The Calm Exercises

'Life is so short, the craft so long to learn.'
Hippocrates

There will be times when it is almost impossible to sit down and relax in preparation for the Calm Technique. These are the instances when the mind and/or emotions are working overtime on some issue or another. Whether it's a time of great stress and anxiety, or a time of great excitement, or even a simple business problem that requires an immediate answer, you'll find it extremely difficult to attend to the Calm Technique with the attention it deserves. On occasions like this, you should perform the Calm Exercises before you begin. You may find that they never become necessary. However, they should still be learned and considered as an effective and enjoyable introduction to a Calm Technique session. Whether you have need for them or not, you will find the Calm Exercises to be a relaxing interlude in their own right.

The Calm Exercises which follow are derived from Tai Chi. You will almost certainly have seen exhibitions of this graceful, balletic and very relaxing exercise. Although it is well promoted as a physical exercise, Tai Chi is an excellent way of meditation. The complex moves demand total attention, and this, as you know, contains the makings of meditation.

The Calm Exercises are not exercises in the traditional callisthenic mould. They are not designed to quicken your heartbeat, trim your waistline or build your stamina. The Calm Exercises have but one purpose: to relax you physically and mentally, so you can effectively use the Calm Technique.

They are incredibly simple to use. In fact, the only thing about the Calm Exercises that you could possibly find difficult is curbing your impatience. They must be done extremely slowly. Unlike any physical exercise you have ever participated in before, Calm Exercises gain in effectiveness the slower they can be performed.

Each exercise is accompanied by a slow breath in, followed by a slow breath out. Each movement relates to either the inhalation or the exhalation of the breath. The slowness of the movement is governed by the slowness of your breathing. The object is to slow your movements and your breathing as much as you comfortably can without strain.

As these Calm Exercises depend upon good, natural breathing, it is best to do them near an open window, in the garden or on the balcony. (Don't worry about being noticed; these are very subtle exercises.) They should take five to fifteen minutes to complete.

However, before you begin the Calm Exercises, there are three things you should attend to: your countenance, your stance and your breathing.

TO RELAX YOUR COUNTENANCE
1) Lightly push your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth (this relaxes and unclamps your jaw).

2) Lift your eyebrows very slightly as if you're wide awake (this is to relax the muscles in your eyes and forehead).

3) Have a hint of a smile on your face (this relaxes all the facial muscles).

In Tai Chi and many of the Asian martial arts, your basic stance is ons which 'glues' you firmly to the floor so you cannot be thrown off balance. The same stance applies to the Calm Exercises.

TO RELAX YOUR STANCE
1) Both feet should point straight ahead, a comfortable shoulder-width distance apart.

2) All joints should be 'unlocked': knees bent ever so slightly, a slight kink in your elbows, arms not quite touching your body (a little space under your armpits), fingers separated and hands hanging loosely (they'll feel limp and heavy), neck relaxed, head up and looking straight ahead, back straight.

3) Slowly concentrate all your weight down through your feet into the floor. Feel your feet becoming heavier and heavier. Feel your weight sinking through your feet, down into the floor.

Breathing is one of the most important elements of the Calm Technique and the Calm Exercises. Your breath should be as even as possible. Draw in and breathe out in one flowing stream (in other words, don't hold on to your breath before exhaling).

BREATHING

1) Place your fingers gently on your stomach about four centimetres below your navel.

2) Inhale deeply through your nose, slowly and evenly until you can feel your abdomen swell under your fingers (the Chinese call this your tan tien). Don't strain. Don't allow your chest to rise. You want a natural, effortless flow of breath into your tan tien.

3) Exhale slowly and evenly until you feel your abdomen fall.

4) Repeat the slow inhalation, followed by the slow exhalation, with no pauses between.

5) Breathe in and out, in and out, five times.

CALM EXERCISE ONE

This is extremely simple. It is intended as a warm-up exercise for Calm Exercises Two, Three and Four, and as such does not require slow movements. It relaxes the entire top half of your body, and with slight modification, the lower half as well.

1) Countenance and stance as specified.
2) Let your arms hang loose until they feel heavy and relaxed.
3) Keepibg feet, legs and waist very steady, swing the top half of your body to the left so your shoulders and head are also facing the left. Your arms will wrap loosely around your body as you do so. Then repeat the action to the right. Develop this swinging motion one way, then the other. Your arms will follow the upper of your body as you pivot from the waist; they will wrap around one way, then swing back the other - always swinging loosely, fingers relaxed.
4) Swing one way, then the next, until the weight of your arms is sufficient to turn your body.
5) Optional: As one arm passes in front of (the other will be behind) your body, you can bend your knees a few centimetres to create a pumping action as well as a swinging motion. This improves circulation to the lower part of your body.
6) Continue for two minutes.
7) Gradually slow down the movement until your arms hang loosely by your side again.
8) Relax.

-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson