• While sitting quietly and comfortably, slowly inhale and exhale and close your eyes as you do so.


• Bend your right hand back at the wrist and briefly hold the tension. Now relax.


• Now do the same thing with the left hand. Hold the tension and now relax.


• This time tighten both hands into fists and hold the tension. Feel it spread up the arms towards the elbows. Now relax.


• Now bend both arms at the elbows and raise your hands up towards your shoulders. Tighten up the muscles in the biceps. Hold it. Now relax.


• These three exercises have used the major muscles in the arms and started them relaxing. If you don?t move them around, they will continue to relax becoming more and more relaxed, and you can forget about them


• Next, turn your attention to your face. For your forehead
raise your eyebrows up a far as you can and hold the tension. Now relax.

• For your eyes, squeeze the eyelids tightly together. Hold the tension. Now relax.


• For your jaw you just bite down and clamp your teeth together. Feel the tension along the jaw. Now relax. These three exercises have started the face relaxing.


• For your neck just bend your head forward as if trying to touch your chin to your chest. Feel the tension along the back of the neck and now relax.


• For your shoulders just raise them up as high as you can and notice the tension. Now let them drop all at once and relax.


• For your chest you do two things at once. Take a deep
breath and hold it while at the same time trying to touch your shoulder blades together by pulling your arms back. Hold it. Now relax.

• For your stomach you just pull in as if trying to touch your backbone with stomach. Now relax.


• For your back you arch out and away from the chair, and you can feel tension along the spine. Now relax.


• With your feet flat on the floor, press down and feel the tension spread up the back of the legs. Now relax.


• For the right thigh raise your leg up on front of you and feel the tension build. Now relax.


• Now do the same thing with the left leg and relax.


• Finally, for your feet bend your toes up as if pointing towards the ceiling and feel the tension around the feet and ankles. Once again, relax

At times we find ourselves overexcited, angry, or just needing to calm down. This simple breathing exercise can be a valuable tool for reducing excessive arousal quickly and effectively during upsetting moments; in effect, it is a quick way to calm down in the face of a stressful situation.

The basic mechanism for stress reduction in this exercise involves deep breathing. The procedure is as follows:

STEP 1: Assume a comfortable position. Rest your left hand, palm down, on top of your navel. Now place your right hand so that it comfortably rests on your left hand. Your eyes should remain open.

STEP 2: Imagine a hollow bottle or pouch lying internally beneath the point at which your hands are resting. Begin to inhale, imagining that the air is entering through your nose and descending to fill the internal pouch. Your hands will rise as you fill the pouch with air. As you continue to inhale, imagine the pouch being filled to the top. Your rib cage and upper chest will continue the wavelike rise that began at your navel. The total length of your inhalation should be 3 seconds for the first week or so, then lengthen to 4 to 5 seconds as you progress in skill development.

STEP 3: Slowly begin to exhale, to empty the pouch. As you do, repeat to yourself the phrase "My body is calm." As you exhale, you will feel your raised abdomen and chest recede.

Repeat the exercise two times in succession. Then continue to breathe normally for 5 to 10 successive breath cycles, but be sure to emphasize the expiration of each breath as the point of relaxation. Then you may repeat the entire process again: 2 deep breaths followed by 5 to 10 normal breaths during which you concentrate on releasing any stored tension on the expiration. If you begin to feel light-headed or experience any discomfort, stop at that point. You may wish to shorten the length of the inhalation to avoid light-headedness.

After about one week of practicing, omit Step 1 and start with Step 2. If you have any health concerns, consult your physician prior to using this exercise.

The following exercise is simple and should provide a relaxation response. Do it twice a day, preferably before breakfast and before dinner.

1. Sit in a comfortable position.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Deeply relax all your muscles and keep them relaxed.
4. Breathe through your nose. Become aware of your breathing and as you breathe out, repeat a word (such as "one") silently to yourself. Keep distracting thoughts from interfering by concentrating on repeating the word.
5. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes.
6. When you are done, do not stand up immediately, but sit with your eyes open for a few minutes.

Note: Because this technique reduces stimulation, it may reduce your need for medication if you are suffering from high blood pressure. Check with your physician before you begin using this technique on a regular basis.