www.civilsocietyonline.com

April 2008 Edition

Comment on this story

Samita Rathor
New Delhi

TENSION is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. Our modern lifestyle keeps our mind and muscles tense most of the time. The reasons are not hard to find: working conditions, exciting entertainment like violence in movies, alcohol, drugs and loud music. Is relaxation merely a physical condition? When little or no energy is consumed by the body or mind, it is in a stage of real relaxation. Relaxation occurs when the body, mind and spirit are at ease. Many have forgotten that rest and relaxation are nature's way of recharging. Even while trying to rest, the normal individual expends a lot of physical and mental energy through tension. Each and every act of our’s uses stored energy and we need constant energy renewal. Our modern, virtual lifestyle has given rise to muscles and minds that are overstressed.

This can cause enormous quantities of energy depletion which leads to severe nervous tension and anxiety related illness. When the body and mind are constantly overworked, their natural efficiency to perform work diminishes. In order to control and balance the work of the body and mind, it is best to learn to scrimp and save the energy produced by our body.

This may be done by learning to relax. All energy can be consumed in a few minutes by bad moods, anger, injury or intense irritation. The process of eruption and repression of violent emotions often grows into a regular habit. The result is disastrous, not only for the body, but also for the mind. In right relaxation, there is practically no energy or ‘Prana’ devoted. In order to achieve perfect relaxation, a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual relaxation is essential.

This can cause enormous quantities of energy depletion which leads to severe nervous tension and anxiety related illness. When the body and mind are constantly overworked, their natural efficiency to perform work diminishes. In order to control and balance the work of the body and mind, it is best to learn to scrimp and save the energy produced by our body. This may be done by learning to relax. All energy can be consumed in a few minutes by bad moods, anger, injury or intense irritation. The process of eruption and repression of violent emotions often grows into a regular habit. The result is disastrous, not only for the body, but also for the mind. In right relaxation, there is practically no energy or ‘Prana’ devoted. In order to achieve perfect relaxation, a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual relaxation is essential.

RELAXING YOUR BODY: Our actions are the result of our thoughts. Just as our mind may send signals to the muscles ordering them to contract, the mind may send another message to bring about relaxation to worn-out muscles. Daily exercise can increase the body's energy, but it is futile if energy is constantly being wasted by keeping the muscles in a state of tension. Some people have trained their muscles to be so tense that they cannot relax even at night, resulting in a constant drain of energy.

RELAXING YOUR MIND: The mind becomes overloaded and exhausted when bombarded by various stimuli. Our thoughts, anxieties and worries use up immense amounts of energy. It is important to set aside time each day for the mind to unwind and recoup its nergies. Slow and rhythmical breathing for a few minutes can release a lot of mental stress. One may try to relax the mind but all tensions and worries cannot be completely removed until one reaches spiritual relaxation.

RELAXING YOUR INNER SELF: As long as a person identifies with the body and the mind, there will be worries, sorrows, anxieties, fear and anger. These emotions, in turn, bring tension. Complete mental and physical relaxation comes only with an inner fine tuning of body and soul. Tuning to the divine source brings the realisation that all happiness and peace come from within. For individuals who find it difficult to relax since they do not have time due to a busy schedule or they find the mind constantly getting distracted a few tips may be useful:

A warm water bath helps to loosen up muscles. It deepens respiration and can take tension away from your body, pushing those stress toxins out.

Music is a great way of helping you to relax, relieve stress and any anxieties you may have. It also helps you function mentally and physically, which is why music is a great therapy. It's regularly used for meditation. Soothing music that has a tempo of about 60 beats per minute can calm the human heartbeat and create a relaxing effect.

Asanas like Savasana done under the guidance of a teacher can produce holistic relaxing states.

Pranayama and regulation of breath by long and slow exhalation are beneficial in creating a relaxed state of mind.

Meditation is a way to achieve this relaxation. During meditation, the rays of the mind are focused and we experience absolute silence and peace. This gives a profound inner relaxation to the body and mind, relieving all stresses. Through meditation, we can achieve an experience of oneness that destroys emotions such as jealousy, anger, fear, and hatred from their roots.

Relaxation is vital in our lives as it helps to keep our stress levels down, and as a result improves our health. So give your stress wings and let it fly away. Begin at least with 10 minutes of winding down. As Gandhiji rightly pointed out, “there is more to life than increasing its speed.”

samitarathor@gmail.com

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Newsvine

del.icio.us

Disclaimer

The views expressed here are strictly personal and civilsocietyonline.com does not necessarily subscribe to them. We shall endeavour to upload/publish as many of the comments that are submitted as possible within a reasonable span of time, but we do not guarantee that all comments that are submitted will be uploaded/published. Messages that harass, abuse or threaten other members; have obscene, unlawful, defamatory, libellous, hateful, or otherwise objectionable content; or have spam, commercial or advertising content or links are liable to be removed by the editors. We also reserve the right to edit the comments that do get published. Please do not post any private information unless you want it to be available publicly.

About Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | ©2007 Civil Society

.
........................................Webmaster Vishwanathan ( vishu4@rediffmail.com )