Relaxation is a skill

"Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives the test first, and the lesson afterward."

"Relaxation is a skill that requires practice over and over again until you achieve mastery. Relaxation techniques can be learnt through constant practice. If you find yourself unable to relax, you may need to practise more to gain the above prerequisites before you can master certain relaxation techniques. Relaxation must also be differentiated from recreation. Recreation is a means of relaxation, but it never offers complete relaxation. Being relaxed is not a natural occurrence. It is a skill that must be learnt. Neither is it a waste of time, nor is it laziness to be functionally, skilfully or consciously relaxed. To master conscious relaxation, you need to learn and assimilate the 3 Rs, which are:

1. Reducing mental activity (aiming for a blank mind),
2. Recognising tension (aiming for awareness of bodily sensation),and
3. Reducing Respiration (aiming to promote relaxed breathing).

Conscious relaxation requires conscious effort that has to be applied in order to learn and master the following set of prerequisite skills:

1. Induce passivity
2. Induce a calm mind
3. Scan for bodily tension and
4. Breathe properly."