Your Greatest Weapon: Your Ability to Relax

[weblord]

http://www.zen-articles.com/Energy/E_1/62-E_1/308-your-greatest-weapon-your-ability-to-relax

Your Greatest Weapon: Your Ability to Relax


Your fears, tensions and anxiety stem from your inability to relax, both physically and mentally. The less attached you are to your mind and body, the more freely you can relax. The more you can relax, the more power you have and the closer to the Divine you become.



The next time you find yourself feeling anxious or tense, try to be aware of how clenched your muscles feel during that moment of weakness. Scientists like Dr. Sarno have shown that feelings are stored in your mind and your body. The negative emotions released during times of confusion coincide with physical tightness in certain regions of your body.



So when you feel an onset of negative emotions, anxiety or stress- relax your body. This will trigger the corresponding effect of relaxing your mind. When you (literally) release negative emotions through purposely relaxing your entire body, you regain your power. It's an extremely uplifting to be able to have a clam mind in the midst of chaos, as it enables you to lead with confidence.



In order to help accomplish relaxation, it's useful to understand just how relaxed our bodies can become if we will them so.





For the sake of example, start by trying to relax your forearm. Think about releasing tension in your forearm area and try to let go of any involuntary muscle tightening. Kind of a weird question, right? Indeed, for many, relaxing in this fashion is nearly impossible. How are we supposed to relax our forearm if we don't even know what a relaxed forearm feels like?



Here's a sure technique that allows us to feel exactly what our relaxed body means. Keeping with the forearm example, make a fist with your hand while keeping your arm straight. Lift your fist up vertically with your wrist- do you feel the contraction in your forearm now? Do this several times, each time applying more and more muscle tension. Now, release your fist and relax your forearm. This is what a relaxed forearm should feel like- a complete lack of tension. The opposite of what it feels like when it's clenched. Repeat this process of contraction and relaxation of the muscles throughout your body to gain a better understanding of what a relaxed body means to you.



The goal is to be so relaxed you can laugh at the prospect of a laser beam about to sheer off your balls, like the archetype of relaxation, James Bond. Paul Scheely at Learning Strategies calls this processes of relaxing during times of stress "unlocking your natural brilliance" which is an apt description of the power that relaxation can have over your body and mind.



Unlock your own brilliance, stop taking the world so seriously, and just relax.

 

[longroad]

Great article... I've been really uptight the past few days due to overload of work.
It's amazing how hard it is to relax sometimes!

 

[weblord]

well time to relax or take some vitamins

Great article... I've been really uptight the past few days due to overload of work.
It's amazing how hard it is to relax sometimes!

 

[Broker]

Similar "teachings" to alot of the stuff I read. The power of now book from Eckhart Tolle has changed my entire view of life, religion you name it. Alot of it is based around thought. Past and future only exist as thought forms and stopping to realize the present moment is all we ever have we then realize we dont have a life, we are life. No drugs required great teaching.