Free, fast
Relaxations
For relaxation right now, try these short streaming audio or mp3 download relaxations. Or try these longer mp3 download relaxations.
The Five Minute Relaxation - Philip Rogers
A fast and effortless way to relax. Philip's wonderfully calming voice is accompanied by delicate guitar playing [five minute relaxation] as he teaches you to relax each part of the body in turn. This is by some way the best short relaxation I've found, and has just been made available free.
free mp3 download from Rich Thinkers
Deep Relaxation
is a 15-minute high-quality hypnosis download by Andrew Johnson, with a gentle pace and soothing music. It's an edit of the excellent full version. Short version also available as a free iPhone App.The 5-minute Vacation
takes you to a beautiful tropical beach. There's nothing to do but wander along the seashore, then lie down on a sun lounger to soak up the tranquil surroundings. The Mind-Body Relaxation uses a tense and release method to relax you, 7 minutes. Both from Relax-Online (towards the middle of the page).Muscular Relaxation
- Eva Johansson. A 'tense and release' session designed to relax both mind and body, complemented by some very relaxing music. 12 minutes. Comes as a lo-fi file of only 2.8Mb or a higher quality 10Mb download, from Life's Driver's Licence.Relaxation Audio Sessions
- Dan Darnell (University of N.Carolina Counselling Service). These now come only as mp3 downloads, and include Breathe Easy, a 6-minute breathing exercise and Relax those muscles - a 20-minute progressive relaxation (tense and release) routine.
BBCi Health's relaxation page
has a good, seven-minute audio desktop relaxation routine, though audio quality is very basic.Mind Body lab
University of Texas at Austin.Four guided relaxations available as streaming audio. Cruise Imagery is a boat trip to a secluded bay on a tropical island; a waterfall cascades from high cliffs into the sea below and exotic birds fly overhead (12 minutes). Forest Imagery is set on a wooded hillside in autumn; late-afternoon sun filters down as you wander through trees and come to a log cabin. You step inside, and warm yourself in front of the gentle fire (18 minutes). Both visualisations have a simple but powerful style: no music, no sounds of nature, just a slow, rhythmic narrative with plenty of pauses giving time to savour the scenes you've created. Also includes a 7-minute Deep Breathing exercise. Note that clicking on 'sample' will in fact play the full length track.
Meditainment
has a short online "Rapid Relaxation" tool; to use it sign-up for free Meditainment free content, which also includes a free mp3 download. Be warned, though, that at the end of the relaxation, when you are hopefully feeling deeply relaxed, you do get hit by an ad asking you to pay for more. Meditainment have a comprehensive paid-for online relaxation service.
De-Stress RelaxationVideo!
by Michelle Trantina/My Yoga Online.A streaming video with instructions and beautiful images to help you recognise and transform patterns of stress and tension, and bring yourself to a place of grounded calm. This practice is designed to be done sitting in a chair, but can also be practiced lying down. 20 minutes.
My Yoga Online provides Yoga, Pilates and Meditation video and audio programs as streams and downloads. My Yoga Online.com is a subscription service but has kindly made this video stream available for free.
Longer mp3 relaxation downloads
free
The Secret Garden. 'After a short breathing exercise, you imagine relaxing on a hammock in your own Secret Garden and achieve a meditative state, and have an opportunity to contemplate a personal issue of your choosing.' 20 minutes total. 14.4Mb free download from Meditainment.
Yoga Relaxation (yogic sleep) - Deborah Metzger. This purely mental exercise brings about deep relaxation without moving a muscle. 20 minutes, with beautiful accompanying music. 9Mb download from Princeton Center for Yoga and Health.
paid-for
My Yoga Online
offers a subscription service providing convenient and flexible Yoga, Pilates and Meditation video and audio programs via internet streams and for download to DVD or mp3 players.Many of the guided relaxation cds reviewed on this site are now also available as mp3 downloads, including Complete Relaxation.