You can download an audio of the exercise freely below.

You can download a copy of Assagioli's paper on training the Will below. 

Studies have shown that people who practice loving kindness meditation increase feelings of positivity and well being over a period of seven weeks. It increased their satisfaction with their life experience and lowered feelings of depression. It increases a sense of connection to others and life. Research has also shown that it reduces anxiety. 
You may download the meditation free to your computer or phone by clicking the icon below. 

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​Disidentification is one of the seven core concepts of Psychosynthesis. Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy seeks wholeness and integration of all aspects of personality. This brief four minute exercise has a very powerful purpose - to ground, centre and facilitate automatic discernment and ability to step out of aspects of the personal self and into the true self. 

One can use it to train the mind to disidentify from any issue, concern, element of personality that they may find themselves becoming over identified and enmeshed with. It can serve as a powerful reminder that the "I" is clear, perfect and the centre. 

Eg. One may find they have a very powerful inner voice that is speaking to the self in a highly critical way. A sub-personality, a character getting in the way of the true self. One can focus on the Inner Critic and identify and then disidentify, completely detach from the critical voice within and observe it. "I have an inner critic, but I am not my inner critic, I am more than that"... "I am a centre of pure will and consciousness".

This is a particularly good way to observe and surrender an aspect of self one may like to separate from. Rather than get angry with it, you simply observe and extend acceptance to that sub-personality. You don't engage in supression, you engage in observation and self compassion. You detach and simply breathe affirming that you are the "I". 

With practice you distance yourself from unhelpful ways of being, feeling and thinking. You no longer get engulfed by a reaction from a part of you. It's not all of you - it is simply and aspect. It is transient and will change as nothing remains the same. You cultivate the ability to step back - disengage and watch that part of you curiously and without judgement.

By doing this you learn that nothing can control you. Assagioli said that nothing from which we are disidentified can dominate us. By detaching and observing more and more of the personal self one gains more and more freedom.

Try it and see for yourself.  Click below to listen on Soundcloud or download direct to phone or computer. Spend four minutes a day for one month and watch where your investment of time takes you. 

Progressive muscle relaxation is a very simple and effective way to reduce tension in the body simply and easily as it induces the relaxation response rapidly. The exercise has multiple health benefits as it provides a practical way to release tension held in the body. When practised daily this exercise can relieve anxiety, lower blood pressure, improve an individual's quality of sleep, alleviate pain, energise an individual and generally create a feeling of well being. 

The relaxation response becomes intensified every time you practice as the body is trained to release tension and does so more rapidly with each successive session. 

The body holds tension in the muscles. When individuals are under stress and feeling pressured in their lives the muscles tend to hold even more tension. This can be exhausting and lead one to feeling almost permenantly fatigued. When individuals are experiencing pain they can hold even more tension in the muscles which can be quite draining. By methodically and consciously tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in the body the indiviual increase awareness of where and how they hold tension. This allows them to become highly perceptive and somatically educated as to how and when they become tense and stressed. 

By purposefully and mindfully tensing muscles for approximately six seconds and then release the tension quickly allowing the muscle to become loose, limp and completely relaxed simply letting go. As the release happens exhale completely. 

When the exercise is practised consistently after a couple of weeks an idividual becomes quite adept at inducing relaxation rapidly as they notice immediately when if stress or anxiety related tension begins to creep into the body as a result of outside influence or external life events. The bodies level of arousal provoked by the stressful circumstances can be dealt with immediately in a simple effective way, thus calming the nervous system. 

This exercise is incredibly beneficial for anyone experiencing anxiety, insomnia, pain, fatigue or feelings of panic. Above and below is a link to a free audio download that I recorded for my clients in order to allow them to practice at home.

Jacobson's Progressive Relaxation Exercise - 
A short 20 minute exercise

1. Dolbier, C. L., & Rush, T. E. (2012). Efficacy of abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation in a high-stress college sample. International Journal of Stress Management, 19(1), 48.
2. Finlay, K. A., & Rogers, J. (2014). Maximizing self-care through familiarity: The role of practice effects in enhancing music listening and progressive muscle relaxation for pain management. Psychology of Music, 0305735613513311.
3. Hayes-Skelton, S. A., Usmani, A., Lee, J. K., Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2012). A fresh look at potential mechanisms of change in applied relaxation for generalized anxiety disorder: A case series. Cognitive and behavioral practice, 19(3), 451-462.
4. Isa, M. R., Moy, F. M., Razack, A. H. A., Zainuddin, Z. M., & Zainal, N. Z. (2013). Impact of applied progressive deep muscle relaxation training on the health related quality of life among prostate cancer patients—A quasi experimental trial. Preventive medicine, 57, S37-S40.
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6. Khakha, D. C., Satapathy, S., & Dey, A. B. (2015). Impact of Jacobson Progressive Muscle Relaxation (JPMR) and Deep Breathing Exercises on Anxiety, Psychological Distress and Quality of Sleep of Hospitalized Older Adults. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 10(2).
7. Konsta, A., Dikeos, D., Bonakis, A., Economou, N., Chrousos, G., & Darviri, C. (2013). Stress management techniques in primary insomnia: a randomized controlled trial. Sleep Medicine, 14, e173.
8. Lancaster, S. L., Klein, K. P., & Knightly, W. (2016). Mindfulness and Relaxation: a Comparison of Brief, Laboratory-Based Interventions.Mindfulness, 1-8.
9. Lee, E. J., Bhattacharya, J., Sohn, C., & Verres, R. (2012). Monochord sounds and progressive muscle relaxation reduce anxiety and improve relaxation during chemotherapy: a pilot EEG study. Complementary therapies in medicine, 20(6), 409-416.
10. Li, Y., Wang, R., Tang, J., Chen, C., Tan, L., Wu, Z., ... & Wang, X. (2015). Progressive muscle relaxation improves anxiety and depression of pulmonary arterial hypertension patients. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015.
11. Pathak, P., Mahal, R., Kohli, A., & Nimbran, V. (2013). Progressive Muscle Relaxation: An adjuvant therapy for reducing pain and fatigue among hospitalized cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 2(2), 58.

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