Description
Annette Brown has taught relaxation techniques to individuals and to groups for over 20 years and the Short Body Scan and Garden Visualisation are tried and tested practices which have proved effective for her students. They are simple techniques designed to help us all cope with the effects of stress in our lives.
Short Body Scan followed by Garden Visualisation 12:26
The Body scan is ideal when you have a moment to step out of the busy forward flow of life and take a restful pause. It is also useful as a wind down before sleep. Taking awareness through the body and softening areas of held tension will start to quieten the busy mind.
As the body rests the mind can be focused on the positive experience of being in a garden. Visualise your own imaginary garden or bring to mind a garden you know. Regular practice can turn the garden into your own peaceful sanctuary and a safe place to deeply rest.
The Short Body Scan works well as a mindfulness practice. The awareness is drawn away from the busy, 'thinking', 'doing', 'fixing' mind to rest on simply 'being' present with the body just as it is.
You learn to be awake and alert to what the mind is up to rather than running on auto pilot and you can begin to relate to the mind in a different way. Maybe choosing, for example, not to follow a familiar downward spiral of negative thoughts that you know only too well will create sadness, but choose instead to stay focused in the present moment with positive thoughts, or a purposeful activity or simply attending to information coming in through the senses.
We know that so often stress and anxiety come from thinking, planning, reviewing, rehearsing, being focused on the future or the past. Mindfulness practice gives you the choice to stay with your present experience just as it is and this is where you are most likely to be at your happiest. The Short Body Scan can be an opportunity to practice mindfulness and then you can take this skill into your life.
The Short Body Scan and Garden Visualisation relaxations are also available as part of a complete collection of Annette Brown's 5 Being Still relaxations on the Being Still App, the others being:
Tension Awareness Movements 11:15
These simple movements reveal patterns of tension in the body and release them. They are quick to do and easy to learn from the explanation and guided talk through on this relaxation.
Deep Relaxation 12:10
This practice shifts awareness from the stories in your away from a busy mind to the feelings and sensations in your body. Feeling the relaxed muscles and the calm breath begins to quieten the mental activity.
Yoga Nidra 25:05
Yoga Nidra is said to create a perfect state of relaxation. The instructions rotate awareness around the body and once the process becomes familiar you realise it is indeed a systematic method for inducing complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation.
To function, the Being Still – Short Body Scan app is designed to be used with earphones and requires your device's sound to be turned on.
