Let each one be an exploration for you, and use the journaling techniques taught in this section to enhance your experience.

Begin by taking a couple of deep, full breaths . . . and let the out breath be a real 'letting go' kind of breath . . . make sure you are comfortable . . . and that you won't be disturbed for twenty minutes or so . . . .

As you breathe comfortably and easily, invite your body to relax and let go of any unnecessary tension . . . take the time to bring your attention to each part of your body, and invite it to release and relax as you have so many times before . . . .

Release and relax any tension you may have in your left foot . . . your right foot . . . your calves . . . your thighs and hamstrings . . . your hips . . . pelvis . . . genitals . . . low back . . . buttocks . . . .

Take your time and sense the comfortable feelings of deepening relaxation beginning in the lower half of your body . . . easily . . . naturally . . . invite your abdomen to release and relax and join in this more comfortable and pleasant state of relaxation . . . the organs within your abdomen . . . your midback and flanks . . . your chest . . . the muscles across and between your shoulder blades . . . deeper and more comfortably at ease . . . the organs in your chest . . . and neck . . . relaxing more deeply, more comfortably, more easily . . . .

As each part relaxes, you relax more deeply . . . and as you go deeper, it is easier to relax . . . the relaxation is flowing down your upper arms . . . your elbows . . . forearms . . . wrists . . . and hands . . . sense the relaxation in the small muscles between your fingers . . . and all the way to the tips of the index fingers . . . the middle fingers . . . ring fingers . . . little fingers . . . and thumbs . . .

Scalp and forehead soft and relaxed . . . the muscles of the face soft and at ease . . . the little muscles around the eyes relaxing more deeply . . . more pleasantly . . . more comfortably . . . .

And imagine yourself at the top of your imaginary staircase that leads to an even deeper and more comfortable state of mind and body . . . notice what it looks like today . . . and descend one step at a time . . . going deeper, more comfortably relaxed with each descending stair . . . let it be an enjoyable experience . . . head for that special inner place of peacefulness and healing you have visited before . . . .

Ten . . . nine . . . deeper, more comfortably relaxed as you go down the stairs . . . eight . . . seven . . . not being concerned at all with how deeply you go or how you go more deeply . . . six . . . easy . . . comfortable . . . five . . . just allowing it to happen . . . and four . . . comfortable and pleasant . . . three . . . two . . . body relaxed yet your mind still aware . . . one . . . .

And go in your mind to a special inner place of deep relaxation and healing . . . an inner place of great beauty, peacefulness, and security for you . . . a place you have visited before, or one which simply occurs to you now . . . .