there's a body scan on this site that I have and I like:
www.wholeperson.com
There are other relaxation CD's there too, progressive relaxation is what your T's friend's CD sounds like.
It can feel really uncomfortable at first. Try it a few more times; each time it won't be so new and so odd.
Even when the breathing doesn't come realy smoothe for me, it still helps me relax very much and I can recall parts of it to do anytime I need them. Not only that, but learning what if feels like to be relaxed also can help us learn more about what our body feels like in panic mode, so we can recognize when we are beginning to experience that. Then we can catch it before it gets too far along.