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...