Getting Relaxed by Thinking?
In this ‘Information Age,’ we often are lulled into the trap of thinking that if we know about something that our job is done. While this may be true in some areas, it is definitely not true when dealing with our bodies; it is not true when dealing with exercise or when dealing with relaxation. Our bodies only change when they do something, all the thinking in the world will not add new muscle or improve our ability to relax. This is not to say that awareness and training our awareness is not a useful technique when training relaxation skills but it is to say that our awareness of tension and stress should lead to action, i.e. performing relaxation exercises.
Natural Constipation Relief
One source of constipation is the slowing of the peristaltic rhythm of the intestines. This is the exact opposite of irritable bowel syndrome where there is a speeding up and randomization of the peristaltic rhythm. So is there a natural way to affect the peristaltic rhythm? The answer is yes. There is an easy and natural way to affect the peristaltic rhythm and that is by using diaphragmatic breathing. When we breathe with the diaphragm the diaphragm gently massages the intestines and this gentle massage acts as a pacemaker which tends to normalize peristalsis and improve the symptoms of constipation.
Biofeedback: Natural Stress Relief
It seems strange to think of a high-tech solution as being natural, but when you consider that it is often possible to make major improvements in health without using medications the reasons for describing biofeedback as a natural solution become clearer. Considering that medication is not terribly effective for treating or improving stress-related problems, the fact that biofeedback is so effective while being an alternative to medication makes this natural solution even more attractive to anyone wanting to recover from stress-related problems.
Relaxation
I really am not sure what I want to write about relaxation. On the one hand, I know, from my own personal and professional experience, that relaxation can make a huge difference in the quality of life. It can be applied in a focused way to specific areas of the body and applied generally for the whole body, depending upon the problem, and using both approaches is usually best.
Relaxation is difficult to talk about in part because everyone thinks they know what it is. My experience has shown me that this is not usually the case. And, since everyone thinks they know what it is, they tend to discount it as a viable technique. This is unfortunate. I have coached hundreds of people over the years to attain great improvement in a wide variety of chronic illnesses, e.g. chronic headaches (both migraine and muscle tension), neck pain, upper back pain, low back pain, anxiety, phobias, irritable bowel syndrome, non-specific abdominal pain, irritable bladder, urinary retention, temporomandibular joint syndrome, insomnia. In China and other Asian countries, relaxation in the form of Qigong is used to treat cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other severe health problems with reported success.
And, I believe that a regular practice of relaxation (sometimes called meditation) helps maintain emotional and physical equilibrium and to a large extent helps maintain health and prevent disease. I believe it is an important technique to use along with diet and exercise to maintain good health.
In this blog, over time I will be talking more about relaxation and its wonderful power to enrich our lives.
