The first four exercises in The Master Key System are the ones that will build for us the foundation upon which the remaining twenty exercises -- and by extension, the results we will obtain with them -- will be built. The exercise for Week Three is very important -- more important than many people realize. You must master this exercise to not only take advantage of all of the exercises in The Master Key System, but also to take advantage of just about any other personal development techniques you may wish to explore. It is my hope that this teleseminar and article will make it clear why that is so. The Exercise 29. For your exercise this week, I will ask you to go one step further. I want you to not only be perfectly still, and inhibit all thought as far as possible, but relax. Let go. Let the muscles take their normal condition; this will remove all pressure from the nerves and eliminate that tension which so frequently produces physical exhaustion. 30. Physical relaxation is a voluntary exercise of the will and the exercise will be found to be of great value, as it enables the blood to circulate freely to and from the brain and body. 31. Tension leads to mental unrest and abnormal mental activity of the mind; it produces worry, care, fear, and anxiety. Relaxation is therefore an absolute necessity in order to allow the mental faculties to exercise the greatest freedom. 32. Make this exercise as thorough and complete as possible. Mentally determine that you will relax every muscle and nerve until you feel quiet and restful and at peace with yourself and the world. 33. The Solar Plexus will then be ready to function and you will be surprised at the result. The Exercise for Week Three Explained The exercise for Week Three of The Master Key System seems simple -- deceptively so. Mr. Haanel wrote that this week you are to "not only be perfectly still, and inhibit all thought as far as possible, but relax." Relax. In many of my responses to questions about The Master Key System, I type that word a lot. You see, it's the foundation of everything that we will be doing from this point onward. That's why this exercise is very important. Haanel explains why: "Tension leads to mental unrest and abnormal mental activity of the mind; it produces worry, care, fear, and anxiety. Relaxation is therefore an absolute necessity in order to allow the mental faculties to exercise the greatest freedom." In order for you to be able to benefit from the exercises in The Master Key System, in order for you to effectively use techniques from the personal development field, in order for you to truly acquire the mental fitness that you so desire, relaxation is the key. Being relaxed allows you to think clearly, to see truly, and to cogitate efficiently and purposely. It allows "things" to happen fluidly and easily. It brings to bear your entire mental arsenal and provides an alacrity that cannot be had otherwise. Mental tension leads to physical tension. Mental tension begets constricted thoughts, much like a zipper that is stuck: it may wiggle and perhaps move a space or two, but it doesn't flow and do what it is supposed to do. That's why this exercise is key. As Haanel states, physical relaxation is a "voluntary exercise of the will." It is something that we allow ourselves to be. No matter the surroundings or the situation, we either choose to be relaxed or we choose to not be relaxed. Thus, choose to allow yourself to fall into a state of relaxation. Allow yourself to become relaxed physically. Lose the tension that you may feel in your muscles, in your joints, on the surface of your skin. Allow it to drip from you. Relax. The Benefits of the Exercise for Week Three As one masters becoming relaxed, Haanel wrote that "The Solar Plexus will then be ready to function and you will be surprised at the result." Haanel explains the function of the Solar Plexus in The Master Key System, so I won't delve into that here.
