Stress Management - Release Tensions with Body-Mind Technique for Less Stress Now

Tied Up In Knots
How often have you felt a lump in your throat, tightness in your neck and shoulders, or a knot in your stomach during stressful situations? Do you know how to use this awareness to help release the stress you are experiencing?
Physical Tension Reflects Mental/Emotional Stress
A simple but profound way to release stress is to be aware of the tension in your physical body as it occurs. This tension or discomfort often reflects your mental and emotional tension, frustration, or stressful inner conflicts.
When you pay attention to areas of tension or feelings of being "out of balance" on the physical level, you can learn to quickly identify the corresponding mental and emotional areas of stress. You are also demonstrating self-compassion, learning to accept and nurture yourself during a period of extra stress.
Once you acknowledge those feelings and thoughts, you can often find ways to resolve and release them, releasing much of the stress as well.
Cassie's Story
Here is an example. Cassie is involved in a major life transition, a six month process of preparing and moving some 2000 miles, leaving a job she enjoys and seeking another in the new locale, selling one house and buying another, etc. She feels generally tense and tired, and is especially aware of an almost painful sensation in her stomach or solar plexus area.
I suggest that she place one hand on her stomach, close her eyes and ask herself what that sensation is about. After a few seconds of silence, she says she is quite nervous about not knowing what lies ahead. She explains that she feels "out of control" and her usual routines have been topsy turvy. She then giggles gently about the absurdity of trying to control life, trying to know ahead of time what she will find in the new location, and her face lights up as she visibly, naturally releases some of her tension and anxiety in her new awareness.
You can use a similar process.
1. Identify the physical tension. It might help to touch that spot on your body to focus your awareness.
2. Close your eyes and experience the tension in that area.
3. Ask yourself, "What is this about? What is this revealing to me now?"
4. Pay attention to your inner awareness -- the thoughts that flash immediately through inner images, words or feelings. You may receive a clear thought, mental picture or felt sense of the answer to your question. Or you may receive a symbolic image and reflect on it to arrive at understanding. Sometimes, your answer may show up hours or a day or two after you ask the question, in a seemingly unrelated situation, such as picking up a book and reading a few words that almost jump off the page in answer to your question.
This is not a process of hard work or logical thinking. It is a process of simple awareness, of paying attention to your multi-dimensional self. Acknowledging the tension and the underlying thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, images or feelings can bring a quick lessening of your stress level. It's sort of like shining a light in the dark and saying, "Aha, so that's what's in there. Now I can relax."
Once you have a glimmer of understanding, notice that you might take a deeper and more relaxing breath. You may actually feel your body relax and sense some of the emotional or mental stress disappearing. You may either continue to follow the thread of your opening awareness, or go do something else and come back to this process later.
As you discover natural ways to relax and release stress through greater self-awareness, if you want more self-compassionate stress reduction tips, I invite you to sign up for my free newsletter, 17 Simple Stress Solutions, at http://www.powerofpersonalpeace.com/optin.htm
Dr. Ilenya Marrin is a personal peace consultant, inspirational speaker and author of ebooks The Power of Personal Peace: Reducing Stress by Loving Yourself from the Inside Out and 77 Loving Steps for Success.
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