Ease Chronic Stress
Posted on September 2, 2013 by bob in Moving Free
Chronic stress is everywhere and almost impossible to avoid. It’s been around since time began; the fight-or-flight response when early humans confronted life-threatening situations. When this happens stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol are produced, blood vessels constrict, blood pressure goes up, pupils dilate, heart rate quickens and breathing is more rapid. The body is preparing to fight or run, essential in times of acute danger. But work problems, crying kids or traffic can trigger the same response.
In our daily lives chronic stress itself is life-threatening, contributing to problems from headaches and gastrointestinal issues to insomnia and weight gain. We can’t eliminate stress, but we can relieve the response that sends our bodies into danger mode by cultivating a relaxation response to reduce our physiological stress reaction.
“Relax…” is what my first yoga teacher said when I was bent up in the pretzel pose with a grimace on my face. And it worked. Once relaxed I was stress-free even in the pretzel pose. Daily conscious relaxation exercises can make a difference in the way your body responds to stress.
Dr. Herbert Benson coined the phrase “relaxation response” in 1975 in his book of the same name. Since then, he and others have conducted numerous studies, one detailing the body’s intricate positive response to conscious relaxation exercises.
Simply put, the relaxation response has the opposite effect of fight-or-flight. It engages the parasympathetic nervous system to counteract the effects of stress. You experience a feeling of relaxation and well-being, and if you practice relaxation regularly you’ll help yourself avoid stress-related health issues.
Meditation is just one of an almost infinite number of ways to consciously relax. Almost anything that takes your attention off the daily grind and makes you concentrate on just one thing can work; washing dishes, aerobic exercise, yoga, golf, playing a musical instrument, casting a fishing rod, playing with a cat, can all help IF you clear your mind and pay attention to only that. I’m partial to exercise – my stress release – because I get the benefits of a workout.
Relaxing, however you do it, is a lifestyle change that’s easy to make because it feels so good when you do it.
Mirabai Holland M.F.A., a leading authority in the Health & Fitness industry. Her Moving Free® approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn’t feel like work (www.mirabaiholland.com).
