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Exercise I - Attention On Deep Breathing Take a few moments right now to pay attention to your breathing pattern. When you are under stress you will tend to breathe from your chest in shallow, rapid breaths. By simply paying attention you may immediately notice that your breathing becomes deeper and more relaxed. Reduction of psychological stress is enhanced when you learn how to breathe in a way that promotes relaxation. As you read this try the following exercise: Start right now by breathing deeply from your diaphragm. One way to know that you are doing this correctly is to place your hand on your belly; it should move up and down with each breath you take. You want there to be as little movement as possible in your chest. Now inhale slowly through your nose. Take at least five second to do this. Count to yourself, 1...2...3...4...5, and then hold that breath for one second before releasing it. Now exhale slowly and silently on the fount of five 5...4...3...2...1. All your mouth to open slightly to let your breath out. Allow one second after the release and begin again. How does that feel? Continue this exercise for the duration of your session. In fact, it is a great exercise to practice at any time. It is especially useful during stressful situations while going about your daily routine. When training with ThoughtStream, find a quiet place with few as distractions as possible. It may help to use the audio output alone (eyes closed) when you are starting out. Continue for a least ten minutes if possible. Your focus naturally tends to be on the cause of your stress. Simply move your focus slightly by giving some attention to your breathing pattern; you will find your stress does down. Practice is the key. The more you practice this exercise while using ThoughtStream the faster you will find yourself becoming deeply relaxed with each session. You will find breathing for relaxation becomes a part of your daily activities. Something as simple as this will give you a sense of greater control over many of the common stress-filled situations in your life.
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