Due to certain quirks in our awareness, we spend most of our lives in physically uncomfortable positions. Hunched over computers, twisted up in couches, and standing on public transit, we create networks of habitual tension due to a lack of awareness of our physiology. The answer to this process of unconscious habitual tension is to make a conscious process out of relaxation practices.
Physical tension drains energy. Over time, chronic tensions will cause distortions in posture and even skeletal structure, limiting the range of motion and potential to respond to the environment. Letting go of tension through passive relaxation and active compensation will open up new pools of resources that have been locked up beyond your access.
Basic relaxation skills begin with turning your attention to your breath. Most people breathe high in the chest, using shallow, rapid inhales and exhales. Slowing down the breath ever so slightly and working to engage more of your lungs forms the start of learning how to let go of tensions. As a practice, check in on how tense you feel from time to time, and for a few moments, maybe just ten breaths, slow things down with your breathing and see if your level of tension changes.
More consistent practices may be needed for chronic tensions that do not respond to such simple interventions. A broad set of somatic disciplines can help in this work regarding movement and manipulation. Regarding movement-based methods, look into approaches such as the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, Pilates, Egoscue method, Circular Strength Training, Tai Chi Chuan, and Yoga. Regarding manipulation, look into approaches such as massage, acupressure, active-release techniques, Advanced Muscle Integration Technique, and the Graston technique. No single approach works for everyone. Experimenting with several modalities will likely be necessary before you find the one you feel motivated to do and yield the best benefits. Also, the clinical and scientific benefits of some modalities in this field are less than confirmed. Whenever possible look for methods with confirmation of benefit beyond the sales pitch of the providers.
In addition to physiological practices to reduce tensions, you may wish to be more mindful of what “negative” information you allow into your mental ecology. One of the easiest ways to do this is to unhook yourself from the 24-hour international news cycle for short, medium, and long-term periods. This will prevent you from being overwhelmed by events that you can have little direct effect upon and which, despite having little direct effect on you, will act as sources of demoralization. In addition to stepping away from the 24-hour news cycle, you may also wish to step away from the 24-hour social cycle created by social media and electronic communication devices. Learn to create short-, medium-, and long-term periods of disconnection to re-adjust your personal boundaries and gain a greater sense of how much your resources are being distracted.
One of the stranger paradoxes is that humans, who have an amazingly versatile and adaptable physiology, are often only partially embodied beings. Because of our cognitive abilities, we can quickly become disconnected from our bodies and what is happening around us. All these practices help you increase your sense of embodiment and allow you greater access to your present-moment awareness. Once one can fully experience the present moment, then actions of value can be taken to transform the future.
Setemheb 