The sending and taking technique I've seen in other self-help manuals. One uses the breath and awareness to transform the mind. Here is McLeod's page on it:
http://www.unfetteredmind.org/mindtraining/7.php
Some practices that seem to work for me, regardless of religious intention, are the following:
1) Mantra recitation: I think this distracts the mind by getting it to repeat words that one finds positive rather than to jump to habits of anger or fear.
2) Paying attention while either walking or sitting with the back straight: I don't know why this works, but I think it has something to do with good posture and paying attention. Someone once complained to me that their eyesight was bad, but they rarely looked at anything, so what difference did it make?
3) Short readings on positive themes--religious or not.
These things work only if they reduce stress, make one's life more peaceful, etc, but it doesn't make sense to me that they should work at all. They are too easy.
I mentioned my wife's views because they offer a perspective that is likely different from what native English speakers have. We all think our countries and leaders are excellent or at least adequate enough to defend.