Disengage with activities and decisions for a moment. Let go of tension and stress, to bring the mind and body into a state of calm and peace. Take the foot off the accelerator… slow down the relentless pace of life, and ease into a natural rhythm. The journey starts here!
What am I relaxing?
It’s great to go for a walk, have a bubble bath or take a yoga class. Taking deep breaths and relaxing the muscles can remove tension in the body. Yet the most powerful way to feel calm inside is to learn to relax the mind.
What is going on?
Food nourishes the body yet the mind drives it. The body does as the mind tells it. Without a filter, our senses are on overdrive and our mind becomes dominated by what is happening around us. Continuous stimulation from sight, smell, sound, taste and touch tends to result in a speedy mind and contributes to physical exhaustion. We need to create relaxing thoughts, as used in these one minute meditations, to consciously free the mind from the noise of the outer world. Thus, we are strengthened, the body relaxed and the senses cooled. My mind is quiet.
Practice: Windows to relax
Take a break to relax regularly, especially at the beginning and end of the day; before a potentially tricky encounter and after periods of hard work. When we catch ourselves thinking, “I can’t stop now – too much to do!”… this is just the moment to stop and practise j-a-m.
Benefits of relaxation
- A natural antidote to stress
- Can help restful sleep
- Can aid faster recovery from illness
- Puts us back in the driving seat
The six one-minute meditations for this step
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Anthony Strano
MP3
Taking just a minuteI sit comfortably,quiet and still.In the quietnessI watch my mind,I feel my sensesgently I speak to them:"for a moment stop,just stop,relax and be calm;become free of hearing, seeing, doing.Just stop".Now I am in peace;I am serene,I am quiet. -
Sister Jayanti
MP3
Taking Just-a-Minute…I sit comfortably relaxed …Inviting my senses to relax …Meeting them as friends …Appreciating the work they do, I now choose to give them a break …I imagine closing the motorways of my senses …My thoughts begin to slow down… my mind becomes clear…For a few moments, nothing is moving …My mind is free… resting …I now return with clarity. -
Anthony Strano
MP3
Taking just a minuteI sit comfortably,gently my breath slows down;I relax my body.I let go of speed,of the rush and push of thoughts.Relaxing, letting go of these thoughtsI become still;I become peacefulPeace flows through my mindthrough my body.I am peaceful, calm, relaxed. -
Anthony Strano
MP3
Taking just a minuteI stop,relaxing my body completely,I breathe slowly.In this momentwith one thought,I refresh my tired mind.With the thought"I am peacefulI am tranquil,serene",my mind receives a new breath.My mind relaxes, is refreshedand I remainin this deep breathof fresh thought,peaceful, tranquil, serene -
Sister Jayanti
MP3
Taking Just-a-Minute…I take a few moments to focus on my breathing…As I breathe in, I imagine gathering all my tense or anxious thoughts…And as I breathe out, I blow all those thoughts away…Now, as I breathe in – I draw down calm and tranquil thoughts from my mind…And as I breathe out, I spread these thoughts through my body…The body relaxes and my mind becomes free -
Sister Jayanti
MP3
Taking Just-a-Minute…I sit comfortably and allow my body to relax…Gently releasing any areas of tension …Focusing my attention on the centre of my forehead, I take a moment to look at the screen of my mind …The speed of my thoughts begins to slow down …Until my mind is quiet and still …………….My body and mind relaxed I once again become aware of my surroundings.