Let us look at the first situation where we need to relax. Such situations are when we are either anxious and/or fearful of upcoming proceedings and their outcome. The waiting or anticipation is exasperating. Some examples of these kind of situations are being stricken by stage-fright, panic-attacks because of phobias, facing an examination, waiting to give a presentation or even for soldiers or policeman waiting for an imminent battle.
In these situations relaxation techniques especially breathing comes in very handy. It may be counter productive to eliminate the reason for the anxiety entirely, but fear does no good. If one is simply anxious and can transform this feeling to a calm concentrated poise, this is optimal management of the situation. Anxiety can be turned to positive excitement or calm poise by visualizing or affirming a positive outcome of the event or situation. The fear can be eliminated using simple breathing and visualization technique such as the one below.
Take a deep breath and fill up your lungs with as much air as you can possibly hold. Then hold the breath in for about two seconds. After the two seconds, begin breathing out as slow as you possibly can through your nostrils only while visualizing bright blue colour of clear sky. Try to make the exhalation last between fifteen to twenty seconds. You can also affirm to yourself of the positive outcome you are anticipating as you are doing this. If it suits you better the visualization of sky blue can be replaced with a prayer. Do this either for 6 or 9 cycles of breath and you will feel the fear dissipate without loss of concentration or other positive heightened effects of the senses that adrenaline causes. You would be in a state of poise as that of a zen master. You will still feel the slowed perception of time, but it will be to your advantage as positive energies flood the body and mind during the wait. (Click Here to Read Mystic Time Part One)
