How does relaxation happen? We can't just tell ourselves to relax because often we simply don't know how to. The patterns of tension have become so ingrained and deep that we don't even know we are doing it. This tension, mental, emotional and physical, is the root cause of many illnesses and ailments from headaches and high blood pressure to chronic pain and anxiety disorders.
Tension most often starts in the mind. The brain sends neurochemical signals to the muscles to tense up. And some areas of the body are quicker to tense than others, partly because they have a larger area of the brain dedicated to them and hence more motor control governs these areas. This includes the eyes, jaw, throat and tongue, diaphragm, perineum, hands and feet. Whilst these areas tighten and tense with lightening speed, letting go is a slower more difficult process. Sometimes tension may never fully leave these areas, because the mind has a constant baseline of tension, so these areas are held tense. This restricts the flow of energy in the body, affecting our breathing, and circulation etc.
This simple exercise will help you to relax deeply and let go of tension in these areas:
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