Relaxation Recordings and Handouts
Click on recording links to play them in the browser, or right-click on the link and choose 'Save Link As' to download and play on your personal device.
Autogenics
Autogenics uses the power of suggestion to concentrate on specific parts of your body while mentally phrases to yourself that promote feelings of warmth, heaviness, and relaxation. It is helpful to reduce fatigue, muscle tension, high blood pressure, anxiety, irritability, headaches, and migraines.
Instructions and Tips
Body Scan
Mentally scanning through your body is a way to passively release muscle tension and discomfort throughout your body. Body scanning assists you in gaining greater awareness of your inner environment and relieve built-up tension and unease. It is effective for reducing muscle tension, fatigue, and pain, and can be a helpful way to prepare for sleep by promoting calmness in both your body and mind.
Instructions and Tips
Brief Body Scan Recording (9:32)
Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing, or "Low and Slow" breathing, is a primary way to calm your body through balancing nervous system activity that produces a sense of calm and relaxation with consistent practice. Unhealthy breathing can be a contributing source of chronic stress, anxiety, panic, and an increase in muscle tension that can lead to headaches. Healthy, diaphragmatic breathing is a foundational skill for relaxation.
Instructions and Tips
Relaxing Breathing Recording (17:15)
Healthy Breathing Practice Recording (20:35)
Meditation
Meditation is a practice of passively and non-judgmentally focusing deliberate attention on one thing at a time. With practice, it allows you to calmly "observe" your experiences without getting tangled up in them. Practicing meditation is especially helpful for lowering blood pressure and calming heart rate, slowing down obsessive and negative thinking, and easing the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and hostility.
Instructions and Tips
Mindfulness of Breath Recording (7:30)
Mindful Self-Compassion
One particularly helpful way to meditate is to focus inward on yourself and cultivate compassion and non-judgmental understanding for yourself and your personal struggles. This practice, often referred to as mindful self-compassion, includes offering kind and encouraging words with understanding and love for yourself and others when you struggle.
Instructions and Tips
Loving Kindness Recording (coming soon)
Self-Compassion Break Recording (coming soon)
Affectionate Breathing Recording (coming soon)
Soften, Soothe, Allow Recording (coming soon)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This technique helps to reduce muscle tension through the contrast of tightening and loosening muscle groups progressively throughout your body. It is especially helpful for overall muscle tension, neck or shoulder tension, mild back pain, fatigue, and muscle spasms. It is also helpful to reduce tension from anxiety-provoking thoughts.
Instructions and Tips
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Handout
Brief PMR Recording (coming soon)
Performance Enhancement
Rehearsing a performance using mental imagery has been shown to be a helpful way to enhance the success of that performance. Imagining successful steps in completing any task helps to condition the mind to effectively deal with the stress of a performance situation. This is a helpful strategy for any performance situation such as public speaking, taking an exam, theatrical or musical performance, or athletic competition.
Instructions and Tips
Performance Rehearsal Recording (coming soon)
Exam Performance Rehearsal Recording
Visualization
Our minds use visualization and imagination frequently. The simple act of picturing in our minds and talking through a situation with ourselves is something we all do in a variety of ways. For relaxation, visualization includes imagining comfortable and soothing images that allow your mind and body to be calm and relaxed. It is often helpful when dealing with headaches, pain, insomnia, anxiety, or general stress.
Instructions and Tips
Comfortable Place Recording (coming soon)
Music and Waves Paced Breathing
- Audio recordings for breathing practice designed to help you breathe at a consistent pace
- Free audio recordings and resources for learning about biofeedback and stress relief
- Online library of recordings, articles, videos, and general resources for mediation and mindfulness
UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
- Guided meditation recordings in multiple languages
Dartmouth Student Wellness Center
- Great information about meditation and mindfulness for college students including audio and video recordings
- Meditation recordings from Dr. Ron Siegel that accompany his self-help book on using mindfulness to increase personal health and well-being
- Information and resources for developing greater self-compassion
- Offers a variety of background sounds to play online to bring calm and productivity to your day
- Soothing background sounds to play online from nature
Breathing Apps
Paced Breathing - Breath pacing app for daily breathing practice.
Awesome Breathing - Breath pacing app for daily breathing practice.
Breathe2Relax - Breath pacing app for daily breathing practice.
Meditation Apps - Free
Insight Timer - App for meditation practice that includes a timer and access to many guided meditations from meditation experts around the world.
Mindfulness Coach - Simple meditation practices for beginners in mindfulness to help develop a regular practice.
Meditation Apps - Subscription
Meditation Studio - Variety of meditations with courses from mediation teachers.
Calm - Highly used app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation. Meditations, audio and video lessons, music, and background sounds available.
Headspace - Guided meditations, animations, articles, and videos to learn and practice mindfulness.
10% Happier - Guided meditations and practical teachings about mindfulness from mindfulness experts.
Helpful Strategies Apps
Virtual Hope Box - Tools and skills to help with a variety of emotional stressors and challenges.
ACT Coach - Tools adapted from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for healthy ways to deal with emotional distress.
PTSD Coach - Tools and information specifically designed for those dealing with symptoms of PTSD.
Complete a voluntary and anonymous Questionnaire to assess your current state of mental health and well-being.