the practice for this week 1st week’s exercise: in the second half of the week, add in: The right arm is heavy The left arm is heavy Both arms are heavy The right leg is heavy The left leg is heavy Both legs are heavy 3 x each day: two of these practices should be at least 10 to 15 minutes long; the third practice could be just 3 or 4 minutes. At least one longer practice each day should be without a tape. Get competent at practising both sitting and lying. keep a record: use the record sheet to keep notes on your practice. This can be very helpful when there is a need to troubleshoot - on one’s own or in the group.

the crucial balancing skill focus attention release letting go remember: specific sensations such as heaviness are unimportant but balancing focus & release is important.

stress/calming skills overlap stress management calming skills calming skills are just one of the components of effective stress management. similarly stress management is only one of the uses of calming skills

fight or flight response  increased metabolic rate  increased heart rate  rise in blood pressure  blood flow to voluntary muscles  breathing quickens  tendency to sweat  brain wave changes, etc. the adrenaline, “war time” response

the relaxation response  decrease in metabolic rate  slowing of the heart  blood pressure decreases  blood flow to digestion and the body surface  breathing slows & deepens  immune system enhanced  changes in brain activity, etc. the “peace time” rest & recovery response

relaxation response & metabolism Benson H with Klipper MZ The Relaxation Response London: Collins, 1977 average decreases of % after just a few minutes but decreases of over 60% are achievable Benson H, Malhotra MS et al Three case reports of the metabolic & EEG changes during advanced Buddhist meditation techniques Behav Med 1990;16:90-5

what about ‘positive’ emotions?  Fredrickson, B. L. What good are positive emotions? Review of General Psychology 1998;2:  Fredrickson, B.L. et al. Cultivating positive emotions to optimize health and wellbeing. Prevention & Treatment a web-based APA journal available at  Fredrickson, B. L. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Am Psychol 2001;56:  Fredrickson, B. L. & Joiner, T. Positive emotions trigger upward spirals toward emotional well-being. Psychol Sci 2002;13:  Fredrickson, B.L. The value of positive emotions. Am Scientist 2003;91:  Fredrickson, B. L. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2004;359:  Tugade, M. M. & Fredrickson, B. L. Resilient individuals use positive emotions to bounce back from negative emotional experiences. J Pers Soc Psychol 2004;86: Barbara Fredrickson’s ‘broaden-and-build’ model

what about ‘positive’ emotions? emotions like joy, contentment, curiosity, gratitude ‘negative’ emotions narrow the thought-action repertoire to solve problems of immediate survival ‘positive’ emotions broaden the thought-action repertoire to build resources for future survival feeling good promotes flexible, integrative thinking; relationship building; exploration; & skill development