How to practice the *Stress Release Exercise*

The serious aspect of a stress condition is, that a person who has stress, mostly is not aware of it, being so much used to it. Often trying to compensate tension with smoking, drinking, excessive eating, biting nails or many other ways.

The exercise offered here releases stress, so that one can be more relaxed and emotionally and mentally in balance. This has its beneficial influence also on the body and can prevent all kind of diseases and is the basic condition for real healing.

Everybody can do this exercise and can have great benefit from it. It doesn't matter which lifestyle one has adapted or in which situation or condition one is at this moment. One can be sure that to be able to do this exercise, does not depend on ones beliefs or concepts, philosophical, religious or whatever.

I am spreading out the information how to release stress, because I want to help people to get out of their ·vicious cycle·. - To enter in an easy way into relaxation and that everyone can learn to respond and relate to daily life situations without getting into stress. Stress that can't be avoided can be released and so will not accumulate and then causing destruction.

You don't need to join a group or a seminar; you can do all by yourself after you read the given advice and you can start right now. There is no ·ritual· necessary, only plain information and then some practice.

What is the benefit?

Having practiced for some time, one becomes more relaxed and then is able to relate and respond in a different way to whatever shows up in ones life, all what shows up from the outside and also from inside of oneself. As a significant result of being more relaxed one becomes aware of ones stress and then also can deal with the reason, so that tension doesn't accumulate causing damage to the whole system.

One is able to observe in a more objective way: responding not just out of ones limited conditions, but in a more wholesome way, being able to understand oneself better; also others viewpoints, being then more effective in every thing one is doing or trying to achieve.

One gains a new attitude and a new way to focus, which betters ones responses. ·Bad· habits might change, because one realizes that these are not favourable. One will become more aware and more critical about what one receives or does and one can decide, if this is really what one wants. Living healthy on all levels of ones existence. One will not need to demonstrate anything, not needing to provoke or manipulate others to get what one wants, so being less dependent on others and the surrounding...
Self-expression will gain a new dimension. There are much more benefits, you will find out yourself when having practiced for some time...

How to do it

You can practice the Stress Release Exercise anywhere. To start with, you choose
favourable conditions. These are: A quiet place where you can be without being disturbed by too much noise or other influences for some time. You shouldn't be under the effect of alcohol or any kind of drugs; you shouldn't be exhausted. Then you sit comfortably, if possible with a straight back. You can sit with crossed legs on the floor or if your body condition doesn't allow this, then sit on a chair.

Twenty minutes of practice is enough, you can do it twice a day: in the early morning, before you start your daily activities and in the evening, if possible not too late. Better if you don't practice with a full stomach. If you can't do it twice a day, then at least once a day, but this every day. Every day!!

In the beginning you might need to force yourself a little bit, at least the first few days, because it is a totally new habit, but very soon it will be established and you will do it, not wanting to miss it anymore. Later on, when you are used to the exercise, then you can do it also only for a few minutes, when you feel that you are getting into stress. For example when you are driving your car and you get stuck in a traffic jam, then when the traffic light changes to red you have a moment to do the exercise. Or waiting in your office for a phone call, or in the waiting room of the dentist, you just close your eyes and do it...
This few moments over the day will give you calmness and strength to go on.

* * *

Now I pretend to be with you and so I will talk to you:
OK, now sit down. You are comfortable? Yes? OK, then close your eyes.

You don't need to do anything, nothing at all!! You just sit there and - you are aware of it... What means that first you are aware of your body. You are aware that you are sitting here. You might be aware of the silence or some noise in the near or far background. But you don't do anything! You are just aware of what is there. You don't focus or concentrate on it, you are just *aware* of it, - nothing else.
Then it might happen that you are aware of being lost in thoughts, it doesn't matter what these thoughts are about. That is all right and part of the exercise.

What means that you shouldn't try to avoid thoughts or feelings; or that you suppress what comes up. Just let it happen, without judging it or giving any special importance to it. Just let it happen and o b s e r v e it, - you are just *aware* of it.

There is a useful hint that will help, so that you are not going constantly from one thought into another: The moment when you are aware that you are thinking, then just switch to being *aware* of your breathing.

Here the same: Don't focus or concentrate on your breathing, you are just *aware* of it.
Without wanting to do anything about it, just observe it! You are getting nervous because you are not used to do 'nothing'? That's ok too, just be aware of it and then continue. This might go on for a while and then again you find yourself lost in some thoughts. That's all right! So then go back to observing your breathing. And so on and so on...
Then it might happen that there are moments when there are no thoughts and
no awareness of yourself or your surrounding and it seems you were falling into a sleep.

This too is all right, don't worry about it. If you were falling into a sleep, then you will wake up soon, probably you were relaxing and needed it... It shows that you need moments of 'nothingness', where your whole system can recover. Just be aware of yourself and the state of being you are now. Maybe you are indeed more relaxed... So, then you get up and go to your daily activities...
What else?

This *Stress Release Exercise* is so easy to do that there shouldn't be any difficulties when practicing it. But for some people it is 'too easy to be true', mostly because they have been doing similar exercises or heard about them before and these were more complicate, so now they mix up the different exercises and do things in this exercise they are not ask for and then it doesn't work... So better stick strictly on my advice and practice the simple way how I described it.

* * *

If you ask me what gives me the ·credentials· to give advice and talk here, then I can tell you that I have been doing this exercise and others for about sixty years. It helped me in all kind of difficulties and also to stay alive and healthy, or when I got sick, to heal myself.
Not only this, it gives me calmness, security and the trust to go on, even it seems
impossible. I'm convinced that due to the ·Stress Release Exercise· I never had depressions, although there have been and still are, more than enough opportunities and reasons to be depressed.

Seeing all the suffering around and that there is wasted so much energy, which could be used in a creative way to develop oneself and so this world, then I feel urged to share my experiences. People can get out of the vicious cycles they are trapped in and so can heal themselves and enjoy their existence and life. I am convinced that the *Stress Release Exercise* is the easiest and most effective way to achieve this.
* * *

The Stress Release Exercise and the information about it are available for every body and everywhere, one only need to ask for it and to do it. For blind people and others there is an audio available containing all what you can read on these pages.

Remember:

If there is a difficulty showing up when practicing the Stress Release Exercise and you feel uncomfortable and in turn want to stop practicing the exercise, then just ask for help.
The best is that you read theF A Q and 'How to do it' a second time and then practice it again. If it still doesn't seem to work, then you can write an email to me or use my feedback form at my Web site.
If you are practicing the exercise and you are experiencing the benefits of it, then let others know about it and give them the link to this side or print it out for them.

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

Question:What you mean by 'being aware'?
Answer: The philosopher Rene Descartes had once said: "I think; therefore I am." So he obviously was aware of his thinking. He was called a 'great thinker'. He probably was identified with his thinking, with the result that he was getting his feeling of *existence* out of it.

One also could say: I have a body; therefore I am or: The pain of my tooth is torturing me; therefore I am, then there is no doubt about who is aware of the pain. The feeling of existence in this moment is determined from this pain and ones turns around it.
One also can say: I am aware; therefore I am. This is the awareness I'm referring, but to come to this experience, one needs some practice. Nothing can be forced here.

To start with, it is enough just to be aware of what comes into ones perception, like body feelings, thoughts and emotions or what ones senses are receiving. If you can notice something of these, then you are aware of it and that's enough. Every thing else - just let it happen!

To *be aware* you don't need to force yourself, you only direct your attention into the direction of what you want to observe. To do so you don't need to concentrate, just to focus in a light and relaxed manner.

Question: Practicing the Stress Release Exercise is similar and as effective as praying?
Answer: No, it is not. When praying one repeats phrases, this is mechanical, even though emotions are involved. The effect might be that the mind becomes calm like with Mantra meditation, but the Stress Release Exercise works quite differently. It is essential to state that the exercise I am promoting is NOT connected with any kind of belief system or dogma, so anybody whatever religion or any kind of philosophy might belong, can do it.
Even the most materialistic or atheistic person can practice and will have great benefit from it.

Question: I have been practicing since some time the Stress Release Exercise, but I can't concentrate and have a lot of thoughts. Somehow I am enjoying my thoughts but also they are disturbing me. Is there something wrong with my practice?
Answer: You need to read again what I wrote in the part aboutHow to do it. You will
understand that you don't need to concentrate on anything and that thoughts are
integrated part of the exercise, although one shouldn't give any special importance to them. Then they will not disturb and you will have the joyful experience of other new dimensions. Don't worry, these kinds of difficulties are common and soon you will leave them behind.

Question: What can I expect when doing the Stress Release Exercise?
Answer: The best would be not to have any expectations. If you some how convinced
that it might help you then just do it. You allow whatever might happen. But we all have a lot of expectations and these determine our actions and reactions, causing also frustration and a lot of stress.
During the practice of this exercise you will become aware of your expectations and also about the source. Then you will be capable to decide if you want to stick on what's there, or better let go of it. To become open for something unknown and surprisingly better.

Links:

http://falconblanco.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rAKMLHjFxQ
http://falconblanco.com/release/