George Wassell

<strong>The Quieting Reflex </strong><br />* Breathe in deep (from the diaphragm) <br /><br />* Say to self "Alert amused mind <br /><br />* Breathe out through the mouth <br /><br />* Say to self "calm body <br /><br />* As you exhale, release the tension in your jaw <br /><br />* Let your stress flow out your arms <br /><br />* During the process, smile inwardly to yourself <br />(Source: Q.R. The Quieting Reflex by Charles Stroebel, M.D., Berkley Books) <br /><strong><br /><br />Two Minute Body Stress Scan </strong><br />1. Interrupt your thoughts and switch your focus to your breathing. Take 2 abdominal breaths, and exhale slowly. <br /><br />2. Scan Yourself for tense or uncomfortable spots. Attempt to loosen these areas up. Allow your muscles to feel heavy and warm.<br /><br />3. Attempt to warm your hands momentarily. <br /><br />4. Slowly do the following exercises: <br /> * Head Rotation - rotate your head from side to side a few times <br /> * Shoulder Roll - Roll your shoulders forward and backward a few times <br /><br />5. Recall a pleasant thought, image, memory or feeling. Hold it for a few seconds. <br /><br />6. Take another deep breath and return to your activities. <br /><br /><strong>Quick Relaxation & Imaging </strong><br />1. Close your eyes and take three deep breathes and as you exhale, let go of surface body tension. <br /><br />2. Relax your way down your body from your forehead, eyes, nose, chin, neck, shoulders, and all the way down. <br /><br />3. When you reach your toes, picture a very relaxing scene: the beach, a lawn on a warm spring day, or maybe a hot bath. <br /><br />4. Visualize every detail: the blanket, the water, the sky, the heat of the sand, how warm you feel. Imagine this scene for several minutes.