“A while ago my husband came home shaking and shivering uncontrollably, claiming he had the stomach flu. Although it was a warm evening, he was very cold. He put on fleece gloves and thick socks and buried himself under layers of blankets and comforters, still shivering intensely and breathing shallowly. … Then I remembered a simple technique that quickly re-programs the body’s autonomic nervous system and reduces stress. I laid next to my husband and placed the palm of my hand on his forehead. And just kept it there. Within a minute or two, his shivering and shaking became less intense. His breathing pattern slowed and began to deepen. Within five minutes, he had stopped shivering completely and his breathing returned to normal. He was calmed and relaxed, and so was I! Although stress is often caused by our emotional or mental state, it is a physical response. Falling apart or ‘losing it’ is more physiological than psychological.” (02/27/06)