ATTITUDE

There is no secret formula for developing a positive outlook. You simply have to be aware that such an attitude is desirable (that's positive in itself), and go after it with determination. Learn to recognize negative thoughts and feelings so you can replace them with the positive. While this may sound glib and over-simplified, it is the easiest and most successful way of developing optimism. Because a positive frame of mind is so much more powerful than a negative one; negative thoughts and emotions cannot long survive a positive effort to change them.

The Calm Technique is a great vehicle to instil positivity in your day. Begin your day as early as you possibly can with fifteen to thirty minutes of the Calm Technique. On completion, sit in that relaxed state for a few minutes and tell yourself how you're going to vibrate with positive energy all through the day. Picture yourself going through the day with a smile and boundless enthusiasm. Picture yourself looking only for the good in people you come in contact with. You will be amazed at how great an effect these couple of minutes can have on your day.

It may sound obvious, but as well as having the correct attitude, you need to maintain some sort of interest in your life. That means you need to be interested in your occupation as well as your leisure. You might think it easier for thosr in the glamour professions to maintain interest in their work than it is for the labourer, or the housewife, or the unemployed. It may well be. Nevertheless, you owe it to yourself to be interested in what you do. If you have the most boring task in the whole world to perform, then be interested in the way you perform it. So, while the task may be boring, your performance can be interesting, especially if each thing you do, you do completely. You concentrate only on the task at hand, and let nothing distract you.

As far as your leisure time is concerned. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how to maintain interest and variety there.

Finally, laugh more. Laughter is unequalled as a therapeutic act. It relaxes all muscles, tensions and anger. Learn to see the funny side of life and your problems will vanish accordingly. Recognize the humorous side of your own personality and actions and you cannot be self-centred (bear in mind that 'self-centred' is completely different from 'centering, to come in contact with self'). Laugh more and you'll stop taking yourself and your life so seriously.

The Calm Technique will have a positivw effect on your attitude. The Calm Principle can add interest to your daily routine. Work on your attitude; laugh more; be interested in what you do; maintain a moderate diet and a sensible exercise programme; use the Calm Technique every day and you will get everything you want out of life: peace, health and happiness. No other way can ever compare. 

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

DIET

Obviously there are things to avoid: artificial additives of any kind, excessive sugar, salt and spices. Coffee and alcohol (especially spirits) should be limited. Refined foods of all types should be banished from your diet.

If you follow those simple principles and apply moderation (both in consumption and choice) to your diet, you will enjoy something that most people overlook in their search for sophisticated solutions to simple dietary needs.

In many schools of meditation, diet plays a much larger role. Any serious student of the traditional schoola knows that the higher forms of meditation require more disciplines than an hour a day sitting quietly. Diet is one of those disciplines. Such students are very aware that the food they eat has a definite influence on their state of mind. With some foods the effect can be quite extreme, and with others, barely noticeable. Nevertheless, diet does have an influence on the effectiveness of your meditation. How great an influence is a matter for conjecture, but it does exist.

Note: the following dietary discussion is not an integral part of the Calm Technique.

All foods can be divided into three distinct categories: calm, stimulating and lethargic foods. A serious meditator's diet (particularly from the Indian schools) consists mainly of calm foods, with occasional tastes of stimulating foods. Lethargic foods are avoided altogether. You will note that, perhaps with the exception of onion and garlic, the recommended Yogi's diet is virtually the same as your everyday 'alternative lifestyle' diet.

Calm foods are the pure foods which are central to all yogic diets. They are easily digested, cleansing, provide plenty of energy, and most importantly, encourage a calm state of mind. It is generally accepted that these foods are the most suitable foods for human beings.

Calm foods include:
all kinds of fruits
most vegetables (with as little cooking as possible)
nuts and seeds in their natural state
beans
grains
milk and milk products
herbs and spices (in moderation)

Stimulating foods are the foods which create activity and unrest in the mind. (Many of the lethargic foods also fit this category.) These foods should be used infrequently.

Stimulating foods are:
excessive spices
vinegar
coffee, tea, cola
all foods with preservatives
most canned and packaged foods

Lethargic foods are the foods to be avoided. They demand far too much energy and time to digest and create great feelings of inertia. Many of them also fall into the previous category of stimulating foods. Meat for example, being considered in both categories, causes feelings of lethargy, tiredness as well as a general feeling of restlessness.

Lethargic foods do the mind no good whatsoever. They include:
meat and poultry
seafood
refined foods (e.g. white sugar, bread, flour)
alcohol
fermented (e.g. pickled) or stale foods

I have omitted some foods from all categories. They are eggs, onions, garlic, chives and leeks. In Raja Yoga's book Eating for Immortality, they are classified as lethargic foods to be avoided entirely. However, other books occasionally classify them differently. I am reluctant to cast the deciding vote, so you decide if they are suitable for your diet.

Should you decide that a diet of calm foods (with moderate amounts of stimulating foods) is for you, consider buying one of the many vegetarian cookbooks which are available. Don't consider this small chapter as the final word on what you can or cannot eat. It is a guide; you would need to study the subject further. If you do decide to pursue such a diet, it is more desirable to change gradually by substituting foods from your present diet with foods from this one. Sudden and radical changes are counterproductive and should be avoided.

EXERCISE

Exercise has to be the most written-about subject of the decade. I wish I could tell you the Calm Technique removes the necessity for exercise (for my own sake as much as yours); however, this is not so.

If the thought of all that sweating and heavy breathing bothers you, forget the gyms and aerobic dancing, and concentrate on long walks. Walking is excellent exercise; it's sensible, effective and requires no speciel equipment. But the good thing about walking is that you can perform the Calm Technique (see the 'Calm Technique in Action', page 140) as you exercise. Then it can be relaxing as well as health-promoting.

Exercise does have an impact on the way you meditate. Any improvement in your general sense of health and wellbeing definitely enhances your performance of the Calm Technique. As well, being able to breathe correctly does wonders for your feelings of calm. When you learn to use the full capacity of your lungs, when you know how to breathe deeply and fully without effort, you will experience a sense of wellbeing similar to that felt by highly conditioned athletes. Read the Calm Exercises (see page 124) again, and learn to breathe deeply.

ATTITUDE

Attitude is every bit as important to your overall wellbeing as diet and exercise. A bitter, negative outlook will have a negative effect on your health and happiness. An optimistic, enthusiastic attitude enhances them.

After the Calm Technique, optimism should be your most important behavioural consideration. A positive attitude in your life will bring increased happiness, better health, more effective relationships and improved communications.

For some, optimism is a natural gift. But most of us have to work at it. Still, it's worthwhile! A positive attitude affects every moment of your day, and every person and situation you come in contact with. It's contagious. It's energizing. It's uplifting. It's health-giving. And success in almost every endeavour depends upon it.

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

CONTINUOUS CALM

These very simple practices can have a profound effect on your day. They are so easy to include in your daily routine, and can be performed almost anywhere you go without drawing attention to yourself. Apply the Calm Principle and find a few extra minutes during the day for a Calm Break.

Only then will you learn how to enjoy and appreciate every aspect of life as it's happening. Only then will you be blessed with a permanent sense of calm and order.

LIFESTYLE CONSIDERATIONS

As I have said before, the Calm Technique can have a profound effect on your existence, without asking you to modify your lifestyle one bit. However, it is only one aspect of development; it is not the universal remedy to all life's ills. Just as an exercise programme alone with no consideration to diet will not produce the most healthy body, so too a meditation programme with no consideration of other lifestyle factors cannot be expected to produce the ultimate calm.

Please bear in mind that I am speaking of optimum results here. The Calm Technique works in its own right and needs no dietary or exercise assistance to be a great comfort and benefit in your life. However, if you combine the Calm Technique with other programmes, the results will be even greater.

One of the unique characteristics of the Calm Technique is that after you have been using it for some time, you begin to grow more aware of yourself. You begin to get in touch with the subtleties of your own physiology. Your body will tell you that it doesn't approve of large doses of alcohol, drugs or cigarette smoke. Your body will tell you that certain foods are more acceptable than others. Your body will tell you that you need a certain amount of exercise.

This new awareness of the Self is part of the reason why those who practise the Calm Technique find it easier to give up smoking, reduce drinking, live without drugs. Obviously the elimination of stress has a lot to do with this. But equally as important is a new discovery of your own body and make-up. You will feel when something is good for you, or when something should be avoided. You may argue that you already know that certain things aren't good for you, that your smoker's cough or hangovers are constant physical reminders of what you're doing to yourself. But with the Calm Technique, your body helps you avoid these things by not craving them. To enjoy life to the fullest, to be a complete human being, pay attention to the four different aspects of your life:

1) The Calm Technique
2) Diet
3) Exercise
4) Attitude

THE CALM TECHNIQUE

The Calm Technique or some other form of meditation is essential for a well-balanced, happy, healthy way of life.

DIET

If there's one thing that affects your state of mind as much as your health, it's your diet. It is common enough knowledge that diet affects the emotions and mental state as much as it does the body. You really are what you eat.

There is no need for this book to explore diet in great depth, many other publications cover it. Nevertheless, there is one dietary principle which deserves to be highlighted over and above everything else: moderation.

Moderation in diet is a principle that has been ignored by the hundreds of books which come out each year on this subject. The fact is, no-one ever grew rich (or became noticed) by preaching moderation. A scientist or dietician is not going to be considered very innovative nor is she or he going to create any new fad or movement by encouraging moderation. Yet this is the most obvious and most sensible practice to adopt.

We all know that the modern person eats far too much. The average person's calorie consumption far exceeds recommended daily requirements. Today's average food intake is more suited to the requirements of primitive man with his regular episodes of 'fight or flight' than it is to a modern person's hours in the office, in front of a television or driving a cab.

Eat less, unless, you're already eating less.

Moderation in choice of food is also becoming a rare principle these days. As every second person you meet seems to be advocating the 'Drinking Girl's Diet' or the 'Banana Diet' or the 'Armed Services Diet' or the 'Hamburger-and-Cola Diet', is it any wonder that the 'Moderate Diet' is vanishing? The 'Moderate Diet' is just what you learned at school: sensible, varied proportions from each of the five good groups.

Eat more fruit and vegetables, especially raw ones. Choose wholegrain rather than processed. Drink more (unchilled) water than you think you need. Choose herbal teas in preference to tea or coffee (as soon as you stop comparing them with 'real' teas, you'll learn to appreciate the calming and soothing effect they can produce).

Choose foods rich in vitamin A (yoghurt, cream, butter, eggs, liver, carrots, leafy green vegetables, fruit) which counteract the ravages of stress. Choose even more vitamin C foods (fruit and vegetables), which are required in greater proportions as stress levels increase. They also have a positive effect on one's mental health. And, most importantly of all, make your diet rich in vitamin B foods (beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, bran, wholegrains, brewer's yeast, liver, eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt, meat, fish, poultry and green leafy vegetables). Remember that, like most vitamins, the B vitamins are rapidly destroyed by light, high temperatures, steam, long cooking and long storage.

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

THE CALM PRINCIPLE

In practice, the Calm Principle means you don't plan your evening's entertainment while you're working during the day; you don't eat while you're watching the television; you don't worry about tomorrow's deadlines while you're performing today's tasks; you never try to do two things at once. You concentrate all of your attention on one single task or activity, on one moment at a time - that is the Calm Principle.

It is important to recognize that the Calm Principle is not concerned with subjugation of the normal workings of the mind. The Calm Principle is about directing your efforts in a more efficient and orderly fashion. Concentrating attention on a single activity is an exercise in centring, just like the Calm Technique. It frees the mind of all distractions and brings maximum effectiveness to each task you perform. And when you have centred your attention, you will work more efficiently with an ever-present sense of calm and fulfilment, regardless of how strenuous the activity is.

When you can focus your attention on the present, you will produce your greatest effort for each individual moment. This is the most efficient way of working; it is also the ideal way for human beings to function. You achieve little when you flit from one subject to another every thirty seconds, or when you concern yourself with the past or the future as you perform other actions. (Not thinking about the past and future also has the calming effect of eliminating most of the problems you think you face.) You can really only do one thing effectively at one time; trying to do more tends to produce less.

If you pay meticulous attention to your most minor undertakings, giving the best you are capable of at that moment, you'll be surprised at how calming it can be. Attempting to do several things at once createe anxiety, limits your effectiveness and seldom seems to help deadlines much at all.

On the surface, the Calm Principle appears to go against the conservative ideal by which most of us have been raised: that is, living for the present is short-sighted and self-indulgent; preparing for the future is commendable. This is not what's intended by the Calm Principle. Insisting that your attention be fully focused on what you're doing - the present - does not imply that you should ignore planning. To plan is an activity of the present - you can devote all your attention to this one task for a specified time, make your plans, then move on to your next task. If every activity you undertake is accompanied by concerns for what's ahead, you will be living in a state of tension. Whereas, if you make your plans, then apply your full attention to following them, your efforts are fully directed in the present - and this is the most calming and effective way to operate.

Apply the Calm Principle to driving your car, and you'll drive it in the best and most complete way you can. The driving will absorb all of your attention. You shouldn't distract yourself by compiling a shopping list as you drive or listening to talkback radio. Be totally engrossed in your driving, do it completely and to the best of your ability. Concentrated attention will not only make you one of the safest and most conscientious drivers on the road, but one of the most peaceful.

Take a lesson from your children. Watch how the uncomplicated child lives each moment for the pleasure of that moment. Watch how she or he becomes totally absorbed in the colouring-in, or the sweeping of the floor, or the fantasy of the game. Consider how calm she or he is at that moment. Because children have yet to learn how to worry and distract themselves, they apply the Calm Principle naturally. It is only later in life, when they grow older and 'wiser' that they learn to ignore this fundamental behaviour.

You may argue that a child doesn't have the responsibilities and problems which adults are forced to endure. This is so. But adults so often assume responsibilities and problems that they have no hope of controlling or solving at that moment. If you spend the next fifteen years worrying about how you're going to afford to enjoy your retirement, you'll have wasted fifteen years and probably soured yourself for retirement anyway. If you must worry about a problem, then set aside a period of time for  worrying about that problem. Apply all of your attention to it for a specified period of time, then go on to your next task or activity. If you find you have too much on your plate to be able to devote all of your attention to one task at a time, you have too much on your plate! Simple, isn't it?

You can apply the Calm Principle to everything you do. When you're eating, savour every smell, sight and bite (you'll eat less this way and appreciate it more), be totally aware of even the most subtle colours, tastes and textures; become one with the eating. The same when you're washing the dishes. Or pulling the weeds. Or painting a landscape. Or reading a book. If you want to listen to the radio, turn it on and listen to it completely. Don't listen to it while you're reading. It is a popular misconception that having the radio playing while you drive or work is relaxing. It is distracting. And even though it may take your mind off the task somewhat, it does so at the expense of your sense of calm. It creates restlessness.

Dividing your attention creates tension; centring your attention on only one activity (concentration) is not only calming, but is the most productive way you can function.

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

THE CALM TECHNIQUE IN ACTION

Effective though they may be, these variations should not replace your morning or evening performances of the Calm Technique. They are not intended as a substitute for those two sessions, more a calm bonus to help you maintain your peace and harmony throughout the day.

THE CALM BREAK

The most stressful environment any of us ever has to face is the daily grind: the office, the factory, the building site, even the home. It's almost as if there were some cynical design to turn our workplaces into little purgatories of competitiveness and insecurity. Even when we enjoy every stimulating moment of our working day, we still have to contend with more stress situations per minute than in almost any other activity outside wartime. In surroundings like these, even the best morning and evening meditations are sometimes insufficient to compensate.

In these times, even two minutes of the Calm Technique during your working day will bring significant benefits. Five minutes is better. Instead of a coffee break (remember coffee fuels tension), take a Calm Break. A five-minute walk by yourself, hearing only your Calm Expression or your footsteps, will do more to help you through the day than all the coffee in the world. A five-minute meditation in some quiet place will give you more energy and enthusiasm for the rest of the day than any caffeine and sugar break. A Calm Break can make your day.

This is not hiding from reality, it is simply maximizing your potential. If everyone in your workplace is slowly (or quickly) going mad and cultivating stress-related ailments, it is not a 'reality' you should be party to. Besides, you will find that having a sense of order and calm in your work life will not only be more beneficial to you and your work, but it will have a calming influence on all who work with you.

I'll give you an example. A man I met, let's call him Peter, worked in an advertising agency. As you may guess, advertising is one of the most insecure, political and volatile industries one can work in; the stress-related casualty rate is quite staggering. Peter learned a meditation method which was of great benefit to his life in general. But he still had to spend twelve hours a day in an insecure and highly stressful environment. He needed more. When exposed to the principle of taking a Calm Break several times a day in the seclusion of his own mind, away from the pressures and the politics and the decisions, he considered it blatant escapism. He thought it would take away the hard business edge that he'd spent so long developing. He felt sure it would take away his drive, his hunger for success, his aggression. He felt that it would soften him professionally. Eventually his work situation took its toll, and he made the decision to quit the business.

Persuaded to give it one more go, only this time taking Calm Breaks several times throughout the day, he tried again. Usually at this particular stage of these types of stories, the subject gets everything out of life he wants, with no extra effort, and everything changes overnight. We all know that, in real life, such things don't happen. However, Peter did make an effort to change the way he thought about his work. He sought time to himself during his working day to take stock, to recharge his batteries. He applied the Calm Principles (see page 148). He took Calm Breaks. And as soon as he learned to relax he was no longer one of the insecure people of that industry. He was free of doubts and insecurities, and not surprisingly, he was free to do his best work ever. Now he is one of the most relaxed, most sought-after (and most highly paid!) advertising consultants in the country.

After you are very familiar with the Calm Technique, it is beneficial if you practise it occasionally with your eyes open, gazing unfocused at some spot in front of you. Although it may feel a little unusual to you at first, it will soon become second nature. Then, when you have mastered the Calm Technique with your eyes open, you'll find that you can steal moments of privacy during the day without drawing attention to yourself. A three- or five-minute application of the Calm Technique in the office, while travelling to work, standing in a queue or waiting for the lift can work wonders.

THE CALM PRINCIPLE

Even if you'd never read about the Calm Technique, you could still achieve a great measure of calm and wellbeing in your day-to-day life by applying a very simple practice called the Calm Principle. Essentially, it makes every act of your day an act of meditation. Everything you do is done in such a way that it enriches your life and makes you a happier, more contented, more successful human being.

The Calm Principle is deceptively simple. All it demands is that each thing you do, you do completely and to the best of your ability. While you're doing that one thing, you ignore distractions and concentrate all your attention on that one moment. If you have a mundane chore to do, you absorb yourself in it totally without seeking 'relief' through conversation or entertaining thoughts. You approach even the most unexciting or most trivial task as if it were the most important thing that had ever happened in your life. Because at that very moment, it should be!

Life exists only in the present. 'Future' and 'Past' are nothing more than abstract concepts; yet they dominate our lives and are at the root of almost every emotional disorder or discomfort ever experienced. In Western society, concerns for what's passed and what's yet to happen cause more insecurity, anxiety, fear, frustration and tension than any other condition. The Calm Principle helps you to overcome your regrets about the past and your concerns for the future. The way you do this is simply by concentrating your life in the present, by living each moment to its fullest and by devoting all your attention and appreciation to that moment.

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

Continuous Calm

'Don't meditate; be in meditation.'
Buddha

To get the most benefits from the Calm Technique, it needs some sort of carrythrough into your everyday life. Being calm and contented for an hour a day is one thing, but carrying that feeling with you all day requires more effort. Undoubtedly, the Calm Technique performed every morning and evening will give you a more balanced and peaceful perspective, and a more harmonious outlook than if you didn't use it at all, but can the Calm Technique by itself maintain that unique sense of calm throughout each and every day?

Probably not. To realize the full benefits of the Calm Technique in every moment of your life, it needs to become part of your life. Not just in the morning and evening, but during your day as well.

THE CALM TECHNIQUE IN ACTION

Not all meditations are performed from a static position. In fact, some very well-known types are extremely active. Yet they all share a common objective with the Calm Technique: their goal is simply 'being'; their method is through centring the attention on just one activity. So whether the path is Zen-inspired archery, the ballet-like movements of Tai Chi, the feverish dancing of the Dervishes, the martial-art styles of China and Japan, or even the famous 'Little Way' of St Teresa of Lisieux, the objective remains the same for all: forgetting the distractions and centring the attention on the task at hand (i.e. living just in that moment).

After you have been performing the Calm Technique for a while, you will begin to find the process of 'hearing' your Calm Expression much easier. You will be able to make it much more a part of your everyday life. In time, you will be able to relax the rules; you will be able to meditate in rooms that are not darkened, that are not even quiet. You will be able to steal calming moments in places when you're surrounded by people and traffic. You'll be able to do it with your eyes open, when you're standing, when you're reclining. (Don't try these things in the early stages as they will only tend to lead you astray.) And even though your quiet, private morning and evening meditations will still be the basis of your Calm Technique practice, you will also be able to apply the 'Calm Technique in Action' throughout your day. It works similarly to the stationary version.

Try it when walking.

You begin by just walking - eyes unfocused (open please), looking in front of you, hands swinging loosely as you walk. Relax your neck, face and arms. After a minute or so, your hands will feel quite limp and heavy - maybe your fingers will tingle slightly. Your breathing will be deep and even, as it is in the Calm Exercises.

Then begin to listen to your footsteps as you walk. Listen to them until they fill your attention. Ignore the traffic sounds, hear only your footstep as each foot touches the ground. Be aware only of your walking. Relax into this one activity until you are totally absorbed by it. Forget the passers-by. You may have to stop at the traffic lights or cross through heavy traffic, but these things you will do safely and instinctively; your peripheral vision will warn you about oncoming cars and 'Don't Walk' signs. Let your awareness be filled with the rhythm of your walking; ignore everything else. That you're on the footpath and cars are going past means nothing: hear only that soothing sound of your own footsteps. Feel only the breath the breath in your lungs and the path beneath your feet. In minutes you will have forgotten the distractions, the traffic jams, the sweaty crowds: you'll be meditating. It will feel a little different from your regular morning and evening meditation, but it can be just as effective.

As an alternative to listening to your footsteps (or your breathing, if you prefer), you could 'hear' your Calm Expression emanating from your Calm Centre as you do during the Calm Technique. You could also try 'hearing' it when you're bouncing on a trampoline. Or travelling on the train or bus, when you're in the bath or on the beach, when you're waiting in a long queue - you'll find no end of possible places where you can perform the Calm Technique.

You will find that the 'Calm Technique in Action' can be an effortless way of recharging your energies and exorcising your anger and anxieties during a working day. In fact, to maintain a sense of calm, it is essential that you devote some moments of your working day to the Calm Technique or the Calm Technique in Action. Even if it's only for three or five minutes.

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

CALM EXERCISE TWO

This is a very simple exercise which should be performed as slowly as you possibly can.

1) Countenance and stance as specified, arms hanging loosely by your side.

2) Looking straight ahead, breathe in.

3) Slowly turn your head to look back over your left shoulder as you breathe out.

4) Breathe in as you bring your head back slowly to face the front.

5) Slowly turn your head to look back over your right shoulder as you breathe out.

6) Repeat about three times to either side.

Now for the second part:

1) Looking straight ahead, breathe in.

2) Exhale as your chin is lowered slowly on to the chest.

3) Breathe in as your head comes up straight.

4) Exhale as your head is lowered slowly back (so you are looking towards the ceiling).

5) Repeat three times forwards and backwards.

And the third:

1) Looking straight ahead, breathe in.

2) Exhale as you slowly incline your head to the left (facing forwards).

3) Breathe in as you bring your head back to the upright position.

4) Exhale as you slowly incline your head to the right (still facing forwards).

5) Repeat about three times to either side.

6) Relax.

CALM EXERCISE THREE

This is a simple exercise where the arms describe a large circular movement as you rise up on your toes. You breathe in as your arms and your lungs are at their widest. There is nothing tricky about this exercise; if you move your arms in a large circle, your breathing will coordinate naturally. It should be performed as slowly as you possibly can.

1) Countenance and stance as specified.
2) Bend knees slightly until almost bow-legged. Elbows bent, wrists crossed about navel level, palms facing upwards (see figure 2).
3) As arms move upwards in wide, circular motion, breathe in, straighten legs and rise on to toes as arms reach the highest part of their arc (see figure 3).
4) Continue the circular movement as you exhale and let knees bend again (back to figure 2).
5) Repeat this movement five times.
6) Reverse the whole procedure for another five times.
7) Relax.

CALM EXERCISE FOUR

This exercise is slightly more complex, but the most graceful and relaxing of all the Calm Exercises. Essentially, it is a variation of Calm Exercise Three where the breathing flows just as naturally. You can work your own breathing pattern for this exercise. If you have a large lung capacity (or if you're fit), you can do the whole movement in one breath. Most people will find it easier to do it in two breaths: in and out as the hands rise; in and out as the hands fall. Remember to make the hands/arms movement as slow and fluid as possible.

1) Countenance and stance as specified.
2) Bend knees slightly until almost bowlegged. Fingers entwined, arms straight down, palms upward (see figure 4).
3) Breathe in and raise cupped hands (as if drawing water from a well) to mouth.
4) As hands pass face (rising upwards), turn cupped hands away from you so palms face out (see figure 5) and begin to exhale.
5) Rising on your toes, continue hands upwards until palms face ceiling and arms are fully extended upwards.
6) Breathe in as you reverse the action, bringing hands past face level (see figure 6).
7) Exhale as you sink back into the bow-legged position with arms (fingers still entwined) lowered in front of you (see figure 4).
8) Repeat exercise at least five times until your breathing is deep and regular.
9) Relax.

If you are still restless after performing thesr Calm Exercises, do the following (while standing or reclining).

1) Tense one set of muscles (e.g. arms). Then relax (so you know what 'relaxed' feels like).
2) Tense another set of muscles (e.g. abdomen).
3) Relax them.
4) Repeat with neck, back, legs, hands, feet, buttocks, chest.
5) Then perform the Calm Exercises.

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