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STRESS AND RELAXATION |
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There is a
commonly held belief that stress problems are a relatively new
phenomenon and that modem civilisation has created a modern
disease. |
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"But the
present world is a different one. Grief, calamity and evil cause
inner bitterness there is disobedience and rebellion. Young people
have little respect for their elders. Evil influences strike from
early morning until late at night they injure the mind and reduce
the intelligence and they also injure the muscles and the flesh." |
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The above quote
is used by Herbert Benson in the opening chapter of his book on
Relaxation and it was said not by a modem medical man, but by a
Chinese doctor in 2600 B.C. Dr. Benson used it to emphasise that
there is nothing new about stress.
The way we live
and our individual make-up produce different reactions and we
should accept that stress is part of the vagaries of life and
comes in different shapes and forms and varies from nice stress to
nasty stress. Even the latter is a necessary part of life - i.e.
suddenly meeting a bull in a field is a stress situation and
causes body reactions like an increase in our reactions the heart
speeds up, there is an increase in noradrenalin and the stored
chemical energy in the body is constantly available and enables us
(hopefully) to escape. |
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Unfortunately
there are times when we seem unable to cope with stress and it
becomes so continuous and so much a part of our every day life
that we begin to slide into a state of hypertension with increased
blood pressure, breathing rate, etc. It is this persistent
condition that some people regard as the modern disease. |
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For most of us
the clue to what is happening and hopefully what we should do as
individuals to counteract the problem, lies in the actual word
disease. |
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If we were to
breakdown the word to 'Dis-ease' it does describe the condition
and highlights the problem. i.e. ‘Dis’ means away, apart,
etc., and ‘ease’ means to relax, adjust, freedom from pain
etc. |
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Some people
always seem to be at ease and relaxed, but for others it is
difficult to take things easy or let go. It is our apparent
inability to readjust to stressful situations that occur in our
daily lives that, if allowed to become uncontrolled, bring us to
the condition of emotional misery that goes under a variety of
names from being 'uptight' to hypertension. |
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Dr. Peter Nixon
speaking about stress in a series on BBC Radio Ill was of the
opinion that 90% of the cases that he came across in his work as a
cardiologist were self-induced. This is at first a startling
comment, but those who have experienced the situation will feel
sure that it is true. Reaching for the 'valium' is not going to
solve the problem and at the end of the day it is ourselves that
have to find a way of dealing with the condition instead of
putting the onus on the G.P. The long-term use of tranquillisers
or anti-depressants does not cure the condition but simply reduces
the effect of the symptoms. If we accept this as a statement it
must become self apparent that it is up to us to treat the cause.
There is no way that we can avoid stress and one answer is for us
to produce situations that enable us to let go. Ideally we need a
daily space to relax and unwind and there are a number of
techniques as a means of letting go and if one has the discipline
to try this route, there are a number of ways to learn about Yoga.
If you intend to try Yoga it must be emphasised that to develop it
requires a regular period of time to be set aside to practice. If
you are already thinking that you haven't the time, or you have
other excuses, then it may be easier to reach for the
tranquilliser. The choice is yours. |
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Yoga postures
are not about standing on your head, or sitting in a cross-legged
position - it is about working at a balanced group of postures
that stretch and flex the body and let the muscles let go of
built-up tension. It is a science that goes back a very long way,
it is not something new but a tried and trusted approach. Most
Yoga classes begin with a series of basic stretch exercises that
enable the body to become more supple and usually at the end of
the class is a relaxation period. The use of the muscular
stretching/ tensing and relaxation techniques lets the student
experience the letting go. There is simply no point in telling
tense people to relax. It is something they have to re-learn and
experience for themselves. Yoga and meditation should go hand in
hand although the word meditation does frighten some people. It is
a fact that all the current methods used by therapists or clinics
for teaching people to deal with stress are based on meditation
techniques, although they may have titles like 'stress-management'
or T.M. |
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If you want to
see what Yoga can do for you, contact your local Adult Education
Authority and enrol in one of their evening classes, or consult
your British Wheel of Yoga, County Representative for the nearest
teacher. A number of social/recreational/sports centres also run
morning, afternoon and evening classes. Classes are usually 1.5 to
2 hours in duration and if you want to develop you should practice
for a minimum of twenty or thirty minutes a day. You probably
won't feel the benefits immediately and like a lot of things in
life, it does take time. Don't expect instant success; it is a bit
like learning to drive or ride a bike - the ability and confidence
grows slowly. |
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Give it a try -
you've nothing to lose except your tensions. |
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