Switching
• Sit comfortably and breathe deeply.
• Cross your left ankle over your right ankle.
• Extend your hands forward and turn your hands over so that the thumbs are directed toward the ground.
Cross your right hand over the left hand and interlace your fingers.
• With interlaced fingers touch the center of the sternum.
• Close your eyes, breathe deeply and relax your entire body. Imagine that you are able to drop down deeply into the center of your being.
• Relax your tongue in the roof of your mouth with the tip of the tongue touching behind the upper front teeth.
Breathe deeply and let go of all thought. Rest in stillness and deep peace for several minutes.
• After several minutes relax your hands into your lap. Breathe and slowly open your eyes.
• Stretch your hands and arms and gently tap your head to stimulate your brain and energy.
Switching is a very beneficial exercise to calm and center oneself; to use before meditation for cen- tering; to lighten depression and anxiety; and to focus the mind and spirit.
The five-finger relaxation technique
Sit down comfortably, close your eyes, and put your hands on your lap. Then, choose a hand to start with!
Touch the tip of your thumb with each finger, one by one, following these instructions:
Start with your index finger. At the same time, try to remember a moment when you were tired, but tired in a good way. For example, after a nice exercise session. Remember how good it was to spend all your energy doing exercise.
Then, touch the tip of your thumb with your middle finger. This time, focus on a moment when you felt a loving physical touch. This could, for example, be a hug or a tender arm around your shoulder. Remember how nice it was to feel helped by a friend or relative.
Next, your ring finger. While touching your thumb, think of a compliment that a colleague or a friend gave you. This is a time to feel gratified by someone’s good opinion of you.
Last but not least, touch your thumb with the tip of your little finger. Picture a beautiful landscape; it could an island beach or a river in a forest. Just focus on the splendor of the scene.