Synopsis
Book by Salem Marc
Extrait
KEY 1
CHAPTER 1
RELAXATION (KEY 1)
EASE ON DOWN THOSE SYNAPSES
This chapter will lay the groundwork that will allow you to unlock the enormous power in your mind. You can read thoughts and body language, detect lies, intuit answers, problem-solve, and do wonders you could not imagine. I will teach you how best to access mental powers you don't even know you have. It's said that we use only 10 percent of our minds. I certainly don't know what 100 percent is, but I do know that we only use a fraction of our mental power. The rest just sits there because we don't know how to access it. That's about to change. And that will transform your life.
The first key, you may be surprised to discover, is learning how to relax.
Of course, this doesn't mean that you'll all of a sudden be able to read thoughts, or that you'll be able to take your own show on the road. Anyone can learn the basics of drawing and still not be an artist (actually, considering what's selling out there, maybe you can). And clearly, though most of us know how to write sentences, we wouldn't--and couldn't--write a book if our lives depended on it. Further, we all know that the basic ability to tell jokes does not a stand-up comedian make. So you may not be able to be me. But you can still tap your own mental prowess and make your own mental magic.
Relaxing your mind is the number one key in unleashing its power . . . and it has power in itself. All other keys start with your mind at rest, with your alertness high, and your stress levels low.
You don't have to leave this up to chance. You can program your mind so that your body, emotions, and perceptions are more finely tuned. I'll show you how to do that through what I call mind-scripts, or simply self-talk.
When you talk to yourself in a directed way (a mindscript), you are in a state that is conducive to change in yourself. A basic form of biological communication occurs via the release of biochemical transmitters in the body, and a kind of autosuggestion takes place. This is how mindscripts work. You program your mind with the script and other levels of consciousness take over.
By working on the mind and producing changes in it, we can expect the person as a whole to be influenced at many levels. This premise rests at the very core of mindscripts and how they operate. To open the floodgates, however, your conscious mind that's been working overtime needs a break. You have to relax.
You know, stress is part of life. At work or school it can be exams, competition, deadlines, or indecision or relationships. At home it can be finances or interpersonal areas. It is a fact that stress can make you sick . . . and no doubt has negative effects and influence on mind and body.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT
We have two built-in mechanisms to protect our health: the stress response and its antidote, the relaxation response. Our stress response kicks in automatically when we feel threatened. The heart speeds up, breathing becomes faster and shallower, blood pressure rises, and we're ready for "fight or flight."
This survival mechanism is great for short-term emergencies, like being chased by a bear. Your adrenaline rushes and your response is to run like mad, find a hiding place, or go to battle.
But it's harmful when triggered and sustained by anticipated fears. Or in a situation that does not let you fight or flight. If your boss comes down hard on you, chances are you cannot run away, you cannot hide, and, unless looking for a lawsuit, you cannot engage him in battle. This inability to do what your body wants to do leads to physiological changes that affect your immune system, sleep, and digestion, and can lead to serious problems.
BASICS OF LEARNING TO RELAX
Many of us who manage our outside lives skillfully are often clueless when it comes to knowing what our own bodies need. We have to learn how to relax. Here are some tips:
1. Observe how your mind and body respond to events (notice when you tense up, when you relax). 2. Make tension-release a habit: Stretch your neck (chin to chest, chin to each shoulder, ear to each shoulder), gaze at the sky, stretch muscles, and take deep breaths any time, anywhere. 3. When under stress, repeat to yourself: "Calm body, clear mind." 4. Take up an activity to balance your life: Try ceramics, a martial art, wrestling, quilting, calligraphy, singing, tae kwon do. 5. Take a hot bath or get a massage. 6. Plan something fun. 7. Watch a TV comedy or funny video. 8. Get absorbed in a game. 9. Have lunch with a friend or go to the movies. 10. While driving, play soothing music. 11. Alternate activities: Do vigorous exercise after concentrated work.
But when the relaxation response is invoked, heart rate slows, muscles relax, and breathing deepens and slows. Relaxation reduces anxiety, fear, muscle tension, pain, healing time, and sleep problems. It strengthens the immune system and enables you to renew yourself in the midst of continuous change. Furthermore it provides the calm you need to understand your boss's mind and strategize your next move to control him and/or the situation.
RELAXATION TECHNIQUES
Physical Exercise: Whether it's a 65-mile bike ride or a quick walk around the building, exercise is a proven method of releasing muscle tension.
More Relaxation: Tense each group of muscles for 10 seconds and then suddenly release them. Notice the difference.
Meditation: You stop everything to quietly reach a "still point." Here the mind is calm and clearly aware, stress is let go, and both mind and body relax.
Yoga: This discipline involves breathing and holding certain positions.
Mindscripts/Self-talk/Self-hypnosis/Visualization--Imagery (all the same thing): Repetition of positive expressions such as "I will do well." You relax and focus your own mind on a relevant topic. You "see" yourself relaxed, successful, happy, joyful, or whatever rings your chimes.
TOTAL RELAXATION
Let's begin by defining total relaxation. You may feel you are totally relaxed when you have finished a hard day at work, and you come home and seat yourself in your favorite chair. I'm afraid this is not the case. Thoughts of the day are still racing through your mind. Various personal problems keep flashing in and out. Certain fears and anxieties are still foremost in your mind. Muscles remain tense. Perhaps your feet ache or your back hurts. I'll even bet you can't remember when you've gotten a really good night's sleep. Unfortunately, you have not even begun to let all that go. Total relaxation is a state of mind and body, which must be consciously developed and practiced.
This is literally the foundation for everything else that follows in this program. You cannot get in tune if you are stressed and not listening. So whatever you do, don't skip over this part.
To achieve total relaxation, your mind must be tranquil--void of all thoughts. Your muscles must be completely loose. Physical or mental distractions will only impede your progress. If you would like to find out just how tense and unrelaxed you really are, try this simple experiment. Look around you and let your eyes fall on a simple object in the room. Make sure the object is relatively small and not too complex in design. An ashtray or decorator item would be perfect. Gaze at this object for a minute or so, noting its exact design, its color, and other various characteristics. Then, close your eyes and visualize this object in your mind's eye. Be sure the image is bright and clear, the edges are sharp, and the color does not fade. Hold this image for 5 minutes without letting it flicker or weaken. If you have discovered you can't do it, don't be discouraged. Unless a person has developed his ability to relax and concentrate, the best he will be able to do is 10 to 20 seconds.
By mastering total relaxation, in essence, you place yourself into an altered state of consciousness. Your body rates--from breathing to heartbeats--slow. Though you remain fully conscious and aware, you will not hear distractive sounds around you, and you will not see movements, even though others near you may be disturbed by these conditions.
It is at this state of concentration that the ability to send and receive thoughts is at its highest. This is the stage you will attempt to achieve. The following mindscript will help you achieve that state of total relaxation--the first step toward unlocking the power of your mind. You'll want to practice this or some of the other relaxation techniques again and again to enhance their effects.
RELAXATION MINDSCRIPTS
Don't worry if you don't achieve a fully tranquil state the first time you try this. Just relax and enjoy!
Total Relaxation Mindscript
To begin, select a room in your home where you can be alone for about 30 minutes a day. Be sure the room is quiet and there are no distractions. The room should be cool and well ventilated, and should be relatively dark, so pull the curtains and turn off the lights. Naturally, you will need to keep your radio, stereo, or television turned off. Wear as much or as little clothing as you feel necessary, but be sure that what you select is loose fitting and not too warm. Remove any jewelry you may be wearing--headbands, curlers, rings, necklaces, watches--anything that could cause a physical distraction. Tight-fitting underclothing, such as shorts, panties, and bras, should also not be worn.
Select a chair that is comfortable, preferably a soft armchair. Elevate your feet with a stool or another chair to prevent the blood from going to your feet. Sit back in the chair, elevate feet, relax, and make yourself comfortable. Allow your body to go limp starting with the legs and moving up to the abdomen, the shoulders, the arms, the neck, and the face. Close your eyes.
All breathing should be done through the nostrils, not the mouth. If, during this exercise, the hair in your nose vibrates, slow down your breathing. You are going to inhale slowly to a count of 10, hold your breath for a count of 3, and then exhale to a count of 10. Repeat this process for a total of 10 times. Keep your eyes closed and begin breathing in a regular manner for a few seconds.
By this time, if you have followed directions properly, you should have attained a state of light relaxation. Your breathing should now be stable and unrestricted, and your muscles should no longer be tense.
Now, contract, or tighten, every muscle in your body. Begin with the left foot. Tighten every muscle in the left foot and hold them tight. Do the same with your right foot. Continue up the body to the muscles in your legs, abdomen, chest, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers, neck, and face. At this point, every muscle in your body should be straining. Hold this tension to a count of 10, then gradually let your body go limp, beginning with the feet and working up the body in exactly the same order. At this stage you should feel every nerve in your entire body relaxing, tingling with a pleasant sensation of lightness.
Enjoy the overall sensation of being totally relaxed. Imagine you are rising; your body is floating on a soothing cushion of warm air. Think of nothing but this sensation. After a few seconds, imagine yourself being lowered to the chair. Slowly open your eyes--look around--familiarize yourself with the serene, pleasant state of relaxation that you have attained. Rest for a few moments before resuming your normal activities.
This relaxation exercise should be performed every day, twice a day if possible. With each session your mind and body will become more responsive. Each time you will be able to relax your mind and body more easily, and the amount of time required to reach total relaxation will diminish. The first few times you attempt this exercise, you may require 20 to 30 minutes to reach total relaxation. Perhaps you will be unable to relax at all the first time you try it. Don't be discouraged if this happens--the more often you practice this exercise, the easier it becomes. Within 2 to 3 weeks you should be able to attain total relaxation in a matter of 1 to 2 minutes.
Relaxation Pick-Me-Up
If you don't have time to do the full relaxation script, try this quick script below any time you need to dissipate stress. Stress, after all, is the kryptonite of clear thinking. Thus relaxation allows your mind to be receptive and clears pathways in your mind that would otherwise be blocked.
Feel all the stress draining away from your left big toe. Drifting and draining away. It is feeling totally, completely, entirely relaxed. All tension is erased; there is only contentment and calm in your big toe. Visualize this relaxation spreading to the other toes on your left foot. It may be a gentle slow spread, or perhaps your big toe can no longer contain its abundance of relaxation and it bursts, flowing into the adjoining toes. Feel the toes becoming fully relaxed. Now, that relaxation is spreading into your left foot, filling it entirely, spreading, and creeping slowly to your ankle and up your leg, your calf muscles, your shin, your knee, up your thigh to the top of your leg. Your whole left leg is fully and completely relaxed. See it in your mind and feel it.
Now focus your attention on your right big toe and repeat the procedure until both legs are fully relaxed. The first time you do this you will be distracted by other thoughts; your mind will be racing. That is totally natural and understandable. As with all skills, it will improve with practice. Even if it is not totally satisfactory the first time, you will see a big difference and it will get better and better each time you complete it. When you are distracted, just smile to yourself because you understand what is happening and then return to the point where you left off.
When your legs are fully relaxed, concentrate on your left thumb, seeing and feeling it becoming relaxed, then the fingers, palm, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder. Then the same with the right arm. Now feel the relaxation spreading from the top of your legs into your lower stomach, your inner organs, up through your rib cage, upper chest, and shoulders.
Give a little extra time to your neck and shoulders as there is a lot of tension here. Feel the relaxation spreading up your neck, into your jaw, cheeks, past your ears, your eyes, and right up to and over the top of your head. Again feel that power within you. Take a few deep breaths; allow your mind and body to feel calm and relaxed.
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