Sometimes when I’m floating or going to sleep, I’ll go through a relaxation routine that helps me settle in and release the tension from my body. Although floating regularly has been the best thing I’ve found for getting quality sleep, relaxing my body at night still helped me long before I started floating. I thought I’d write out a similar routine and share it with you in case you find it helpful.
Let’s start by getting into a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down. If you choose to sit, find a position that doesn’t require supporting yourself with your legs. That will make it easier to relax your whole body. Try to watch your breath throughout this routine, making sure that you’re breathing deeply through your diaphragm. Allow your stomach to expand like a balloon on each inhalation and then deflate on every exhalation. If you like, you can focus on an area of your when you inhale and then release the tension from it when you inhale; if that proves troublesome, then just move at your own pace. You may discover that some areas require several deep breaths before they can be fully relaxed. You may also find it helpful to imagine that you’re sinking into the surface that’s supporting you, or that every area of your body is being pulled down by chains attached to heavy anchors.
When you’re ready, focus on the lower section of your body, starting with your toes. Release all tension from them and make them as relaxed as you can. Do that for your feet, your lower legs, and your knees as you slowly work your way up your body. If you get to your upper legs and notice that an area you’ve passed has gotten tense again, that’s fine. Just go back, focus on relaxing it once more, and then continue from where you left off when you’re ready.
Next, the middle section of your body. Focus first on your waist and hips. It’s easy to hold a lot of tension in this region, so really focus on letting go completely to give those muscles a break. When you get to your lower torso, check in with your breath. Make sure you’re still breathing in a slow, controlled fashion from your diaphragm. That’ll help relax the muscles in your stomach and lower back. After that, you can focus on your upper torso. If you’re breathing shallowly, you’ll probably notice a feeling of tightness and perhaps even a bit of pain in your chest. This should go away after a few minutes of deep breathing.
The shoulders are another favorite area for tension to hide. If your shoulders feel tense, you can relax them by bringing them up, pulling them back, and then dropping them down. Repeat as many times as you like, reversing the direction of the movement if you feel inclined. Once you’re satisfied, shake them out and then feel them settle into a relaxed position. That’ll also help you relax your arms. When you get down to your hands, you may notice that they’re tightly clenched. To remedy this, open your hands and make them as big as you can, spreading out each finger as much and as far back as possible. Going from a closed position to an open position will make it easier to settle them into a comfortable, relaxed position somewhere in between the two extremes.
Lastly, there is the upper section of your body. As with your shoulders, it’s easy to hold a great deal of tension in your neck. You can loosen up your neck by lowering your head until your chin is on your chest, or at least close to it. Then roll it toward your right shoulder, up so that you’re looking at the ceiling, down toward your left shoulder, and finally back to the starting position. Repeat this as many times as you like, going in the other direction as well if you feel inclined. When you’re ready, allow your neck to settle into a relaxed position. Finally, focus on your face. Loosen your jaw, relax the muscles around your eyes, and feel any tension in your forehead melt away as your eyebrows relax into a neutral position.
Now that you’ve relaxed your whole body, observe your mental state as well as your physical state. How do you feel, and do you feel differently than you did when you started? I hope this works as well for you as it does for me, and, if it does, you’ll probably feel amazing by the time you’re finished.