vessels (capillaries) are getting wider and expanding.  Visualize the smooth, muscle wraps relaxing around your pipe-like blood vessels in your hands and fingers--visualize larger and larger amounts of warm blood coursing through your hands and fingers.  Feel the warmth.  Say to yourself, "I can feel the blood rushing to my hands and fingers."  Do the same with your feet and toes.

Contents from Texas DWI Intervention workbook.