If listening to this,
One could assume that you understand the importance of relaxation.
That's why you're here.
Still,
I felt it a good idea to refresh or remind the Insight Timer community of the benefits of regular relaxation.
Herbert Benson in 1975 coined the term the relaxation response and was able to prove the series of physiological changes that led to a decrease in illnesses,
Disease,
Anxiety,
Depression and panic.
The changes from relaxation include decrease in heart rate,
In respiration rate,
In blood pressure and in skeletal muscle tension.
Decrease in metabolic rate and oxygen consumption,
Decrease in analytical thinking,
Increase in skin resistance and alpha wave activity in the brain.
Regular practice of deep relaxation for 20 to 30 minutes on a daily basis can produce over time a generalization of relaxation to the rest of your life.
Meaning,
After several weeks of practicing deep relaxation once per day,
You tend to feel more relaxed all of the time.
Other benefits of deep relaxation include reduction of generalized anxiety,
Increased energy and productivity,
Improved concentration and memory,
Reduction of insomnia and fatigue,
Prevention or reduction of psychosomatic disorders such as hypertension,
Migraines,
Headaches,
Asthma and ulcers,
Increased self-confidence and reduced self-blame.
For many of us,
Stress and excessive self-criticism go hand in hand.
You can perform better as well as feel better when you are relaxed.
And increased availability of feelings.
Muscle tension is one of the chief impediments to an awareness of your feelings.
So there's several ways that we can achieve a state of deep relaxation.
Including abdominal breathing,
Progressive muscle relaxation,
Passive muscle relaxation,
Visualizing a peaceful scene,
Guided visualizations,
Meditation,
Yoga,
Calming music and I'm sure you'll be able to think of some more.
In my experience,
Practicing relaxation regularly helps you to understand how you are when you're not relaxed.
To become aware of how shallow your breathing might be for example.
When we stop and take the time to tap into actually what is happening on a physical level,
We can realize,
Oh,
I am breathing quite short.
You know,
And we can walk around like that for quite some time without knowing it.
So check regularly how your breathing is going.
If you're like me then you carry tension in your shoulders and over time I've learned to just track my shoulders and become aware of when they're up near my ears.
Because that's tension,
Your body has a message for you,
It's trying to tell you something.
And with that awareness,
You can send breath into that part of your body,
Honoring the message,
Acknowledging,
Oh okay,
Am I potentially quite stressed at the moment and simply not aware?
Do I feel anxious?
From my personal experience and that of working with clients in a mental health capacity,
I know that we humans are very,
Very good at pushing through pain.
And that means emotional pain as much as physical pain.
Actually much more so,
Emotional pain.
We're very good at putting on the brave face and telling ourselves and those around us that we're fine.
And this can be for a variety of reasons.
Maybe as a child you weren't nurtured or attended to when you were upset.
Maybe you were told to pull your socks up or pull your head in or any of those sort of responses to when you were actually feeling emotional turmoil.
And this is how we become conditioned and develop this pretty negative relationship with our emotional space.
And research shows now that the more we push and repress such emotions and stress,
It actually manifests.
It either builds up and becomes something of a physiological issue or it can become something of a mental health issue.
On a spiritual level,
I do believe when we don't live in alignment with our true higher selves or essential selves or however you term it,
There are consequences.
And it's a very complex situation being pack animals with consciousness.
So we have these primal needs that tell us we need to conform and we need to fit in and we need to abide by others' rules and live up to their expectations.
But others' expectations are based on their values,
Perhaps not yours.
And others have different soul contracts and journeys that don't resonate with yours.
So there's that conflict and there's that often that incongruence that exists for people.
And there's so many knock on effects.
I mean,
You can look at any of your unhealthy sort of behaviors and when you really search a little deeper behind the why of you doing those behaviors,
It's often because your higher self is not being acknowledged.
And that eternal divine spirit that resides within your physical form is being ignored or being pushed to the back corner,
Being exiled by other parts that have,
For whatever reason,
Come to be.
And they could be of a protective nature.
They could be of a self-destructive nature.
There's many different reasons,
But the more you explore that landscape,
That internal landscape,
And the more you really ask the question,
Am I living in alignment with my higher self and those values,
The more you recognize the consequences of doing that.
But it's not easy and we're all conditioned to need and desire acceptance.
And from my experience as a clinician,
Most people I see have the issue of not feeling accepted as their authentic selves.
And they've built up this resistance and this fear to be who they truly are.
And it can be risky and there's going to be backlash and you're not going to please everybody.
You're going to upset people.
You're going to ruffle feathers when you stop saying yes to everybody,
For example,
Or you stop putting other people's needs before your own.
But I do believe that if we trust in our authentic selves and put those boundaries in,
That not only will our mental health and physical health improve,
But the state of the planet,
Because there will be more peace if we all feel more comfortable to be who we truly are.
We can take off those masks,
You know,
We can show our vulnerability and thus encourage others to do the same.
And with sensitivity and kindness and playfulness and curiosity,
We can go on that inner journey where we find our inner light and are able to share it with the rest of the world.
And if you're listening to this,
I hope you've got something out of this little psychosocial education rant from me.
And just encourage you just to be who you truly are.
If you don't know who that is,
Go and find out.
If you want some help in self-inquiry,
There's lots of online.
I'd also be happy to support you with some questions to get that journey going.
Because the world wants you as your authentic self,
Nothing more and nothing less.
The world wants you as you are without pressure and conditioning and social conformity.
The divine spirit that is you deserves to be heard and acknowledged,
Accepted and valued.
But you have to be the first one to do that.
It has to start from you and your heart space.
And that's why self-love is such a massive part of well-being.
I wish you peace,
My friend.
