Heart Centered Learning: Breath Training

Here's a fun short sample of a stress-reducing breath exercise with nice graphics, music and affirmations, provided by Illumination University:

http://www.illuminationuniversity.com/images/breathe.swf

They state:
One of the most important discoveries of the past several decades is that you can consciously quiet the production of stress hormones in your body by a specific pace of breathing. Research shows that when you time your breathing to a pace of approximately 5 seconds in and 5 seconds out, your body stops firing off the stress chemicals that cause anxiety, rapid heartbeat, and elevated blood pressure. This discovery led to FDA approval of breath-training tools and techniques for treatment of common problems such as high blood pressure. This discovery also led to a positive application: Heart-Centered Learning.