I f you are one of the many people who tend to get more seizures when they are under stress, learning to relax may prove to be a very effective way of reducing the frequency of your seizures. Almost any relaxation technique can be helpful. It is something you can teach yourself at home, using either a special relaxation tape, or following the instructions in the method given below. If you prefer, you may be able to join a relaxation class where you can learn in a group. Once you have learnt a relaxation technique, you can try using it whenever you feel that a seizure seems imminent, or you are in a seizure-prone situation.Learning to relaxWhen you are learning physical relaxation, choose a time to practise when you are not feeling too tense; at first you will find it a difficult technique to master unless you are feeling fairly relaxed to start with. Find a quiet room where you will not be interrupted and are away from distractions.You can either sit or lie down, whichever is the most comfortable for you. Make sure that your arms and legs are not crossed and that you are sitting or lying square. Close your eyes. It often helps to have some relaxing music on as a background.1 To begin with, just concentrate on your breathing. Breathe through your nose with a slow even rhythm for a few minutes. Try to breathe from your diaphragm, not from your chest. Now take a deep breath in and hold it for two seconds. As you breathe out, say ‘Relax’ out loud. Continue these slow deep breaths five or six times, each time saying the word ‘Relax’ as you breathe out.In time you will be able to think the word ‘Relax’ in your mind. Now you are going to use this same rhythmof breathing as you learn to relax each of your body parts in turn.First, clench both your fists tightly together for about ten seconds. As you do so breathe in, hold your breath and feel the tension in your fists and fingers. Then relax your fists and breathe out, thinking the word ‘Relax’. Feel the difference between tension and relaxation. Do this twice.Now bring your forearms towards your shoulders, tensing them up as you do so and breathing in. Hold the position for about ten seconds. Then breathe out, saying ‘Relax’ to yourself. Feel the difference between tension and relaxation. Repeat.Now your shoulders. Shrug both your shoulders towards your ears. Breathe in and feel the tension as you do so. Hold the position for ten seconds. Breathe out, saying ‘Relax’ and feeling the difference between tension and relaxation. Repeat.Bend your right ear down towards your shoulder, feeling the tension along the side of your neck. (Try not to lift your shoulder up towards your ear.) Again, breathe in as you do so, hold the position for ten seconds, then breathe out and think ‘Relax’, bringing your head back up. Repeat this exercise and then do the same thing twice with your left ear.Now bring your chin down to your chest, feeling the tension at the back of your neck and breathing in as you do so. Hold it there for ten seconds, then breathe out saying ‘Relax’, and bring your head upright. Repeat.Now try to tense and relax the muscles of your face. Screw up your eyes and purse your lips together. Again, breathe in as you do so, hold the position for ten seconds, then relax and breathe out. Feel the difference between tension and relaxation. Repeat.
At this point go over your body in your mind’s eye and check that your arms and hands are relaxed, that your neck and shoulders are relaxed, and that your neck and face are relaxed. You may need to perform this check after each exercise, because tension creeps back in easily while you are concentrating on something else.Relaxing your back muscles is the next step. Breathe in and as you do so hollow your back, pushing your spine forwards so that you can feel the tension along your back. Hold it for ten seconds, then breathe out and relax. Feel the difference between tension and relaxation. Repeat.Next pull your stomach muscles in, breathing in as you do, so that there is tension all the way across your stomach like an elastic band tightening around your waist. Then breathe out and relax. Repeat.
Now tense your buttocks by clenching them together, breathing in as you do so. Keep them clenched for ten seconds. Now breathe out and relax, feeling the difference between tension and relaxation. Repeat.To relax your feet, if you are sitting, raise your legs and point your toes. If you are lying down, just point your toes. Breathe in as you do so and feel the tension along the tops and backs of your shins and calves. Breathe out and relax. Repeat.Finally, tense and relax your thighs and your calves. Push your legs down into the ground as hard as you can, feeling the tension all the way along your legs. Hold the position for ten seconds. Breathe out and relax, feeling the difference between tension and relaxation. Repeat.You have now relaxed each of the major muscle groups in your body. For the final few minutes of the exercise, sit or lie and concentrate on the music, pushing any worrying thoughts to the back of your mind. Check your body again in your mind’s eye to make sure there are no bits of tension remaining. Keep your breathing slow and regular.When you start to do this exercise it will take a while to get your body fully relaxed, but the more you practise, the easier it becomes. The next stage is to build the habit of relaxation into your everyday life. Every now and then during the day, stop what you are doing and just relax for a minute or two. You can do this quite quickly and unobtrusively.
Consolidating physical relaxation techniquesNow that you know the difference between tension and relaxation, and can relax your muscles at will, it is a good idea to check each part of your body occasionally during the day to see whether your muscles are tensed or relaxed. If you find some areas of tension, take a few slow deep breaths, then breathe out, relaxing those muscles as you do so.When you have become used to physical relaxation and find it easy, you can use it when you find you are in seizure-prone situations or at seizure onset.To begin with, at the end of each relaxation session it may help to imagine how you would use these new skills in seizure-prone situations. When you are fully relaxed:Imagine a situation in which you are likely to have a seizure. Try to visualize it as clearly as you can – what you might be doing, feeling and thinking.Now say to yourself, ‘Relax’, and physically relax your body at the same time as imagining relaxing in the setting you have visualized.Now imagine you can continue with whatever you were doing before you felt a seizure might occur. Feel pleased with yourself for having been able to avoid a seizure by relaxing.
When you are using this imagination technique, it is often easier to start by imagining a situation in which you know you can sometimes stop a seizure arising, and gradually work up to imagining situations in which you feel you would have least control over the onset of the seizure. Make a list of seizure-prone situations ranking them from ‘least likely’ to ‘most likely’ to provoke a seizure. Practise the imagination exercise with each item on your list, starting with the ‘least likely’. When you are able to feel quite relaxed as you imagine it, move on to the next item on your list, gradually working your way up until you are able to relax even while you are imagining your most seizure-prone situation.You are now ready to start using these skills in seizure-prone situations in your everyday life. Even when you feel you have mastered the relaxation technique, it is a good idea to keep in practice by giving yourself a full relaxation session every now and then.
Relaxing the mindTrue relaxation should involve the mind as well as the body. Practising the exercises described above will eventually help you to relax at will. But you will find the benefits increase considerably if you can also learn to calm your mind at the same time. A simple meditation or yoga practice can help you to do this.*39\193\2*
