Stress is a major risk factor in many of the diseases that beset modern society, including heart disease and diabetes. Minimising the pressures of everyday life and anxiety can help reduce the likelihood of these lifestyle disorders affecting you. You may want to reduce, or even overcome, stress by using the Silva Mind Control method.

The Silva Mind Control method, a form of meditation, relaxes and produces a stillness of mind. The technique for overcoming stress is to make a habit of meditation immediately after waking up. Close your eyes and move the eyeballs 20 degrees upward, as if you're looking at the space just above your eyebrows. Then, slowly, at about one-second intervals, begin a countdown. As you count, let your consciousness focus first on your head and move progressively downwards, making each body part relax as you go.

When you finish the countdown, hold a mental image of yourself as youthful, healthy, relaxed, and radiant. If you catch your mind thinking about a particular person, capture the person's image, hold it, and imagine that you two are forgiving each other. Imagine you are hugging and shaking hands, exchanging smiles, and nodding your heads in agreement. Let the peace of the image make you feel good.

Then you go through several affirmations and positive statements. First, silently repeat, "I will maintain perfect health, in body and in mind." Do this several times.

Then tell yourself, "I am going to count up to 5; when I reach the count of 5, I will open my eyes, and I will feel fine and perfectly healthy, I find myself feeling better than before."

Start counting, slowly. When you get to 3, repeat "when I reach the count of 5, I will open my eyes, and I will feel fine and perfectly healthy, I find myself feeling better than before."

When you get to 5, open your eyes and mentally affirm, "I am wide awake, feeling fine and relaxed and in perfect health; feeling better than before. And this is so."

If you follow the above practice regularly, you will find it easier and easier to get into the alpha state of meditative consciousness. In the alpha state, your brain waves slow down to nearly half the normal frequency during wakefulness. It has been found in research that our body experiences good things when our brain is at the alpha level.

While at alpha state, our stressed organs and systems recuperate and revitalise. Blood pressure starts going down to normal; the pulse rate becomes stable. You bring into your consciousness those faculties usually considered part of the subconscious or unconscious state. Even your habits come under more conscious control, and the autonomous bodily functions also become more controllable.

Indeed, the Silva Mind Control method provides us freedom greater than we've ever known: an unencumbered mind and a stress-free, peaceful attitude.