Relaxation Technique 4: 61 point relaxation technique

This technique is somewhat more advanced. It was acquired from Exploring The World Of Lucid Dreaming¹, by Stephen Laberge and Howard Rheingold. ( Figure was adopted by Exercise without movement by Swami Rama [Himalyan Institute², Honesdale, PA.], click on it for larger version). Although developed for inducing lucid dreaming, this is a still a good relaxation technique. This technique is not for quick, on-the-go relaxation but a systematic exercise that should be done lying down.

• Learn the location and order of the points in the body. It is not that difficult since there’s a pattern to it.

• Focus your attention on one point at a time and think its number. Begin at your forehead, focus your attention between your eyebrows and think of the number one. Keep your attention fixed at point one for several seconds until you feel that your awareness of the location is clear and distinct. Think of yourself being located at this point. Before moving on to the next point, you should feel a sense of warmth and heaviness at this spot.

• Move through each point in sequence. In the same manner, successively focus your attention on each of the first thirty-one points. Proceed slowly, and imagine you self being located at each point as you reach it. Feel the sense of warmth and heaviness before moving on. Do not allow your mind to wander. At first you may find this difficult to do: you will find that at times you suddenly will forget that you are doing the exercise and start daydreaming or thinking about something else. If you lose your place, return to the beginning or the last numbered point you attended to, and continue. Practice with thirty-one points until you can attend to them all in sequence without daydreaming or losing track.

• Extend your practice to include all sixty-one points.

¹ http://www.lucidity.com

² http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/ResourceCenter/Tutorials/RelaxNow/61Points.aspx