Learn to RED;

Unbelievably positive news. Current research shows that you won’t die. But unfortunately, further research shows that you will kill yourself. Most of us don’t die, most of us kill ourselves. We are going to take four days to hold a little summit on stress reduction. We are going to learn how to relax, so you don’t have to die.

You name the disease, and stress shows up in some way. So let’s learn to de-stress. Let’s further take the time to practice the things we learn each and every day. You could get to the doctor and take the pills. But pills have side effects. Instead, learn the skills.

Step 1: Realize the power to relax is already inside of you. You don’t need the pills, because you can learn the skills.

Step 2: Practice these two skills: Number 1, feel your breath; your breath is always with you. Number 2, use your imagination; you can use it whenever you want.

If you want to read something that will help over the next four days, get The Relaxation Response by Dr. Herbert Beson.

A psychologist told me a story once about a client who was a high powered lawyer. The guy couldn’t relax. He went about relaxation the same way he went about everything else in his life. He powered, he willed, he forced it to happen. That’s the wrong mindset for relaxing. You cannot make yourself relax, you must let it happen. Are you making yourself do things today? You make breakfast, make yourself a coffee, make yourself go to school. But relaxation is passive, not active, you must let it happen

Try this simple exercise, just let it happen. Inhale for the count of six and exhale for the count of six. Just get the mindset that you aren’t doing it, that it’s being done to you. You aren’t the driver of the car, you are the passenger of the car. Inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth.

Imagine you are breathing in a breath of good relaxing energy. You are exhaling out stress. So for the next four days every time you are at a stop light, remember RED (Relax every day). Take 15 seconds, and let a 6 second inhale and 6 seconds exhale happen to you.