Releasing Tension

Releasing Tension

When we come home to the present moment, we become aware of our body, and all of our tension is released.  Everyone can practice paying attention to their breath, perhaps repeating these words: “Breathing in, I am aware of my body. Breathing out, I release the tension in my body”.

                                 Thich Nhat Hanh: Calming The Fearful Mind

The way most of us live and work with lots of pressure and deadlines often leads to tensing us up. Our shoulders go up, neck muscles stiffen and knots form in our bellies. That’s not very good, neither for the organism itself, nor - with the risk of sounding very New Age - for our energy flow.

The thing is to notice when our bodies are tense. If you find that difficult, perhaps make it a habit to follow the advice above:  with regular intervals (maybe every time you’re about to go up or down a flight of stairs) you can stop, take a deep breath and become aware of your body. Then, with a long and slow out-breath, you consciously release the tensions in your body: in your face, neck, shoulders, abdomen, hips and legs… It feels very relaxing, like having a new start of the day J