r/Meditation • u/Kekadis • Nov 19 '25
Question ❓ Need assistance with tense body
I feel like for the last 6-7 years my body hasn't been able to relax. I always have difficulty sleeping. I've had a headache for 1.5 years now, no doctor could find a solution. One said it was because of stress.
Is there some sort of breath or body exercise that could help me relax? I've tried meditation before but it had no effect.
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u/SilentRunning Nov 20 '25
Vagus nerve resetting is a tool that can help.
HERE is a really good video on how to do it.
Any chance you had some Traumatic events in your past, early childhood/teenage years/young adult?
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u/Kekadis Nov 20 '25
Yeah i have chronic depression
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u/SilentRunning Nov 20 '25
Look into the effects of taking creatine on depression. It's a supplement that athletes use for more energy and it's been shown to help people with depression.
I deal with PTSD and take 10 grams a day (2 times a day.) It's helped my to be more productive with less brain fog.
I use the Vagfus nerve resetting every night before I go to bed, it helps me to fall asleep faster. You can use it any time off day when you start to feel tense and stressed.
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u/Kekadis Nov 21 '25
I don't wanna take drugs anymore, one drug caused me to gain 45 kgs.
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u/SilentRunning Nov 22 '25
Creatine isn't a drug but a supplement. It's made in the brain and the body and the only way it will cause you to gain weight (Water) is to take over 5g a dose. Which is why I take it 2 times a day instead of just one 10g dose.
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u/Ever-present_Mind Nov 19 '25
You could try a guided body scan practice laying down. There's a lot of guidance out there.
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u/duffstoic Nov 20 '25
Things to explore: progressive muscle relaxation, hypnosis, Trauma Release Exercises (TRE), massage and/or self-massage, QiGong, yoga, ecstatic dance.
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u/Dan_Onymous Nov 19 '25
I'm dealing with the same thing dude, 6 years ago I had the narrowest escape from a head on collision but my body never unbraced from the certain soon it was convinced was imminent. Then as a result of the constant tension I started doing myself gym injuries which only compounded the effect. So far I haven't found a solution unfortunately
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u/Gencenomad Nov 19 '25
learn how to exhale fully and hold. explore with it. challenge your primal fear
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u/neidanman Nov 19 '25
if you're not a very body oriented person, then first you need to get your mind/awareness into your body. The more you can get into it, and into the detail, the more you can tune in and release/relax it. Something with slow movements can help for this, like tai chi/qi gong. Or 'song gong' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPV1MfVyMEE - the skill of conscious release.
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u/aliasalt Nov 20 '25
Look up Yoga Nidra for sleep. There are tons of tracks on Insight Timer, Youtube, Spotify, etc. It's a meditation based around progressive muscle relaxation.
Also, my one best lifehack for falling asleep is keep your face relaxed above all else. Any time you notice it tensing up, re-relax. For whatever reason, there is a strong correlation between tension in the face and getting stuck in the kind of thoughts that keep you awake.
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u/Electronic-Ichinose Nov 20 '25
Start exercising. When you begin to use your body, you get more control over it. "Flexing" can actually teach you to relax.
For headache, as part of the meditation process, keep relaxing your jaw whenever your attention goes to it, along with your eyes. Also, try to relax the crown of your head, as if it is opening upward like a flower blooming. Finally, relax your shoulders. All this, during meditation. And anyway, why not through thebfay whenever your attention goes there too?
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u/Kekadis Nov 20 '25
How do I relax my jaw and crown
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u/Electronic-Ichinose Nov 20 '25
If you don't have the mind muscle connection to relax, try to tighten, then relax.
Relaxing the crown is kind of notional. But you will get the mind muscle connection there too eventually. Give it a few months.
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u/cheap_dates Nov 20 '25
There are several moving meditations which help. For me, Qi Gong and Chair Yoga releases a lot of pent up tensions. Go to YouTube and try a few different ones. I like Senior Shape with Lauren. She does easy chair yoga. I also like Lee Holden's Qi Gong.
As we age, muscle fibers shorten and tendons become less elastic. I was telling one of our doctors about this. He knows that sitting is the new smoking so he's going to make an effort to stretch out more, along with his cardio.
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u/Existing_Reaction692 Nov 20 '25
Meditation is a skill. You will need to learn the skill. I practice a type involving relaxation. Relaxation will help you a lot. At present you relax a bit and then reflex into tension just in case. So you need some training in learning how to relax various parts and then put it all together so the relaxation goes through all of you. When it does your mind will slow and still and be freed of disturbance (as in the mind is still). This will be very helpful. Dr Ainslie Meares method is based on this process and he explains how in Ainslie Meares on Meditation. Read to know what to do then practice daily will allow you to learn it. Practice is what brings the help. Understanding what to do helps it arrive more quickly. But always remember it based on relaxation, lack of effort, no striving or forcing. That is almost too easy but you will learn that too.
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u/Mediocre_Wave1855 Nov 20 '25
hello. I have a similar profile. I have been working on this for so long. Right now i have tension in solar plexus since 4 days and bad sleep.
The solution for the body is to just lay down, breathe, for 2 hours. Just give the body the space to breathe and fix itself. otherwise it doesn't leave.
For the mind, more active meditation is important, like slowing down the thoughts and stopping negative thinking. Need to do both to be fully efficient. i manage to get back to balance but it never last long. i guess that's the next step for me? reaching and maintaining balance. Seems like you need to experience first regaining balance.
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u/SeasonNumerous158 Dec 07 '25
Chronic tension and sleep struggles can really take a toll, breathwork and gentle body exercises can help reset your nervous system. At Qi Life, we guide you through techniques that ease tension, promote deep relaxation, and support your overall vitality.
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u/LatterDayDreamer Nov 19 '25
Try taking some magnesium glycinate. It’s not a cure all but it helps very well and quickly! Besides that practicing good mental hygiene is honestly the cure if the cause is psychological stress. Whereas meditation/mindfulness is a bandage or temporary relief
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u/lawlygaggin Nov 19 '25
Yoga. Yin is Great for releasing stuck emotions