Handout Contents

• Introduction              
• What is stress and how do you recognise it?         
• The main causes of stress        
• Attitudes and beliefs         
• It’s all in the state of the mind      
• Health warning        
• Dr Benziger’s brain sections      
• The Relaxation Response and the Alpha State   
• The different brainwave frequencies     
• Nutrition & diet supplements      
• Regular physical exercise      
• Sleep deprivation        
• Present moment living       
• Toolkit contents        

The CD

• Breathing
  -slowing & deepening the breathing to slow down brain waves (like a car going from high revs to idling)
• Breathing & Relaxing the Muscles
  -muscles, especially neck, shoulders, back and limbs develop muscle tension as the day goes by
• Breathing for Energy (Paced Breathing)
  -this exercise uses the diaphragm to circulate the lymph fluid to remove the waste products produced by cells
• Breathing & Walking
  -allows you to relax when walking to and from car, an appointment, a shop, etc. and also increases
   awareness of the Present Moment and slows down the perception of time
• The Inner Voice
  -the inner voice is a very important concept.  It is as if mentally we are each two different individuals.  The first is existing in the real world, dealing with all the pressures of modern life.  Sometimes that life is so hectic that the second individual becomes masked or hidden.  
• The Tropical Island
  -a mini-holiday in your mind that fully relaxes you both physically, mentally and emotionally.
• The Forest with the Balloon
   -a relaxation and offloading technique

Please note that all the above techniques to be successful have to be practised and practised until they become automatic.

Relaxation Exercise Podcast

Click here to listen to a short relaxation exercise by Dr David Mason Brown - Dr Mason Brown's relaxation exercises are featured on the Audio CD which accompanies this course.