PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION and SELF-HYPNOSIS Introduction: I'm Dr. Len Bewersdorf, a psychotherapist and clinical hypnotist in private practice in the Chicago suburbs. The purpose of this information is to: 1. provide you with directions and suggestions sufficient to let you experience a feeling of physical relaxation and, if you wish, a period of self-induced hypnotic trance, 2. give you information about hypnosis that you may find encourages you to learn more about this natural, easy way to "tap" into more of your own personal resources, and 3. encourage you to give me feedback about your experiences when you used this guide. ---------------------- You don't need to do anything special...just sit where you are, with both feet on the floor. If your chair has a headrest, so much the better -- it's not necessary, however. Most of us don't breathe...that is, we don't breathe in a way that promotes relaxation and tension reduction. Since I've made you conscious of your breathing, you're probably making a liar out of me right now! That's allright...just keep breathing deeply and slowly...if you physically push your stomach out a little as you breathe in...you'll find your breathing will be deeper and more relaxing.... Now...you can continue breathing this way...slowly and deeply...without really needing to think about it...and as you do, you can pay attention to how tight or tense your shoulder and upper back muscles are...and...just by thinking about them...you can let them soften and relax a little...and you'll notice that your breathing has continued just as before...and...as you let your shoulders relax...your arms will also feel more relaxed and you can also pay attention to your jaw...it may be clenched or tight...but you can just let this ease a bit so that it feels relaxed and loose... Soon...you may find more of your body relaxing and as it does...your eyelids may feel a little heavy as they relax too...so before you experience much more of that...read the bold print...then close your eyes and say it to yourself...then slowly open your eyes and read the next directions etc. OK, read this, close your eyes, say it to yourself...then open them... I CAN CONTINUE BREATHING DEEPLY AND SLOWLY AS MY BODY RELAXES EVEN MORE.... now....read this and then close your eyes and say it to yourself.. AS I RELAX MORE WITH EACH BREATH I TAKE, MY BODY FEELS HEAVIER take your time...and do the same with this... SOON I MAY DECIDE TO CLOSE MY EYES FOR A FEW MINUTES, BUT NOT YET and this... I WILL KEEP MY EYES OPEN EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY FEEL HEAVY... and this,too... WHEN I DO CLOSE THEM THE NEXT TIME...I CAN LEAVE THEM CLOSED AS LONG AS I WISH TO... When you finish reading this, breathe in and out deeply and slowly three times... Read the following...once...slowly...and think about what you're reading...when you've finished...close your eyes...or leave them open... I CAN SLOWLY LET THE REST OF MY BODY RELAX...AND AS I THINK ABOUT ANY TIGHTNESS I MAY FEEL...JUST BY THINKING ABOUT IT...THAT PART OF ME CAN RELAX AND SOFTEN MORE...I'LL KNOW WHEN I'M FINISHED WITH THIS EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I'LL WANT TO GET UP AND MOVE AROUND A LITTLE... The above text is a natural and simple way to let yourself experience a feeling of relaxation and a daydream-like trance where you are fully aware of everything going on around you but for a while, just detach youself from what's going on around you... Please let me know if this brief excercise helped you feel more relaxed for a while... Leave a message for me at EXEC-PC BUSINESS BOARD 414/964-5160 Leonard Bewersdorf (leave the Dr. off please)