Taming Tension

Picture a stationary bicycle: You are working up a ton of energy, sending the thing into overdrive, yet you are going no place at all. You are virtually ‘running’ (or rolling) in place; your mind and body are in overdrive but nothing is being accomplished. This is what stress is like. Unlike riding the bike though, it is completely pointless other than to let you know something is wrong. After that, it is a waste of time.

Muscle tension, or stress, will provide you with an experience similar to what the bicycle itself endures. Your entire body and brain are working overtime and going nowhere, leaving you with nothing but fatigue, sickness, and sadness. It is essential that we master this ever-elusive symptom and manage it effectively if we want to live fully happy and healthy lives. Learning to properly manage your stress even has the potential to effectively treat illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. You will also have more energy and a greater sense of overall well-being.

So what’s the problem?

If you consciously experience tension in your muscles, or if a professional finds it, you have stress. This is your body’s way of protecting itself; muscle contractions result in ‘withdraw’, sort of a ‘tortoise in a shell’ effect if you will. Your body is saying, ‘Wait! Back off!’ Stressful situations, sitting still for too long, and too much exercise will bring this about quickly, and leaving issues unattended will directly cause it. Muscle tension is a sure sign something is wrong.

You will notice your shoulders and neck will tense up when sudden stress occurs; you may be aware of this often or not at all. On careful consideration, you will notice these areas are the most affected physically, even though stress will be at the heart of most any issue in the end.

When are my muscles tense?

Do you experience pain, tenderness, or mild inflammation in a particular area when you press on it? If you are perpetually relaxed and in good health, your muscles are not likely to hurt because your blood is flowing, getting oxygen to the parts of the body we don’t think about rather than forcing them to forage it for themselves from their own cells. This produces waste build-up and results in pain to the area in question. If you are achy and your movement is limited, your body is probably under a great deal of stress.

The Benefits of Massage

Massage is a tool that can significantly relieve your body of tension and your mind of stress, getting things running fluidly again. You will not only fully enjoy the experience, but you will also be able to rest in the fact that you are treating underlying issues, thereby treating real problems rather than symptoms. Your brain can rest, and therefore your body can as well. You will have less pain, more energy, sleep better, and find that other ailments are directly impacted for the better.

Rather than allow your life to live you, take control and live your life. Take advantage of the completely natural and non-invasive remedy available to you in the art of massage and/or therapeutic massage. Every area of your life will see improvement … personal, professional, and playtime.