Yogic Sponge

As I have said, the essence of dealing with anxiety is the ability to relax. One of the best ways I know of to calm your nerves is called the “yogic sponge.” In this podcast, I am going to read the text that is very good at inducing relaxation. If you prefer your own voice, or that of a relative or friend, have them read it into the recording device such as the one on your phone. Play it at least once a day, or as often as you feel the need. After a number of repetitions, you won’t even need the recording anymore, as you will hear this script in your head.   The Yogic Sponge Begin by lying down on a firm but cushioned surface, such as a rug or towel. Read this script in a soft, soothing voice. You may want to record your reading, or have it taped by a friend with a great voice, so that you can play it whenever you wish. It's best to lie down on a soft place. Put your hands beside you with your palms down, then let them turn up by themselves naturally. Let your feet spread apart a little bit. Get stretched out and try to get yourself in a nice relaxed position. The idea is to go on a mental trip. Instead of going on a trip away from home, you’re going into the deepest part of yourself, your own personal home. This is a time specifically just for you, nobody else. You’re going to be thinking only about getting yourself into position, so that you can do some really good relaxing. [Begin taping.] Concentrate on your feet, especially your toes. Wiggle them around a little bit. Tense your feet up if you want to, pull them toward you and then just let them go. Let them just relax completely. That’s really good. [Pause.] Now let this feeling of relaxation spread up into your ankles, shinbones, up to your knees. You may want to straighten your legs out and bend them just a little. Make sure the tightness is out of your knees, then let this mellow feeling move up your thighs. Your muscles are letting go and now your legs are starting to become very, very heavy. They are pressing down against the rug and maybe almost through the rug. It feels wonderful to just lie there and sink deeper into this state of serenity. [Pause.] This feeling now is beginning to spread up into your hips and your lower abdomen, up into your stomach. It is beginning now to infiltrate into your chest. Notice that as you start to relax, breathing now becomes slower. In fact, you can take a deep breath, hold it for a while let it go, then hold it. First let all your breath out—all your breath. Now you’re going to inhale. Try it now—I’ll count so that you can tell how long to do each of these three tasks. Breathe in: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; breathe out: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; and hold it: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Notice that you did not after breathing in. The way you are instructed here is better. As you practice this, you’re going to become just like a sponge, just lying there soaking things up. You want to get your breathing to become slower and slower and deeper and deeper.Not just in your chest, but down in your belly, too. [Pause.] Now let the feeling spread into your shoulders. Scrunch your shoulders up, wiggle them around, and make sure that they really let go. Let them “fall” into the floor, so that your entire body now feels very, very heavy. [Pause] This feeling of heaviness is starting to move through your shoulders into your upper arms, down through your elbows and now it’s flowing down into your forearms. Your arms are becoming very heavy. [Pause.] This feeling is now going into your palms, the backs of your hands, slowly going out through your fingers and your thumbs, a feeling of heaviness and deep relaxation.  Now return back up through your shoulders and into your neck. [Pause.] Let this feeling come up through your chin, up through the back of your head and into your face. Your mouth is probably a little open, because you’re doing nice deep breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, feeling the oxygen go up through your nose and cheekbones, even your ears. Concentrate on total, total relaxation. [Pause] Next check your eyes and make sure that they’re just barely closed. Let this feeling of relaxation go up now through your forehead. It’s a very lovely, heavy feeling. The serenity is moving up through your scalp and you’re extremely relaxed. [Pause.] Now I would like you to concentrate on that part of your face that is directly between your eyes and the top of your nose. Imagine that a magical golden fluid is starting to pour into your head through this special opening in the center of your forehead, down right between your eyes. You feel a golden yellow liquid, like honey, a warm relaxing fluid, just tremendously soothing as it moves into your head now, and fills your head and down through your neck. [Pause.] You feel it flowing down inside, down through your shoulders and your arms, through your hands. It gives you total peace. Now it’s starting to flow to fill your entire upper body, starting to flow into your legs. Slowly but surely you feel this warm, relaxing sensation surge down through you, down through your knees, down through your shins and your calves, total relaxation and a sense of safety and peace. Total serenity floods through you and now down through your ankles into your feet, all the way through your feet down to your toes. And now your entire body is filled with this serene, warm, golden fluid. [Pause, then speak in a slightly softer voice.] Instead of feeling heavy, now, you notice that you’ve developed a lightness, as though you’re floating. You’re completely relaxed. You’re thinking of nothing but the warm, very comfortable feeling that you’re getting from this. And you’re sinking down into it. You’re letting yourself just be filled with this. You hear my voice very well, but it seems like it’s from far away. And you find yourself drifting farther and farther away. You’re thinking of nothing, nothing at all, but the peace that’s there. You may want to picture a scene, like looking at the ocean or some other beautiful place. You do not feel sleepy, you do not feel tired at all, you feel just very, very relaxed, quite safe, at peace. [Pause.] You’re filled with peacefulness, you’re filled with the wonderful sense of freedom. Nothing’s bothering you at all. You’re at peace. You are now down in a very special, safe place, deep inside yourself, completely relaxed and completely safe. [Pause.] All right, now start to think about coming back up to the surface again. You feel yourself sort of floating back up. You have become so light and free that you’re actually floating. As you start to re‐enter the “outside world,” you may want to just wiggle a finger. Do it slowly, at your own pace. Slowly come back. Move your feet around a little bit if you want to. As you feel ready to do it, open your eyes. Eventually you may want to get up on one elbow. [Pause.] Gradually get yourself up to a sitting position. Now think back. Do you feel calmer? Happier? More mentally alert? Would you like to do this again sometime? I hope this exercise proves useful to you in your struggle against the pernicious pandemic we are all dealing with. For now, I wish you the very best in your struggle to remain calm. See you next week!