Learn how to create personal, customized relaxation scripts. The main elements that compose a relaxation script are the induction, body (relaxation technique), and conclusion.
A relaxation script has three main components:
Induction
Body (Relaxation)
Conclusion
To create a personalized relaxation script, combine an induction, body, and conclusion with the specifics you are looking for. This combination will allow you to make your own effective custom relaxation script.
What is Induction?
Induction is the beginning of the relaxation process. It is a way of allowing the subject to become comfortable and starting to induce the relaxation response. Breathing begins to slow, the heart rate starts to decrease, muscles start to relax. It is important to start a relaxation exercise with some form of induction, even if it is simply finding a comfortable position and starting to breathe deeply, because the subject will then be more easily able to focus on relaxation. Common types of induction are:
- focusing on breathing
- counting down
- imagining descending a staircase
- relaxing muscles
- focusing on how the body feels
What is the Body of a Relaxation Script?
The body of the script is the actual relaxation exercise. During the relaxation exercise, the relaxation response is experienced fully. Common types of relaxation include:
- meditation
- progressive muscle relaxation
- visualization
- autogenics
- and other techniques
What is the Conclusion?
The conclusion is the end of the relaxation exercise, and allows the subject to either re-awaken or go to sleep (depending on the desired outcome of the relaxation exercise). It is important to conclude relaxation exercises effectively so normal activities can be resumed safely. Common conclusions are:
- counting back up
- a quick stretch
- returning awareness to the present
- going up a stairway
- counting down to sleep
Creating Personalized Relaxation Scripts
Quick relaxation techniques often have very brief induction and conclusion phases, because the objective is to rapidly reduce stress symptoms rather than to achieve deep relaxation. When relaxing deeply, however, it is important to include a full induction and full conclusion to ensure optimal success (though these components do not necessarily need to be very lengthy). With some types of relaxation, the induction blends with the body of the relaxation script (for example, with progressive muscle relaxation), while in other types of relaxation (such as visualization) the induction and the body of the relaxation exercise are more distinct.
To create your own customized relaxation scripts, you can choose any induction, body, and conclusion. You can also adapt existing relaxation scripts by replacing parts of the script with different induction or conclusion portions to meet your needs. The necessary elements can be combined for a wide variety of different custom relaxation scripts.
You can get induction, body, and conclusion portions of relaxation scripts here. Choose the elements you want and combine them to make your own individualized relaxation scripts.
