Controlling What You Can

“Sit up straight in a chair with armrests. Lift your chin parallel to the floor and feel a string pulling your head up to the sky. Feet planted on the ground, arms resting. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath, exhale through your mouth. Feel the tension leave your body. If needed, repeat the deep breath. Relax your feet, ankles and toes. They should feel as if they are floating on air. Next, release the tension in your thighs, knees and legs. Feel your bottom in the seat of the chair. Deep breathe again. Relax your shoulders. Release the tension from your hands and arms. Breath as you count to thirty in your head. Shake your feet and legs, shake you hands and arms. Pat your body: thighs, arms, chest, shoulders. Open your eyes. Breathe deeply and exhale.”

This exercise tells a healthy body what to do; and the body responds. It uses a visualization technique, reducing tension and bringing calmness to an agitated or stressed body. It can calm our elaborate nervous system. It can calm the fight or flight instinct from an imaginary fear, preventing anxiety or panic attacks. It takes practice, a lot of practice, to master self-meditation. During these uncertain times, it is worth a try.