Term 1 will finish in just a few weeks and for VCE students, that means that there are effectively only 2 more terms left until the exams.

You can take some simple steps to prepare yourself and develop  effective and time efficient strategies to enable you to  fully prepare and become reasonably relaxed going into the exam period.

Parents and teachers will be talking about time management, study skills, diet and exercise. How to juggle all of this and still have a social life and get the marks that you want?  …….blah, blah, blah….. of course you want the marks and you want a life!

Research shows that a relaxed person learns better, so what are you doing for relaxation? Watching TV, some sport..? How about some meditation?  Dr Herbert Benson led the research many years ago with a groundbreaking book called The Relaxation Response . Research demonstrates that regular meditative practice helps with many physical and emotional issues.

So how do you relax?

There are 6 basic steps.

1. Find somewhere quiet to sit – it’s better to sit, and not lie down as you might drift off to sleep otherwise
2. Take a couple of deep breaths and then gently close your eyes
3. Focus your attention on the muscles around your eyes and forehead and then relax them and work down to your toes. In the Relaxation Response it is suggested to start at your toes and work up but do whatever is more effective for you.
4. Breathe through your nose and be aware of the out breath, letting it take away tension from the day. You can count the breaths if you choose. Just being aware of your breathing is enough. You will notice it changing to a more even and regular pattern.
5. Continue doing this for 10 – 20 minutes. The longer you do it, the more benefit. If you can only manage 5 minutes, then that’s what you can manage – don’t stress about it.
6. Remain in a relaxed state. If thoughts come in, acknowledge them and let them drift past like clouds in the sky….return your focus to your breathing.

With practice, this all becomes easier and it is surprising how long you can meditate for. Learning becomes easier because like clearing out old files from the hard drive, you have cleared a space for new information to be processed.

If you are having difficulty in setting up a meditation routine, then that’s where I can help!

Call or email to book into some guided sessions to start you off. These sessions provide you with a comfortable environment and a regular time scheduled.