Conscious relaxation at the weekend

Relaxing is not as easy as it seems. Many people wish for inner peace and want to relieve stress, but they don't succeed, no matter how hard they try. That is why a wellness weekend with active relaxation is so valuable.

Spring is here, you turn your face towards the sun and enjoy the warmth of the first rays. In the evening, you are surprised to notice a subtle redness and an unpleasant tightening of the skin: a sunburn!

Especially in spring, the skin is not yet able to protect itself so well from the sun, because after the dark winter months it is only slightly pigmented and therefore particularly sensitive to light. A suitable sunscreen will protect you from sunburn, but how does it actually work?

Sunscreens contain UV filters that prevent UV radiation from damaging the skin. The filter can be chemical or mineral, and often both are used together in a sunscreen.

It's all about your well-being and the most beautiful wellness treatment, whether at home or in a fancy hotel, won't help if you can't relax. A relaxing bath can become stressful if you don't manage to find inner peace.

Learn to relax consciously so that you can enjoy an extensive wellness programme. The most important thing is not to put yourself under pressure. The CD with the sound of the sea or birds chirping that is supposed to help you relax can get on your nerves if you are not in the right mood.

Don't take tranquillisers because they will make you drowsy and tired. Relaxation does not mean sleep. On the contrary, you should stay awake, otherwise you won't be able to enjoy yourself consciously.

It is relatively easy to ensure external peace. Switch off all external disturbances, i.e. the mobile phone, the telephone and the doorbell. If you live in a noisy environment, earplugs are also a good idea. You can also block out outside noise by listening to your favourite music or nature sounds through headphones.

If you're under a lot of stress or dealing with problems, you won't be able to relax even if the external conditions are ideal. On the contrary, in the absence of distraction, everything that is wrong with your soul suddenly comes to the fore.

You cannot find peace if you keep pushing aside what is bothering you. So deal intensively with your fears and problems. Develop solutions and write them down. You have brought something to a conclusion. This enables you to relax.

Who is asking you to iron the mountain of laundry and why? Remember that you have the right to leave the ironing. You don't have to help your son build a garden shed. You are not selfish if you refuse to do things for others. Nothing has to be done right away and if you are relaxed, the work will come easier to you. So allow yourself to rest with all your heart.

There is active and passive relaxation. The latter is, for example, taking a long bath or relaxing on a lounger with your favourite book. If you lack inner peace, passive relaxation will not work. Fortunately, active relaxation is easier.

There are various exercises that you can practise in groups or alone at home. You don't want to relax consciously, but concentrate on the exercises. Your mind automatically stops worrying about the problems of everyday life because it is occupied with the training tasks.

Typical active relaxation exercises are:

• Progressive muscle relaxation - consciously tensing and relaxing muscles.
• Breathing therapy - consciously breathing in and out
• Yoga - a combination of postures, stretching and breathing exercises
• Tai-Chi - performing certain movements of the martial and movement arts in a conscious and concentrated way.
• Qigong - similar to Tai-Chi, but with shorter movement patterns
• Autogenic training - self-hypnosis in which relaxation is induced by certain thoughts.
• Meditation and mindfulness - conscious concentration on an object, for example.

Progressive muscle relaxation and breathing therapy are very easy to learn on your own and often lead to the desired success. Yoga, Tai-Chi and Oigong are much more complicated and therefore it makes more sense to practise the techniques under professional guidance. You can learn autogenic training and meditation on your own, but you need a relatively long period of practice. Only when you have mastered the techniques will they help you to relax deeply, even under great stress.

Make a clear distinction between "bumming the day away" and relaxing. Plan a weekend of relaxation similar to a wellness holiday. Think about which treatments you want to treat yourself to. How about breakfast in bed? Just prepare it the night before, then you can quickly bring everything to bed on a tray.

A long bath in the morning, a face mask or a body scrub - which one is good for you? Plan for it and get everything you need. But beware of wellness stress, because you want to relax first and foremost. Of course, you won't succeed if you sprint from one treatment to the next. Plan times to read a book or watch a film, relaxing on the couch or a recliner. Treat yourself to a cup of good tea and also a good meal.