—Meditation for Relaxation- Relief from Stress, Anxiety— Part Two—
Go to Part One of Meditation for Relaxation- Relief from Stress, Anxiety.
”We are not doing what we want to do. We are doing something else instead and the body knows this even if we deny it. This is not relaxation.”
We Cause Our Own Stress
The life of the body is virtually effortless. It is our outlook that makes the difference and brings in the stress. It is how we feel about what we do. The unwanted stress builds up due to the contrast between what we do and the fact that we don’t want to do it. We are not being kind to ourselves. We are not exercising our natural freedom. We are doing something else instead and the body knows the difference even if we deny it.
I would venture to guess that there is not one among us who can wave a magic wand and suddenly feel better about those things we feel rotten about. We need to be honest about how we feel. Not only do we need to admit the feelings but we need to express them. So often we are expected to walk around with a big smile on our faces whether this is how we feel or not. Life becomes a performance. Again, if you compare it to sleep—there is no-one to impress there and no performance.
We Can Heal Our Stress
I keep using sleep as an example and yet for some of us it is difficult to even sleep due to the stress in our lives. When I speak of relaxation in sleep I am referring to that sleep we have all known at some point in our lives even if our sleep now is interrupted or poor. It is true that meditation can relieve stress and anxiety, but we must first fully understand both what we are up against and where our support is.
So far we have recognized that it is not our bodies that are the problem. Our bodies may exhibit and hold the stress but our bodies are not the culprit. The stress is all a result of our mental and emotional activity and this can be addressed through meditation. If there are greater health problems that are contributing to the stress then this is a different matter. Even then meditation will likely put one in touch with the deeper problem.
Recovering Nature’s Integrity
I am not suggesting meditation is a cure-all. However there is no question that our bodies want to heal. Our bodies are maintained by nature and nature is fully capable of healing itself. The imbalances can be reversed if the behavior that caused the imbalance in the first place is dropped. I have witnessed this happen many times in my own personal experience. Mother Nature knows very well what works.
Which came first—the chicken or the egg? Many health problems are the result of chronic stress. Over time these subtle energy imbalances or distorted patterns will undermine the integrity of various bodily systems. These systems were built out of the wisdom of Mother Nature. Through meditation we drop the patterns of interference. This allows these natural systems to recover their integrity. We get out of the way so that nature can do its thing.
Continue with Meditation for Relaxation- Relief from Stress, Anxiety— Part Three.