2: Calm, relaxed, open, and kind

You cannot simply stop doing stress in your body. You have to REPLACE the actions of stress (tensing or collapsing) with different, incompatible actions that are more useful (opening and softening).

Centering, Smiling Heart, and Shining are basic strategies to replace the stress reaction of contracting your posture, breathing, and attention.

Centering: Stand or sit with your upper body vertical, so your head is aligned above your hips. Let your tongue hang loose in your mouth. Let your shoulders and arms hang down freely. (If you are sitting, rest your hands on your thighs.) Let your chest, belly, and pelvic floor hang loose. Breathe gently, at your own pace.

Smiling Heart: Think of someone or something that makes you smile inside (a person, pet, flower, song, place ...). Let that smile fill you up, all the way to the edges of your skin.

Shining: Begin with Smiling Heart. Now imagine you are a light bulb, shining inner smiles. Let the smiling feeling radiate outward in all directions.