Here’s an exercise that only takes a few minutes to complete, and you can do it imperceptibly almost anywhere, at any time.

1. If you can safely close your eyes, do that first. Otherwise, just stop talking and attend to your breathing.
2. Inhale, and as you inhale, say to yourself: “I am . . .” Exhale, and as you exhale, say to yourself: “. . . relaxed.”
3. Continue repeating, “I am . . .” with each inhalation; “. . . relaxed” with each exhalation. Let the breathing gradually become a little deeper, a little slower, but don’t force it in any way. Just let it happen. As your mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to an awareness of breath and your statement, “I am... relaxed.” Be easy on yourself. Continue doing this for a minute or two, longer if possible. Notice the overall effects of relaxation throughout your body.

More About Breath

While it is not possible or necessary to fully expand your lungs with every breath, you can heighten awareness of the breathing process, by intentionally creating a complete breath. Taking a full breath periodically uses the lungs to capacity and extracts great amounts of “life force” from the air.

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