Hi, welcome back. Hello! Welcome back to Faith and Soul Care, the place where Christian women come to renew their energy, reconnect with God, and learn how to care for their whole selves—body, mind, and soul.
Today I want to talk about something that's gaining a lot of attention in the world of wellness and health. And honestly, it's something we as believers can fully embrace with biblical wisdom too. Harvard Health recently updated its recommendations for people in midlife who are struggling with fatigue, low energy, or burnout. And guess what their number one recommendation is now?
Relaxation exercises.
[You many listen to this blog post and others on the Faith & Soul Care podcast or player below!]
Is that what you thought it was going to be? No? This is so good because it's something that costs nothing to do. You can do it anywhere. You don't need any equipment. You don't even have to get up and exert a whole lot of effort. And it feels really, really good to do it.
And this is now recognized—that intentionally relaxing is key. So yes, they're now saying the best starting point for us, for women, for everyone really who are feeling worn out and weary, is to learn how to release tension from the body, breathe deeply and intentionally, and begin restoring from the inside out.
And you know what? I've tried it, and I agree.
Let's look at this through a biblical lens. Psalm 103:1 says, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Notice the connection. The psalmist says, “All that is within me.” That includes the body. God created us as whole beings, and what affects our body affects our soul. And what calms the body also calms and brings peace to the soul.
That's why today I want to guide you through two simple yet powerful relaxation exercises.
If you're in my private Facebook group, you can find it by searching for Sherry’s Online Faith and Soul Care Retreat. I'll also put the link in the show notes or here in the blog post. I taught on this last Wednesday. And if you haven't heard yet, I am teaching live every Wednesday for the next five—well, now for the next four—Wednesdays, through the last Wednesday in June. But the teaching from last week is still up and will be available for a total of 30 days. So you can go in today and catch up on that last teaching, which was on these relaxation exercises.
The next one coming up this Wednesday is on prayer—on effective prayer strategies and journaling and practicing the presence of Jesus.
The first powerful relaxation exercise that releases the tension in your body and frees up a lot of energy for you is called progressive muscle relaxation.
This is a strategy that's been around for decades to help people who have had a very stressful day or even had a panic attack, to help them release the buildup of stress, or fear, or whatever—just the tension that's in the body after a very scary, traumatic, or frightening event. But now we know that we can practice this even just with our everyday level of cumulative stress, and it will help not only calm us down but free up energy.
So I'm going to call it PMR for short—progressive muscle relaxation. This exercise helps you become aware of when you're holding tension in your body so you can gently release it. It's like a reset button for your nervous system. It shifts the stress response into a state of rest and safety.
And here’s how it works. It’s very simple. You don’t need any equipment. I do this lying down, but you can do it seated too. I typically recommend starting with your feet, and you tense a group of muscles as hard as you can for about five seconds—or longer if you like—and then you release them completely and allow them to relax fully. You do this with each muscle group starting from your toes and feet, going all the way up to your head. Or I guess you could do it the other way—from head to toes. I like going up.
So, if you're not driving or multitasking right now and if you feel like it, you can go ahead and sit comfortably and close your eyes. If you're able, notice your breath for a moment.
And let’s begin.
Tense your toes and feet.
Hold.
Release.
So your feet will become very heavy and tight, and then when you release, they become soft.
Now tense your calves.
Hold.
Squeeze them as tight as you can... and release.
And really pay attention to the difference between tension and calm.
Next, tighten your thighs.
Squeeze them hard.
Hold tight... and release.
Okay, and I'm going to pause there for now for time. If you're really into this right now, you can press pause and finish the sequence all the way up to your head and then come back.
Okay. Doesn’t that feel good? Don’t you already feel better?
And then the second practice is deep breathing.
So we’ll talk about this a bit, but like I always like to do—I like to find a way to bring God into the process. I like to find a way to bring God into my relaxation practices. So we're going to do deep breathing with a Yahweh twist.
Deep breathing is one of the quickest ways to switch your body from stress mode into a calmer, more rested state. But here’s the key—it’s not just about taking big inhales. The most important part is to exhale longer than you inhale. That’s because the long, slow exhale activates your parasympathetic nervous system—your body’s rest and restore mode, the part that says, “You’re safe now. You can relax.”
So here’s a simple rhythm to follow:
Inhale for 4 seconds. Exhale for 6.
Try it with me.
Breathe in… 2, 3, 4.
Exhale… 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Again.
Inhale… 3, 4.
Exhale… 3, 4, 5, 6.
Okay. You can do this anytime, anywhere—before a meeting, in the car, when you’re overwhelmed in the middle of the day, and even when you’re not overwhelmed. Continuing to do this practice just helps you stay better in that state of calm and relaxation. And when you start down there at that lower level of tension, perhaps you’ll be less likely to overreact to things during the day.
Now something I’ve recently started doing—I’m not sure if you’ve heard about it, I think someone wrote a book about it—Breath as Prayer or something like that. But it’s about the name Yahweh, how “Yahweh” itself is very breathy. And so you can combine this breathing practice with thinking about God by using “Yah” on the inhale and “weh” on the exhale.
So just imagine that for a moment. Your very breath—the thing you do every moment without thinking—can become a reminder of God’s presence.
Try it now.
Breathe in silently, thinking “Yah…”
Breathe out silently, thinking “weh…”
Let each breath be a prayer.
Let each breath bring you back to Him.
Genesis 2:7 – “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
And Psalm 150:6 – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
So when you do this type of relaxation breathing, you can remember that God is still the one sustaining you—your every breath.
Finally, in closing, when you take time to pause, release tension, breathe deeply, and rest, I believe you’re actually honoring God with your body and caring for your soul. I believe you’re actually honoring God in a way that includes all that is within you.
So this week—and actually every day this week and for the next few weeks—I invite you to slow down. Do both of these relaxation exercises each day just for a few minutes. Let go of the tension. Breathe in God’s presence.
And remember—you are not alone in your tiredness.
You are deeply loved.
God’s rest is real, and it’s available.
Before I go—if this episode helped you, I’d love it if you’d share it with a friend who’s feeling tired and overwhelmed.
Gratefully,
Sherry
More Resources:
Join the author's Facebook group for the upcoming online Renew and Revive Retreat for Soul Care:
New! Prayer and Reflection Journal I Designed! I love how the journal turned out! It has all I need for prayer tracking and reflections and re-setting my mind with struggles I am facing.
If you would like to learn simple, practical ways to walk with God every single day, then you would really enjoy Closer to God: Simple Methods, Starting Today
If you need motivation to eat healthier or lose weight while also growing closer to God, then you would enjoy Weight Loss for Christians, An Extraordinarily Simple Way to Conquer Cravings
If you want to learn more deeply and fully about what Jesus taught, then you would enjoy Words of Jesus - Bible Study on Christ's Teachings
More Resource Channels:
Gospel Life Learning Instagram
Sherry Elaine - Books Authored