Become Stress Free

Now accepted as a legitimate approach to improving health, the psychological and psychiatric professions not only are allowing relaxation techniques to be generally employed but are encouraging their use in hospitals, particularly in relation to stress related disorders.

Stimuli, or situations that can trigger states of anxiety, are referred to as "stresses". These are many and varied and include for instance, the threat of job loss, marital disharmony, and dissatisfaction or frustration's with one's lifestyle or circumstances. It is generally known that anxiety affects about twice as many women as men.

Individual reactions to stress range from mild nervous and physical discomfort, muscular tension, chronic anxiety to acute panic attacks that involve physiological changes and often great discomfort. Anxiety also plays an important role in contributing to the cause of many psychosomatic illnesses. Its involvement in tension and migraine headaches, peptic ulcers, asthma, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders and dermatological reactions has often been demonstrated.

Anxiety is associated with a heightened level of physiological activity in certain brain structures. Increased activity in the part of the brain which responds to one's awareness of a "threat" situation leads to a discharge of adrenalin. This in turn causes a dramatic increase in oxygen consumption, faster pulse rate and rate of breathing. Associated with these changes is perspiration in certain areas and tensing of the muscles. Symptoms of stress can also include palpitations, excessive sweating, nausea, weakness in the legs, butterflies in the stomach, an urgent need to urinate, dizziness, breathlessness, faintness and insomnia.

We need to know how to recognize early symptoms of stress and learn natural methods to reduce the problem. We need to learn how to relax. The science of Yoga offers both methods of physical and mental training.

Hatha Yoga basic instruction involves the art of relaxation and is taught in all Yoga schools. Various relaxation techniques are practiced, all emphasizing physical methods and voluntary control over the muscles, particularly of respiration. Research has shown specific breathing rhythms to be effective in inducing deep relaxation with its accompanying physiological changes and increased comfort on all levels of the psyche. In the state of relaxation many stress symptoms and negative personal reactions to life experiences are dissolved and replaced by pleasant feelings of inner harmony, greater psychological ease and acceptance of life.

Practicing mental relaxation and the art of meditation increases these benefits and our confidence grows as we find that we can govern our own health and state of mind by learning simple methods that release us from the bondage of old stress habits.

Become stress free! Learn to relax! Practice Yoga!

Sally Janssen is a writer and educator who from an early age trained in Raja Yoga--that branch of the ancient science that deals with the mind and its complexities. She subsequently gained an international reputation for her skills and her wisdom in the training of the mind.

In her wonderfully readable book entitled Mental Fitness: The Complete Self-help Guide she presents simple, self-help practices that help to generate and maintain mental fitness just as the natural principles of physical fitness can be personally applied by us all. The book may be found here: mentalhealthandfitness.com mentalhealthandfitness.com This really is a must-read book for us all. Sally also welcomes you to visit her blog at mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog