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Directed Relaxation

Another method, the one I used most often, involves making yourself extremely comfortable in a chair, sofa or bed, loosening any tight clothing, closing your eyes and relaxing.

Then, picture your forehead and say to yourself, “My forehead is relaxed.” Then, picture your eyebrows and say, “My eyebrows are relaxed.” Then your eyelids, your cheeks, your nose, your mouth, your chin and so forth down to your toes. By this time you should be fairly relaxed.

Picture your body floating in an environment you particularly enjoy. I personally happen to like water, sunshine and trees. I pictured myself floating down a winding path beside a lake and finally lying in deep grass under tall trees with sunlight streaming through. You can use any other set of circumstances that you find appealing, comforting and relaxing.

Take this time for yourself to get calm, clear and deeply relaxed. A regular session of relaxation in and of itself is an antidote to the ravages of stress. Do this three times a day, morning, mid- day and evening, for 15 to 20 minutes including your imagery. It has a cumulative effect that you will learn to enjoy and treasure.

While you are relaxed, realize that you are master of your body. It is yours to control, and it will care for you. It will follow your directions. A medical doctor wrote, “The greatest resource in medicine is within the patient himself.”