About Program Peace
Stress, especially when chronic, dysregulates the nervous system and impairs the performance of the muscular, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems. Even a good night’s sleep doesn’t completely reverse these effects, and they accumulate over time. The results of these changes are wide-ranging and harmful to our mental and physical health.
Your goal will be to unlearn the submissive and aggressive nonverbal behaviors that cause us so much stress and to replace them with healthy ways of breathing, moving, and thinking. The text will explain how stress and physical trauma are rooted in defensive nonverbal behavior that we share with other mammals and lay out the Program Peace method of overcoming them. Throughout the book, I combine modern science with my personal experiences to explain key concepts related to optimal well-being.
A little more background on the book: I started developing it, along with a philosophy on life, morality, and healing in early childhood. I have been working weekly on the present text for more than 20 years. Much of the material in it has been available on my blog for more than ten years. I have been training clients to perform the exercises for more than five. I have read hundreds of related books and hundreds of scientific journal articles to inform and refine the content. The intended audience is everyone including people without a hint of anxiety or depression. However, it is also for physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, life coaches, personal trainers, and other health and wellness professionals looking for safe, effective, and free ways to bring about growth and progress in their clients.
The Importance of Diaphragmatic Breathing
The Program Peace methodology is applied to organ systems all over the body but begins with the breath. After introducing the method in Chapters 1 and 2, Chapter 3 will teach you how to breathe in a way that activates the resting and healing division of your nervous system. The key is to breathe with maximal activation of the diaphragm. Mammals in a calm and peaceful state breathe diaphragmatically. When they are exposed to adversity, this changes, and they instead breathe without the diaphragm, relying on the breathing muscles in their upper torsos. This is known as distressed breathing, and is the body’s way of preparing itself for a threatening and hostile environment. Distressed breathing is an integral part of how animals survive in the wild, but too much of it promotes chronic hyperventilation. An animal that experiences ongoing mental or emotional trauma will eventually turn distressed breathing into a deep-seated habit. Because of the way this affects its brain, this results in it being in constant fear for its life.
Our nervous system will always prioritize short-term survival over long-term well-being as long as it assumes our environment is dangerous. This strategy holds even though it is completely unnecessary in the modern world where we are rarely in immediate physical danger. Most 21st-century humans are stuck in a state of distress because non-diaphragmatic breathing has been ingrained in their nervous system. It convinces their bodies that death may be imminent, dramatically increases muscle tension, and results in constant fatigue. Non-diaphragmatic breathing may be the primary reason why so many people endure persistent pain, age rapidly, experience unceasing negative emotions, and can never fully catch their breath.
Like most adult mammals, you and I have learned to stifle and strain our diaphragm. Cumulatively, the non-peaceful moments in our lives have programmed us to breathe shallowly. Program Peace is designed to teach you how to reverse this by recruiting the diaphragm with every breath. This is the process of transitioning from short, shallow breaths to long, deep breaths. As your diaphragm strengthens from consistent use, its range of motion increases and your neurological control over it improves, allowing you to breathe more deeply and easily without even trying. It will take months, but the results are worth it. Adopting diaphragmatic breathing is one of the most significant changes you can make in your life because your body interprets it as indisputable proof that your environment is friendly and safe.
Shortcomings of This Book
I created the reprogramming exercises in this book to heal my anxiety. As I developed them, I thought they were original. After researching the details, I came to find that variations on some of them already existed in different clinical, spiritual, and self-improvement circles. It is difficult to look for precedent in self-help literature because it is not organized as well as academic literature. This book focuses on methods rather than recounting a history of past contributors. I apologize in advance if I have not given proper credit to similar work. However, I am quite confident that most of the exercises in these chapters cannot be found anywhere else.
Some readers may find the technical terms in this book to be overwhelming. I have tried my best to make sentences with jargon accessible so that you can get the gist even if you don’t know the word. I wanted to keep the science in the text for the science-minded and other interested parties, but please don’t get frustrated by it. If you encounter some unfamiliar terminology, just power through it and try to enjoy the read. There are only a few unfamiliar words that you will need to memorize because they pop up over and over. These include “parasympathetic nervous system,” “developmental plasticity,” and “partial muscular contraction.”
The book is very long. Skim through it if you have to. You can get an overview by reading the bullet points at the end of each chapter. Please take your time reading and don’t feel pressured to finish it or to read it linearly. Chapters 3 and 11 may be the most valuable to people trying to change their breathing. The book can seem repetitive at times. I intentionally structured it this way to get the therapeutic and big-picture messages across from different angles. I also often use imperative sentences, but I am not trying to be bossy, just a helpful coach.
These pages contain over 800 illustrations. I created most of them by tracing photographs that I took. Each of the illustrations on the cover of the book corresponds to an analogy in the text. I hoped that it would be fun for the reader to uncover the hidden meanings and have a way to reference some of the major principles of Program Peace at a glance.
Much of This Book Is Theoretical
I must be clear that much of what is written in this book is speculative. I have strong convictions about it coming from scientific knowledge and personal experience. However, as with much else in alternative health, there is no authority to confirm these hypotheses. The writing alternates between offering personal anecdotes and theories and reporting on clinical findings and research literature. To help readers discern between speculation and fact, I try to make it clear which statements are supported by scientific evidence. They are often accompanied by a bibliographical citation of which there are over 350. Many of the uncited claims are my opinions. I think of them as unproven but heavily informed by scientific knowledge and based on a new synthesis of diverse fields.
It would be difficult to reach a quick and firm conclusion about the efficacy of the techniques outlined here. Empirically validating clinical methods in psychology often takes decades. It can take just as long in medicine. The Program Peace activities and exercises have not been subjected to controlled, large-scale experimental studies. You can’t just assign randomly selected people to the treatment conditions like you would with drugs and placebos. To benefit from the exercises takes time, dedication, and discipline that only comes from having a deep understanding of why and how the exercises are beneficial in the long run. Of course, that’s exactly what this book attempts to provide.
I have spent the last ten years stringently testing the exercises. In this time, I have used myself as a guinea pig to evaluate and hone the techniques. Since doing this, I have trained dozens of clients in the Program Peace method. Working with individuals, listening to their feedback, and seeing their bodies and minds transform has given me absolute conviction that the exercises here can help you. I hope that as you read about them and perform them yourself, you can see clearly how and why they lead to improvement. Even if you never perform any of the exercises but simply read the book, you will learn actionable rules of thumb for maintaining and improving the condition of your body.
This book’s exercises are subject to validation through your experience. I am quite confident you will quickly see and feel results that place you on a path toward expressing your optimal genetic potential. If this book helps enough people, it will influence scientists and doctors in behavioral medicine to look at the proposed methods carefully and further test and refine them. The present copy is merely the first iteration of this book. Future revisions will reflect further user feedback and research-based findings. I welcome community criticism and collaboration. I also want anyone to feel free to create content based on what is written here. I sincerely hope that the Program Peace method will be successful in expanding your repertoire of self-regulatory healing practices.
Disclaimer
I cannot guarantee that the activities recommended here are completely safe for everyone. Some of them ask you to perturb traumatized areas of the body that could become injured or lead to any number of medical complications. Although most of the activities here are harmless, some have the potential to cause damage if performed incorrectly or by someone with a preexisting injury or condition. The exercises that have the highest potential to cause harm are noted.
The method and accompanying documentation are furnished “as is” and without warranty. You assume the entire risk as to the results you may obtain by use or misuse of the exercises. Please perform them with caution, restraint, and common sense. Most importantly, none of these exercises should produce pain or discomfort after the exercise is completed. If it hurts afterward or even the next day, you are doing it wrong. Discontinue participation in any exercise or activity that causes pain. In such an event, medical consultation should be obtained immediately.
The materials, information, and techniques in this book are general in nature, reflect the opinions of Jared Reser, and are not intended to be a substitute for medical counsel. The content provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. No specific claims are made regarding the treatment of medical diseases or disorders. Always consult your doctor or health care provider before making any medical decisions. Many of the psychological topics brought up here should be explored with a qualified mental health professional. Importantly, the Program Peace activities and exercises are to be used with traditional therapies and not in place of mainstream treatment.
How to Support
This entire book was never copyrighted and can be found for free at www.programpeace.com as a series of webpages and also as a single downloadable PDF. I chose to self-publish the printed version of this book to keep the price as low as possible. There is zero profit margin as the price only covers the printing and distribution costs. All illustrations are in the public domain. The dedicated app, available for iOS, and Android, is also free. The tutorial videos are free on YouTube. However, if you would like to contribute to Program Peace you can do so through the Pateron here: patreon.com/programpeace. You can also make a donation on PayPal to @programpeace. Your help goes toward future content and updates. Thank you for your consideration. To support you can also join or engage our online community. The Instagram is @program_peace, the twitter is @programpeace1, and the Facebook and YouTube are “Program Peace.”
Acknowledgments
I express my gratitude to my brother, William Reser, and my parents, Daniel Reser and Paula Freund, for fruitful and encouraging discussions. I would especially like to thank my mother for providing incisive feedback on the manuscript. Special thanks to Tyran Grillo Ph.D., Matt Harvey Ph.D., and Beverly Gearreald, each of whom edited multiple chapters. Of course, all mistakes are my own. Thank you to Laura Duffy Design for help with the book cover. I want to thank my friends, clients and all the people who have written emails, posted comments, and made other contributions to this work. I greatly appreciate the thoughtful insights and criticisms of everyone who has been involved, and I dedicate this book to these cherished friends.
Contents:
Preface………………………………………………………………………………………………
- Optimal Quality of Life Training ………………………………………………………..
- Persistent Adaptation to Chronic Stress ……………………………………….…..
- Breathe Deeply, Smoothly, Slowly, and on Long Intervals …………………
- Hold a Steady, Upward Gaze with Wide Eyes ……………………………………
- Recognizing Muscular Tension and Dormant Muscle ………………….…….
- Release Tense Muscle with Compression and Massage …………….……..
- Thinking Peacefully ………………………………………………………………..…………
- Reprogramming Facial Tension ………………………………………………………..
- Compressing Facial Muscles for Composure and Well-being ……………
- Perfecting Your Smile ……………………………………………………………………….
- Breathing Less, Nasally, and without Pharyngeal Tension ………………..
- Release Vocal Tension ……………………………………………………………………..
- Reprogram Your Posture for Power …………………………………………………
- Anti-rigidity Therapy: Bring Dormant Muscle to Fatigue ……………………
- Combine Anti-rigidity with your Exercise Routine ……………………………..
- Anti-rigidity Exercises for the Neck and Shoulders ………….…………………
- Anti-rigidity Exercises for the Lower Back ………………………………………….
- Use Proper Posture and Anti-rigidity While Walking …………………………
- Stop Sexually Submissive Behavior ………………………………………………….
- Healthy Eating Patterns……………………………… …………………………………..
- Chronic Stress, the Amygdala, and Cortisol ……………………………………..
- Listen to Your Heart and Gut …………………………………………………………..
- Serotonin, Optimism, and Cooperation …………………………………………..
- Rise Above Status Conflict ………………………………………………………………
- Happiness Is Playfulness & Composed Kindness ……………………………..
- Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………….
