Take 5 to 10 minutes each day to deeply relax your mind, body and spirit. Scientific research and ancient wisdom give us clear guidance that relaxing the body, particularly giving it periods of deep rest, improves health, vitality, energy level, productivity and sexual function. Our autonomic nervous system regulates our internal organs. The sympathetic nervous system is like an accelerator that makes our heart pump faster, raises blood pressure and shuts down digestion, healing and repair functions so that our energy can be focused on fight, flight or fright. The parasympathetic nervous system relaxes the body and diverts the energy to digestion, repair and healing. Our lifestyles of continuous stimulation and high levels of psychological stress tend to keep us in the sympathetic state. The result is that we don’t spend enough time preparing, resting or rejuvenating our bodies. Increasing the amount of time we spend in deep relaxation, even for few minutes, significantly improves our health and vitality. Discover your favourite ways of relaxing and do them as often as you can. This may be stroking a pet, watching a river, listening to music, walking, meditating, receiving a massage or praying. The two best evidence-based techniques are autogenic training and progressive muscle relaxation.