Costochondritis- Skilled Relaxation Exercise

Here's an example of a skilled relaxation exercise for Costochondritis. You can use it or discard it it. Just throwing it out there. Please use at your own discretion and liability. =) lol. Gotta put that in there. =) Those who have benefited from an exercise like this, did it 2X a day for 20 minutes. Those who claim to have kept Costo away permanently with skilled relaxation, did it every day, 2x a day for a year.

What do you need to do this exercise?

1) Dark Room
2) 20 minutes of Relaxing Music (think yoga or piano music)
3) A soft place to lay on your back
4) Optional Tip: Lay on a heating pad- put it on your back

HERE WE GO!!

• Start music, lay on your back, and relax
  
• First Song - Just take the time to relax and calm down. Then check in with your body, start head to toe and acknowledge where the tension is. Example: I feel tension in my neck, I feel tension in my shoulders, I feel aches in my knees
• Second Song - Check in with your feelings. Time to let it out. =) Example: I feel tired today, I feel scared I won't heal, I feel angry about XYZ (say it out loud).
  
• Third Song - Tension Release: Start Head to Toe. Gently Flex EACH and EVERY muscle as you count 1-7, then on 8,910, slowly release the muscle. Example, Tighten your face then release, tighten your neck, then release, tighten you upper back, release, tighten you wrist then release, tighten your forearm, then release, tighten you bicep, then release....etc. Work your way down your body all the way to the toes.
  
• Fourth Song- Sand Exercise: Start head to slow and imagine your body is sand dropping off but by bit as you breathe calmly. Relax
• Fifth Song- Heat Exercise - Start head to toe and imagine your a deep warmth washing itself over your body, relaxing all your muscles - imagine your on the warm beach.
  
• Sixth and Seventh Song- Breathing Exercise: Laying on your Back, allow your belly to be as soft as possible. 1) Breathe and allow your lower belly to fill up with air with each breathe. (not your chest, only the belly) 2) Next as you breathe, fill up the lower belly and then middle lungs with air. Release the middle lungs and then then let the belly fall. 3) Next, (in one breathe) fill the belly first, then the middle lungs, then fill the chest with air....as you exhale, release the chest, then middle, then exhale the air from your belly. Repeat this 3rd step for as long as you are comfortable doing. If if feels like too much, just breathe easy and then go back into the 3rd step.
• Eighth and Ninth Song- Color Breathing: Relax...inhale and exhale slowly through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on your breathe, and give it a color. Blue and Lavender have a calming effect. Imagine inhaling this peaceful color as it fills your body through your nose and exhales through your mouth.
  
• Tenth Song- This is your song. Imagine on the inside of your eye lids is a screen and you see all the words that are who you want to be...relaxed, Peaceful, Joyful, Strong, Healed. Etc...When I get stuck, I always just focus on the word RELAX......
  
• You're Done! YAY!

You can customize it/combine it with other exercises you like, etc. If you are looking to follow a CD, CLICK HERE for the CD I started with and still use from time to time. Great stuff. You get the music links in your e-mail immediately when you buy it. Cool.