Mind-Body
Techniques for Everyday Life
Part One
You may not know the difference between a chakra and an asana but that doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit from the basic principles of yoga or other mind-body formats.
So even if you don’t have the time or inclination to attend a yoga, tai chi or Pilates class, a simple technique inspired by these disciplines can help you ease the stress and tension of everyday life.
The cornerstone of any mind-body practice is “breathe, relax, and focus”. This is true even for martial arts like kung fu or aikido. The best fighter is a relaxed fighter.
Breathe
Your breath is the bridge that links your mind and your body. If your breathing
is rapid and shallow, it can trigger tension in the body and exacerbate stress
in the mind. But if you slow down your breathing, both your mind and your body
begin to relax. This is appears to be an automatic physiological response. So
the first step to relieve stress is simply to slow down the breath. As you become
more experienced, you will become aware of a “rising and sinking” feeling or
an “expanding and contracting” sensation in the ribcage and belly.
Relax
Part of the natural response to stress is tense muscles. This is useful if you
are about to fight a tiger or flee from it. But chronic muscle tension from
chronic stress can produce a stiff neck, tight shoulders, clenched jaw, and
tension headaches.
So you need to consciously relax your shoulder muscles while you breathe slowly. Relax your shoulders by gently drawing them away from your ears. Then, soften the muscles in the jaw and face. You will feel the stress literally melting away.
These two things -- breathing slowly and relaxing your shoulders – will result in the third component of the “mind-body-spirit” triumvirate, which is an increased sense of focus and concentration.
Everyday
Stress
It’s not just the big decisions or events in life that can cause stress. Even
simple things like making a grocery list or thinking about the errands that
you have to do for that day can leave you feeling harassed and anxious.
Try the “breathe, relax, and focus” technique for daily situations that have the potential to stress you out. It’s easy, it can be practiced any time of the day or night, and it can make a significant positive change in your life.
You may not realize how tense your shoulders become as you furiously answer cell phone texts. It may be the quantity of the messages or the content itself that is causing you to churn out more stress hormones than your body needs. But you can counteract this by relaxing shoulders and slowing down both your breath and the speed at which you are texting. This technique can also save you from impulsive decisions like rapid-fire text or email replies that you will live to regret.
You can also use it to become more productive when you work on the computer. You will have fewer aches and pains in your shoulders, neck, hands, and wrists and your ideas will flow much more easily.
Stress can start early in the morning when you are rushing to get dressed for work. Even if you overslept and are in danger of becoming late for work, rushing around your room is not going to do you any good. That’s when you cut your gums because you are brushing too hard, poke your eye because your hand is trembling while putting on mascara, and you turn your closet upside-down because the outfit you want to wear is playing hide-and-seek with you.
Slow breathing and relaxed shoulders don’t mean that you move in slow motion. It might seem like time is slowing down but you are actually saving time because your mind is more concentrated on what you are doing and you are avoiding disasters like spilling coffee on your jacket just as you are heading out of your house.
Untangling twisted electrical cords or setting up a complicated sound system can leave you impatient and irritated. Before you become frustrated enough to throw things, settle down by breathing slowly, lowering your shoulders, and focusing on the job at hand. You will see the “solution” more clearly.
Blowdrying your hair or fixing high shelves in a closet can make your neck and shoulder muscles tense even if these activities don’t stress your mind or emotions. It is possible to relax and lower your shoulders even when your arms are overhead. Try it. You can prevent the tight knots that can develop from shoulders that are chronically worn as “earrings”.
Cursing at “stupid” drivers who rudely cut in front of your car or change lanes without warning will not change the way they drive. The only thing you have in your control is your response to the situation. You can either stew in toxic stress hormones or you can protect your health and sanity by practicing the simple mind-body technique of “breathe, relax, and focus”. The choice is yours.