Stress and illness affect the body in many ways. Over time, dealing with stress and illness can cause chronic muscle tension and worry. Regularly practicing relaxation techniques can help you learn how to relax your body and mind.
Some techniques, like relaxation breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and autogenics, are aimed at relaxing the body. If you practice them, you will begin to be able to relax your body more effectively.
Other techniques, like imagery, help to quiet the mind through pleasant thoughts and distraction. Relaxation exercises are used in medical and psychological settings around the world to help people learn how to get better control over their tension.
Have a look at our relaxation menu and see what appeals to you. You will find instructions in the getting started section.
Healthcare professionals may like to share with their patients our Patient Information Handout which describes relaxation and its value.
To download any of our exercises please right click the link and choose 'save as' to save to your device
Relaxation breathingLearning how to breathe slowly and fully is a great place to start your relaxation training. Take it nice and slow while you are learning - nobody gets it the first time. Practice 3-4 breaths a few times a day for best results.
Relaxation breathing (5 mins & a good place to start)
Relaxation breathing 2 (6 mins)
Análú SuaimhnisBealach maith chun do thraenáil um shuaimhneas a thosú is ea foghlaim conas análú go mall agus go hiomlán. Tóg go deas réidh é nuair atá tú ag foghlaim—ní éiríonn le duine ar bith an chéad uair. Bí ag cleachtadh le 3-4 anáil cúpla uair sa lá don toradh is fearr.
Active progressive muscle relaxation
This exercise asks you to go through your body slowly tensing your muscles, and then relaxing them. It has good research evidence for teaching people how to control the effects of stress on the body and how to notice the difference between a tense and a relaxed muscle. We have two options without music, and one with music. Practice once a day for best results. If you experience pain, switch to the Passive Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
Active progressive muscle relaxation 1 (15 min)
Active progressive muscle relaxation 2 (18 min)
Active progressive muscle relaxation with music (28 min)
Active Progressive muscle relaxation with music 2 (22 min)
Scaoileadh forchéimnitheach matán
Iarrann an cleachtadh seo ort dul trí do chorp ag teannadh do chuid matán go mall agus ansin á scaoileadh. Tá fianaise mhaith ó thaighde go múineann sé do dhaoine cén chaoi leis na héifeachtaí a bhíonn ag strus ar an gcorp a choinneáil faoi smacht agus leis an difríocht idir matán teann agus matán scaoilte a thabhairt faoi deara. Tá dhá rogha againn, ceann le ceol agus ceann gan cheol. Déan an cleachtadh seo uair in aghaidh an lae don toradh is fearr.
Scaoileadh forcheimnitheach matan (15 min)
Passive progressive muscle relaxation
This exercise takes you slowly through your body and encourages you to relax each muscle group at a time. It is good for learning how to notice tension in your muscles and release it. If your body is painful in places, this is a good exercise to try.
Passive progressive muscle relaxation (18 min)
Insomnia progressive muscle relaxation
This is a muscle relaxation exercise with a focus on helping you to relax into sleep. It helps you to notice where your muscles are tense and to relax them, as you think about gently falling asleep.
Insomnia progressive muscle relaxation (28 min)
Living Well/Better Health Better Living Bodyscan
This exercise is a bodyscan from the Better Health, Better Living book called Self Management of Long Term Health Conditions. Bell Publishing have given us permission to record it for our participants. Feel free to listen!
Better Health, Better Living Bodyscan (10 min)
Nature Visualisation
When our minds are very active, and we have a lot to worry about, sometimes it can help to take a break and think about a peaceful scene. Imagining or visualising a place that gives us a sense of peace and safety can change the way we are feeling and help us to relax. Having a safe place to think about can help us settle our minds.
Visualisation of nature (11 min)
Visualisation of a safe place (10 min)
Samhlú
Uaireanta, nuair a bhíonn ár n-intinn an-ghníomhach agus imní orainn faoi rudaí éagsúla, bíonn sé ina chabhair dúinn briseadh a ghlacadh agus radharc suaimhneach a shamhlú. Trí áit a thugann síocháin agus sábháilteacht dúinn a shamhlú, is féidir linn an chaoi a bhfuilimid ag mothú a athrú agus suaimhneas a bhaint amach dúinn féin.
Samhlú (18 min)
Autogenics
Autogenics is a technique to help us relax by repeating the words ‘heavy’ and ‘warm’ to ourselves again and again. It is based on research that shows it is difficult to feel anxious or tense when we are also feeling heavy and warm. Autogenic training is similar to hypnosis in that you enter a very relaxed state.
Autogenics (28 min)
Autogenics with music (16 min)
Clear the Deck
Sometimes to focus our heads we need help clearing worrying or distracting thoughts away. This exercise helps us to pack away our distressing thoughts to focus on the task at hand: relaxing. If you are having trouble because of worry, try this exercise to help.
Clear the deck exercise with music (6 min)
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