| Trigger the relaxation response is an important way to | | | | flee instinct which determines the best way for us to |
| counteract the fight or flight response that results from | | | | survive in certain distressing situations. Do we run like |
| the daily pressures and stress of life. You can deal | | | | crazy or prepare to fight? Either way, your muscles |
| with anxiety and even panic attacks by practicing | | | | throughout your body tense up in preparation. |
| progressive muscle relaxation or PMR. This technique | | | | Most of us don´t even realize that our body is doing |
| involves tensing and releasing distinct muscle groups | | | | this. We may be upset about a negative review we |
| throughout the body. | | | | got, but we aren´t going to run for our lives or attack |
| Your body is holding a lot of stress! How could it not | | | | our boss. Your body doesn´t realize that and tenses |
| be? Everyday, we hear more depressing news about | | | | up anyway, creating stress and anxiety and fueling |
| the stock market, our retirement savings, our livelihoods | | | | potential panic attacks. |
| and our jobs. We are internalizing all this stress and the | | | | A great way to trigger the relaxation response is to |
| sudden shocks to our financial well being may be | | | | try Progressive Muscle Relaxation or PMR. It is a great |
| triggering a more serious anxiety disorder. | | | | way to return your anxious body to its normal state. It |
| So many of us do not realize how stress and worry | | | | can provide almost instant relief to an aching body and |
| are affecting us until it is too late and we have had a | | | | an overwhelmed mind. |
| full blown panic attack or some other crisis. Stopping | | | | PMR involves tightening your muscles to their fullest |
| these problems before they overwhelm you is vital. | | | | extent, filling them with tension. You hold this tightened |
| One of the great ways to relieve mental angst is to | | | | position for 10 seconds and then release your muscles. |
| attack your physical angst. | | | | Your muscles will return to a looser, freer state than |
| We often don´t realize how much worry we are | | | | where they started. By doing this to discrete muscle |
| holding on our shoulders. Muscles in your back, | | | | groups throughout your body, you are triggering the |
| shoulders and neck can be turned into knots of worry. | | | | relaxation response, the signal that your body is not in |
| While most of us are familiar with these sensations, | | | | danger and that you don´t need to run or fight. |
| we often don´t realize that muscles throughout our | | | | This technique should begin with the right foot, then the |
| body are tensing up, responding to our feelings. It is | | | | right foot and ankle, then the right foot, ankle and lower |
| instinctive to preserve ourselves, the survival instinct is | | | | leg and so forth. You will then need to switch to the |
| alive and well in all of us. | | | | other leg and then proceed up the body to the neck, |
| This desire dates back to our caveman ancestors | | | | head and face. With practice, you will see positive |
| who had to deal with wild animals daily and do things | | | | results to your physiological as well as mental and |
| most of us could never contemplate to survive and | | | | emotional well being. |
| eat. Along with this valuable instinct comes the fight or | | | | |