Free Relaxation Recordings

[Bill]

Getting to sleep used to be a huge issue for me, and sometimes it still is. It was hard to get my overactive mind to slow down. I also had a tendency to wake up an hour before the alarm feeling anxious. While there are a number of ways to approach this problem, the way I chose was to listen to relaxation recordings on my iPod. Whether they are called different names, like mindfulness, meditation, guided visualization or self-hypnosis, they have a lot in common: slow, deep breathing, feelings of calm/peace and perhaps a tranquil scene (often the beach). Some are accompanied by soothing music or sound effects, such as ocean surf or rain. The voice may be male, female or both.

After listening every night for a few weeks, I found that I didn’t need the recording any more. I could just go *there*, however I still like to use them, particularly after a tiring day.

I was going to post links to the ones on my iPod, but I don’t remember where I got them all, so I’ll post them as I find them. Feel free to add your favourites as well. We can all use a little more relaxation!

To start, Mary Maddux has a number of guided meditations she distributes as a free podcast, which you will find here: http://www.meditationoasis.com/podcast/listen-to-podcast/

I know there are free iPod aps for sleeping, but I have not tried any, so I can’t recommend one, but if you would like to try, here is an example: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/relax-sleep-well-by-glenn/id412690467?mt=8

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[Anonymous]

Thanks for posting this! I love these things! I play them in the morning after my BF goes to work… I usually get more sleep from 730-1030am, he wakes me up almost everyday he is noisy (ADD too)…

I actually bought a CD with a chakra meditation it’s long but broken up in to parts… I am perpetually trying to be “calm”… it’s hard… I do yoga when I start getting anxious… it does help allot. I KNOW I avoided several panic attacks by doing yoga… somewhat “ignoring” my problems,… but there was nothing to do BUT worry… and that is not productive!

this is a specific meditation… not for sleep… but its good I did the whole thing I felt good afterward…

“The Daisy Pond”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPM2BaBq0n0

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[Bill]

Universities have discovered relaxation recordings help students deal with the pressures of academic life, so they provide them free:

http://www.loyola.edu/campuslife/healthservices/counselingcenter/relaxation.html

http://www.sandiego.edu/usdcc/relaxationexercises.php

http://www.indiana.edu/~health/relaxation.html

http://www.uws.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/getting_help/counselling_services/stress_and_your_wellbeing/relaxation_recordings

http://ase.tufts.edu/counseling/tuas/

Isn’t the internet amazing!

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[Anonymous]

Thanks Bill! Yes the internet is the only thing that can keep up with our thirst for information and stimulation!

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[Bill]

Anyone else have any favourites (apps or recordings) they would like to share?

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[Cat Alberts]

I really like the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course CD’s by John Kabat Zinn. I only fall asleep by reading to get my mind out of my own life, but the body scan is really helpfull. I need something with a timer though, because it turns out that I listen to all CD’s on the mp3 after I fall asleep, so all the yoga segments as well! And I have a meditation cd from Tich Nhat Hahn with short 20 – 10 mins meditations on it that I use during the day, when I feel stressed. Ofcourse only when I think of it, but when I do it is very relaxing.

Eh… not for free though. But on Youtube are a lot of talks by both of them to watch.

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[Bill]

I just found this page of links to relaxation recordings: http://www.relaxationreviews.org/relaxation.htm

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[Bill]

I have added another free specifically designed for the busy, restless mind here: http://totallyadd.com/forum/topic.php?id=3026

Bill

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