Fortunately, however, there are other ways to obtain release, relief, relaxation. Once you understand the dynamics and anatomy of tension, you recognize their virtues.
Have you ever had a “charley horse”? That terrible ache in your leg that temporarily immobilizes you? You undoubtedly know that this common condition is caused by overstretching a muscle. When the muscle is stretched too far, it compensates by overcontracting, and it may not return to normal until a day or two of unpleasantness have been endured.
Tension is, technically speaking, a similar muscle spasm in which a skeletal muscle contracts and cannot be voluntarily relaxed. The condition can arise from physical causes—sitting in a draft, overwork, over-exercising, working in a continuously cramped position —or from mental causes. You’ve heard of people being “scared stiff,” and often the phrase is precisely descriptive.
WHEN YOUR BODY IS TENSE, YOU’RE LIKE A COILED SPRING
Fear and uncertainty and pressure are mental conditions, but they bring about physical results. When your mind foresees an actual or fancied harmful experience, your muscles are held in readiness for “fight or flight.” The muscles of your body are taut. The tension, inshort, is not just in your mind; your entire body tightens.
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