Unplug and Recharge: If You're Feeling Tired, Try This

I'm tired today. Really tired. The kind of tired that green tea (I'm not a coffee drinker) and eight hours of sleep can't remedy.

This week I had a cold, launched a new website, and am preparing to fly for over 24 hours today to teach in Thailand for a month. That's why I'm tired.

On days like today I know that the best thing for me to do is take it easy and treat myself to a slower pace and some good, old-fashioned rest.

Here's a 5-minute guided relaxation that helps me. I hope it works for you, too:

1. Turn off your cell phone, close the door, dim the lights.

2. Lie down on the floor (a yoga mat or a carpet are best; something like a bed or a sofa are too soft). If you have lower back discomfort, bend your knees, put your feet on the floor, and keep your feet hip-distance apart.

3. If your head tilts back (so your chin is higher than your forehead), put a thin pillow under your head until your forehead and chin are level.

4. Close your eyes. If you have an eye pillow or something soft to place over your eyes, do so.

5. Feel your breath flowing in and out. Notice what parts of your body move and respond to the breath. With each breath, let your body grow heavier on the floor.

6. Feel your feet. Take a breath in and out, feeling your feet. Feel your ankles, take a breath in and out, feeling your ankles.

7. Continue this all the way up to your head, part by part.

8. Rest for another several breaths, feeling your whole body.

9. Slowly roll to one side and use your hands to press back up to a seated position.

Comments

[Vinca]

As for me, I find there's nothing more important to feeling well, than a good night's sleep. Fortunately I usually do sleep well. I run around a lot amd I amm tired at the end of the day and will usually fall asleep quickly.I DO have times when I don't fall asleep quickly. I take SPIRLINA pills and they are helpful for energy.

[mzrecycle]

I think this is extremely non-practical in most people's lives, rather difficult to concentrate on and not very much fun. I've been doing what I call the "Warm Soup Meditation" for decades. I started doing it while driving in crazy traffice that got me nervous (ok, really scared). I use ujjayia breath and take my awareness OUT OF MY HEAD and put it at my heart center. Amazing. The "drunken monkee" of run on thoughts just stops. I relax. I'm calm. No thoughts. Just being. . .
After doing this for several months, I found that it generated a feeling that I can only describe as like purring. A quiet bliss.
I've found I can do it while driving, cleaning, walking in the woods, while typing this, even while watching TV.
I've practiced yoga since 1971, meditation since 1972. All those exercises given at the end of yoga classes and the one you desribed in your article don't come close to the effects of Warm Soup. And they all seem to require taking a break from the "stuff" people need to get done.
I call it Warm Soup Meditation because it makes me feel like a small pea, totally surrounded by warm soup. It feels like calm, warm love, totally supporting and surrounding me. Try it.

[Lerrin]

I think that the original blogger's suggestions were just fine.
It seems that mzrecycle is simply using the comment mechanism to self-promote his/her meditation. As such, maybe msrecycle needs to figure out how to 'catch on' and get their own blog with HuffPo rather than criticizing someone who already has one.
Besides, the All Wet or Warm Milk or whatever fanciful name slapped on this meditation sounds a LOT less appealing that the first suggestions offered by Sara.
I also question the judgement of using ANY meditation which takes your awareness out of your head when in traffic.
(Please let us all know where you travel so we can avoid sharing the road!)
I will agree with the last statement of the comment- but instead of feeling 'surrounded by warm soup' (THIS is a DESIRED goal??)- it instead leaves me all soggy & wet.