As you breathe out, feel the breath flow out through your legs, arms and head, leaving your whole body loose, heavy and supported.

NOW — STOP — bottom to the back of the chair — breathe in, at the same time lifting your arms above your head and stretching. Open up, breathe out as your arms return to neutral. Stand up. Place your hands in the hollow of your back. Breathe in and stretch backwards gently. Breathe out and hold. Return to normal. Do this reverse movement frequently

If you breathe properly you are not affected by things that stress you.

you have fewer red blood cells if you are anaemic, which means less oxygen is available in the body. You breathe harder to try to get more oxygen.

Breathing retraining takes time — it takes between six and eight weeks of consistent awareness and practice for new patterns to become strong and established.

It has been suggested that we should have a brain rest approximately every 50 minutes. The combination of breathing and body awareness is an excellent tool to focus attention on the moment, the here and now. Just stop, move, think about your body and breathing — this helps to still the constant mind chatter we all have.

Body neutral is the optimum anatomical posture where our joints, muscles and ligaments are not overstressed, and all body parts are working in harmony.

‘Breathe in one two and out one two three rest, breathe in one two and out one two three and rest.’

If you are stressed and you try to meditate you can’t do it, but if you are stressed and breathe you can calm yourself, and then what stressed you does not stress you any more.