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Relaxation or relax  (included in Conversations with Itziar)

Every circumstance in life make us contract the muscles and ligaments, to act, to go, to take, to drive, to do everything.

This is good for the body, which so practice its potential. The problem is that:

1. We contract some muscles which are useless for the projected task.

2. We keep the contraction after this task is finished.

3. We even contract taskless muscles: for pain, for preoccupation, for fear, for other bad emotions.

And this is bad: we grow new pains derived from this contraction, so we are permanently tired, we loose health and we do not know what is happening.

And the use of drugs, pills, sex, food, drink, television is useless to suppress the contraction, only for some time, while their effects are recent and fresh. Because we suppress the symptoms, not the cause  (mind that I do not advise against those practices in general, only as succedanea)

And we search help in the physiotherapist, the psychologist, the psychoanalyst, the psychiatrist, the priest, when the solution is at our reach, easily.

So we must learn to avoid these bad uses of our moving system, by an efficient and pleasurable relaxation.

Here is a way to get it:

In a nice and clean environment, without noise, without cold, on a carpet o similar soft and warm surface, lie down face to the sky (the ceiling if indoors), legs and arms beside de body, palms upward.

Beginning by a leg, visit mentally each part, from the toes, plant and so on, going up the leg till the hip.

To asses its position and isolate each part of the body from the rest, move it lightly until you feel it. Then tell it to relax.

Do it the same with the other leg.

From the buttocks visit the back going up till the neck and shoulders.

Visit the trunk again, now the upper part, belly, chest.

After go up the arm, from the fingers, one by one, palm, elbow, shoulder joint. First in the back, after in the front.

The other arm-shoulder.

The unions between arms and trunk, chest and back.

The neck with its many muscles

The back of the head

 The face, in its many muscles

 The tongue

The glottis ...

Music (sweet) is useful to isolate yourself from other situations and noises. Also to focus the mind, if it wanders.

On the contrary, noise, hostile environment, cold, heat, pain, make difficult to relax.

Make everything easy, unforced, and avoid authoritative efforts by forcing muscles and flexions.

      If you get nervous, stop and do it another time.

Many unaccustomed effects can be expected: sleep, trembling, pleasurable feeling in the chair, sensual, languidness, sexual attitude, sounds, sighs, movements, the sudden dropping of a limb, crying, sighs, vibrations... because:

The body defends its positions.

You can also feel a clear mind, no fear, will and decision,

When you respire deeply without intending it, now you are in a good moment, and relaxation is being effective.

The knowledge of the body anatomy can be useful to imagine it with more detail. For instance if you know the pectoral muscles, major and minor, the sub-clavicler, the trapezium, the sterno-cleido-mastoideus, the shoulder relaxation can be bettered. But since there are 100 muscles in each of the shoulder joints, 100 in the face, 100 in the  neck, this detailed way could be without an end; try and decide yourself. An intermediate way is also possible: sometimes a relaxed muscle brings down an entire part or limb..

Try also the use of sound to relax parts of the body. The effect is quicker succeeds in situations where the normal method fails.

For it, make a continuous with  a closed mouth and direct this sound to the desired part. You can also change the pitch according to the body part you are relaxing. Perhaps there is a link with the sound 'Omm' used in Yoga. The use of sound is a part of yoga called Nadha Yoga.

The described posture is similar to the Asana Savasana, or Dead posture. Other asanas make a something more active function on the body. See them.

The relaxation could be exaggerated, leading to a languid and individualistic attitude. Remember that we introduced the subject in the context of tenseness and nervous attitude, not as an aim in itself. There is probably a right amount of it in each situation, even nothing if you feel well. Because life is action (except for special paths as Buddhism) and action needs muscles at work.

On the other hand there is useless to relax the body while your mind are troubled. Both, body and soul, are linked, perhaps they are  only two aspects of the same being. Therefore soul relaxation should also be used together with the physical one. For it, a really delicate task, you need to assume correct attitude and course of action. Difficult. However, here are some helpful directives:

Your soul gain peace when:

You solve something hanging, unachieved, uncompleted.

You are loved, valued, respected.

You feel progressing towards good aims: knowledge, life, emotions.

You work in something valuable, useful, good. 

Peace with the neighbors, security in future, accomplished duties.

You can enhance these feeling by means of Prayers.

Now you see how difficult is to reach this soul peace: because you (probably) need to reorganize your life on new basis. And (probably) you are not prepared to do so.

It is your life, thus choose. So it is said, with other words, in a Poema para Itzíar.

As we pointed out before, we consider relaxation not as an aim in itself but as a beginning, a point from which we take an action. Once we are relaxed we feel as rebirthing, interested in things again, desiring to commence former o new tasks.

 

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