Stress can take a toll on our lives – mentally, physically and emotionally.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 90% of doctor office visits in this country may be triggered by stress related illness.  Stress may cause or exacerbate conditions like headaches/migraines, anxiety, colds/flu, high blood pressure, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease and arthritis – just to name a few.

Luckily our body’s stress response is something we can learn to control thus avoiding  these unpleasant issues.  By reducing our stress response and increasing our relaxation response, we become more healthy and happy!

There are lots of different ways to relax.  The easiest and most effective in triggering the relaxation response is abdominal breathing.  Breathing is the basis for all other relaxation methods and is available to us all day – every day.  There are many different techniques you can use to relax including:  progressive muscle relaxation, visualization/imagery, autogenics training, meditation, yoga, and many more.  Finding the technique that works best for you is important.  Find your favorite and then, schedule relaxation into your day or it just won’t happen.

We can all learn to relax! I’ll leave you with this inspirational thought:

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” 

— Chinese Proverb

To learn more about how to add more relaxation into your life and experience less stress, check out the Stress Less Relax More 5 week series at Wholeness Center.  Sept 6, 13, 27, Oct 4, 11.