Lucy Lane - The Little Book of Relaxation

#xa0; #xa0; If youre interested in finding out more about our books, find us on Facebook at Summersdale Publishers and follow us on Twitter at @Summersdale. www.summersdale.com START THE DAY FROM A PLACE OF PEACE Instead of jumping out of bed and into the shower and the rest of your hectic day, choose to begin each new day by sitting still for five minutes and connecting with your inner sense of calm and balance. Focus on your breath and allow peace to cascade down your spine and flow through your body. As you do so, say these words quietly to yourself: I am at peace. #xa0; #xa0; Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.

Mahatma Gandhi #xa0; #xa0; Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Ralph Waldo Emerson YOU DONT NEED TO HURRY Choose to make today a no rush day. Handle each of your activities with the care and attention it deserves. Youll be surprised at just how much you get done, and at the end of the day youll feel much fresher and calmer than if you had approached your daily tasks with stress and tension. #xa0; #xa0; Never be in a hurry ; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Francis de Sales #xa0; #xa0; There is time for everything.

Thomas Edison THINK POSITIVE Write a list of all the positive things in your life and put it on the fridge or another place where youll see it every day. The things could be as simple as a birthday greeting from a friend, or as significant as a wedding day or other big event. Whenever youre feeling down, take time to read, enjoy and draw strength from the positive things on the list. Add to it whenever you can! #xa0; #xa0; I have found that if you love life, life will love you back. Arthur Rubinstein #xa0; #xa0; There is no greatness where there is not simplicity. Leo Tolstoy LET YOUR FACE RELAX We hold a lot of emotion in the muscles of our faces.

Take a moment during the day to become aware of your expression, and notice if you have a frowning brow, a tense jaw or a grimacing mouth. Hold your warm hands across your face for a few seconds and let the tension subside. Your face will feel freer and your mind will feel calmer and more relaxed. #xa0; #xa0; A FREE MIND IS ONE WHICH IS UNTROUBLED AND UNFETTERED BY ANYTHING. Meister Eckhart #xa0; #xa0; Accept what is, let go of what was and have faith in what will be. Sonia Ricotti LEARN TO UNPLUG Switch off your TV, computer and mobile phone, and spend time doing whatever it is that relaxes you, whether its curling up with a good book, doing a puzzle or writing a letter to someone you havent been in touch with for a long time.

Taking a break from staring at a screen is a hugely positive and relaxing step youll feel the benefits straight away. #xa0; #xa0; Get out of your head and get into your heart. Think less, feel more. Osho #xa0; #xa0; Wherever you are, be all there. Jim Elliot FEEL THE GROUND BENEATH YOUR FEET It is very healing to give ourselves real physical contact with the world that supports us, and yet this is something we often only do when were on holiday at the beach. Open your body to new experiences by taking a morning walk barefoot across the lawn and feeling the dew on the grass beneath your feet.

Youll step into the day feeling refreshed and strong! #xa0; #xa0; Walk as if you were kissing the earth with your feet. Thch Nht Hnh #xa0; #xa0; Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organise your life around it. Brian Tracy LISTEN TO THE RAIN We tend to complain when its not sunny and warm outside, but other kinds of weather have much to offer us. When its pouring with rain, find a quiet spot and sit in your car or next to a window in your home. Listen to the sound of raindrops pattering against the panes of glass and allow the gentle drumming to soothe and relax you. #xa0; #xa0; A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.

William Arthur Ward ENJOY THE ORIGINAL SNAP, CRACKLE AND POP As the nights draw in, take the opportunity if you can to sit in front of a real fire with the lights off and listen to the crackle of wood burning. Allow your imagination to paint pictures in the movements of the flames, and enjoy the scent of the woodsmoke. If you dont have a fireplace in your home, you can often find a welcoming fire in an old-fashioned pub. #xa0; #xa0; Everything you do can be done better from a place of relaxation. Stephen C. Paul #xa0; #xa0; The time to be happy is now.

The place to be happy is here. Robert G. Ingersoll EXPLORE THE QUIET TIMES OF THE DAY Get a new perspective on familiar places by going for a midnight walk or an early morning stroll. At these quiet times, when no one else is around, you will have the chance to notice things you look past every day. You may also see wonders of nature that are normally hidden, such as foxes on their nocturnal rambles or bats swooping above you. #xa0; #xa0; LET YOUR SOUL STAND COOL AND COMPOSED BEFORE A MILLION UNIVERSES.

Walt Whitman #xa0; #xa0; Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer. William S. Burroughs ALLOW WARM WATER TO SOOTHE YOU Even if you dont have a vacation planned, give yourself a little me time with a delicious long soak in the tub. Run a warm, scented bath, put on some gentle classical music in the background, light some aromatherapy candles, pour yourself a glass of wine or freshly squeezed juice, slide into the water and relax. #xa0; #xa0; Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine. Thomas Aquinas #xa0; #xa0; You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.

Henry David Thoreau SNUGGLE DOWN IN YOUR BED Make your bed a place of true restfulness by investing in some soft cotton sheets and pillowcases and changing them regularly. If youre able to dry your bedding outside on a washing line, the wonderful scent of fresh air will add an extra-special touch of comfort. When bedtime comes around, youll have the pleasure of sinking into a blissful cocoon of restfulness. #xa0; #xa0; No one realises how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. Lin Yutang #xa0; #xa0; Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. Ovid ANSWER THE CALL OF THE SEA If you live near the coast, make time throughout the year to experience all its changing moods.

In summer, enjoy the splashes and laughter of people playing in the water; in the winter, when there are no crowds, simply listen to the sounds and rhythms of the sea and breathe in the salty air. #xa0; #xa0; You cant calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass. Timber Hawkeye #xa0; #xa0; THINK OF ALL THE BEAUTY STILL LEFT AROUND YOU AND BE HAPPY. Anne Frank #xa0; #xa0; Learn to calm down the winds of your mind, and you will enjoy great inner peace.

Remez Sasson TAKE A BREAK IN THE PARK Whether youre rushing to the shops or walking home from school or work, give yourself a little time to appreciate the public open spaces around you. A detour through a green space will recharge your batteries and inspire you with new ideas. If you have time to sit on a bench and watch the world go by for a few minutes, youll be surprised at just how relaxed you feel afterwards. #xa0; #xa0; Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time. John Lubbock #xa0; #xa0; Nature teaches us simplicity and contentment, because in its presence we realise we need very little to be happy . H. G. G.

Wells RELISH THE SOUND OF SILENCE Steal a moment of silence in your day. Go somewhere you can be alone and block out background noise with earplugs. Listen to your heart beating, the sound of your own breathing, and focus on just existing. Even if you dont have any earplugs to hand, you can enjoy moments of silence as they arise, such as while youre driving, taking a bathroom break or travelling in a lift. When you free yourself from the need to fill every moment of your day with music or speech, youll achieve greater relaxation and connection with the world around you. #xa0; #xa0; There are places and moments in which one is so completely alone that one sees the world entire.