The Energy Frame: AIR | Diamond Power: Gems of Wisdom from Americas Greatest Marketer

The one activity in which the body is always engaged, whether we're eating, resting, or involved in any activity, is breathing. Because it's regulated by the autonomic nervous system (which controls basic body functions like heart rate and respiration), we hardly ever think about how we breathe. Breathing is one of the best tools we have to calm the nerves and release stress. And most doctors agree that although stress is one of the greatest "energy zappers," a good breathing technique is one of the best ways to get rid of its harmful effects.

The Air Frame

Human beings breathe 21,600 times a day. Most of the time we're not even aware of it. Here is a breathing technique to help you learn to control your breathing for relaxation:

Pick a comfortable, quiet place where no one will bother you.
Put on soothing music that will play quietly in the background.
Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight, giving your lungs plenty of room to expand. (Some people like to sit in the lotus position or with their legs gently crossed because it helps keep the back in the best position).
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath through the nostrils all the way into the pit of your stomach. Think about the air coming in and filling your lungs.
Hold the air in for at least 5 seconds (this is not recommended for pregnant women).
Slowly breathe out through your mouth.
Release your stress and tension along with your breath. Relax your body step by step, first the head, then the neck, the shoulders, the arms, the back, the legs, and the feet. This can also be done lying down at night if you have trouble falling asleep.
Relax for 10 to 15 seconds and begin again.
Do this for five minutes each day. As you get more comfortable with the process, increase it to 10 or 15 minutes. Each time you do the exercise, try to take in and blow out more air so that you're getting more oxygen and releasing more stress.

Life is hard. It's breathe, breathe, breathe, all the time.

—Anonymous