2 meditative relaxation techniques

Reducing stress and finding time to relax is important when trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. Too much stress can have a negative impact on your health. These 2 meditation exercises will set you on the right track.

Both of these use meditative techniques that harness imagery. To do them, find a quiet place where you can sit undisturbed for up to 20 minutes. Follow these steps for the most relaxing experience:

• Breathe slowly and deeply while you take your mind through the exercises.
• To make the images easier to conjure, consider recording the instructions on your smart phone or other device so you don't have to memorize them.
• Don't worry if you find unwanted thoughts intruding while you're using imagery. When thoughts shoved to the recesses of your mind start moving into your consciousness, it's actually a sign that you're letting go of the stress that was holding them back.
• Just passively let them move through your mind, and then turn back to the exercise.

All you need for this exercise is your imagination, peace and quite and a few minutes undisturbed me-time. Follow these steps for a relaxing meditation:

• Picture yourself on a mountaintop surrounded by lush tropical vegetation but open to the sky, so you're bathed in sunlight.
• Note the deep blue colour of the sky, feel the sun's rays soothing your body, smell the fragrance of the flowers all around, and hear the patter of drops falling off leaves after a recent rain.
• Look far below and see the shore of a tranquil beach on a placid lake.

For this exercise, you just need quiet, some time to yourself and to be ready to indulge in where your mind can take you. These easy steps will take you to a place of deep relaxation:

• Take yourself to the shore of the lake and imagine walking along the soft sand.
• Imagine you're completely alone, but you find a boat tied to a dock.
• After untying the mooring rope, lie down on soft blankets inside the boat and watch the clouds as you drift on the calm water.
• The boat rocks gently, and waves gurgle under the hull as you drink in the warmth and feel the soft movement of a breeze.
• You feel a deep sense of relaxation as you drift between the water and the clouds.

You don’t need a lot of time or a spa environment to enjoy deep relaxation. Just follow these steps for 2 different and deeply relaxing meditations for a refreshing pick-me-up.