Stress

In the next few months I will be addressing specifics about some of the services I provide. I want to start by talking about Stress and the impact it has on our bodies and minds. Stress has become a generic phrase so let's break it down first. There are everyday stresses or challenges that we all have while we are "above ground". While these are annoying such as a flat tire or a mix up with your water bill account, these stresses are not the dangerous kind. Our bodies and minds handle them well and throw them off and get on to the next.

The kind of stress that is constantly wearing on you and keeping you in a state of "fight or flight" can be detrimental to your health. This might be a situation where you literally hate your job and feel stuck and do nothing to change it, or some one close to you has a terminal illness or you are suffering from some form of constant abuse. In these cases it is imperative that you find relief and help to ease the burdens and allow your body and mind to escape the constant load of these stresses.

You see we all have an Autonomic Nervous System and it has two branches: the Parasympathetic and the Sympathetic; The Sympathetic nervous system enables us to run from a tiger or fight for our life and the Parasympathetic nervous system allows us to rest and repair. So what nervous system is invoked when we have constant stress in our lives? Sympathetic, that's right. And what happens if we live in the Sympathetic state for a long time without returning to the Parasympathetic from time to time? Burn out.

So how do we get into the Parasympathetic state? There are many, many ways: sleep is the most common but is troublesome for some people so they may not be getting all the rest and repair to meet their requirements overnight. Many people find peace in meditation but that might be a giant first step to go from very stressed to peace and serenity by sitting peacefully. Tai-Chi and Qi-Gong are active forms of meditation and provide something for the body to be doing while the mind is occupied with movement. Somatics is about body awareness, just listening to your own body and discovering how to let go, become flexible and relax. Fearless Living is an approach to overcoming our everyday fears and taking back our lives, living fearlessly thus reducing stress.

Massage and bodywork are important in the role of the parasympathetic state as well. Allowing yourself to receive healing touch from another person is a huge step towards repair.

Remember this is a process, a journey not an instant transformation.

Vist my website to learn more about Holistic Health. Click here to sign up for my newsletter.