relaxation

Your body carries you through every moment. Gentle practices like progressive muscle relaxation help release tension and calm your mind.

This week's #LiveWholeHealth follows the previous post, Connecting Mind & Body Session 1, to help release and relax.

This week's #LiveWholeHealth follows the previous post, Connecting Mind & Body Session 1, to help release and relax.

Did you ever think that relaxation would take practice? When we were young it was easy to relax: We simply rested our bodies and minds when we were tired. How did our adult minds get so busy and filled with thoughts that make taking those important breaks so hard to do? This relaxation practice can help.

Our bodies need a break. We need to rest and recharge from too much time on computers, devices, driving, and sitting. These activities are causing our bodies to suffer from stress and fatigue.

Have you ever heard the saying, “the issues are in the tissues?” Stress is something that we all face, and often when that stress builds up, we can feel it in our muscles and throughout the whole body. When you feel stressed, does your body feel relaxed and at ease? Or does it feel tight and tense? I tend to feel tighter and more tense when I’m stressed, and I often feel this tightness and tension in my shoulders and neck. This can even lead to pain.

If you’re looking for relief from headaches, you might be surprised to learn that just a few basic relaxation techniques can help prevent the frequency and severity of headache attacks.

This #LiveWholeHealth self-care episode encourages you to find a quiet, comfortable place to give yourself the gift of relaxation that will bring you back to the true purpose in your life. 

Clinical geropsychologist Dr. Christine Gould is a researcher with the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. She is currently studying the effectiveness of a relaxation program for older Veterans with anxiety, and the best ways to deliver it.