How To Release The Stress Stored In Our Bodies

[Bluelicious]

 

Taking time to unlock the ‘muscle of the soul’

 

Do you spend much time sitting in front of a computer, on a plane, in a car? If so your hips may be locked up which effects your ability to dance, but worse than that it may be causing you undue stress and fear. The Psoas Muscle, is a long muscle located on the side of the lumbar region of the vertebral column and brim of the pelvis, that is also known as the “muscle of the soul”.

 

It is one of the largest muscles in the body and it is a place where we often store stress or trauma that can literally influence our mood and our outlook on life. We recently explored in depth just how much fear can inhibit our ability to think clearly thus creating an unhealthy perspective that can harm us and those around us. Now let’s look at where that fear might be stored in our body, and a few ways to release it.

 

In humans, the extremes of the two polarities might appropriately be described as LOVE (+) and FEAR (- ). Love fuels growth. In contrast, fear stunts growth. – Bruce Lipton, Ph.D.

 

If you spend long hours sitting, your hips may be locked up, causing you undue stress and fear

 

How built up stress makes us easy to manipulate

 

Being in a state of fear allows us to be easily manipulated. Advertisers and politicians have learned to capitalize on this biological aspect of humans also known as the lizard brain. Unfortunately our fast-paced lifestyles (mentally), combined with our relatively stagnate physical activity (driving, working at computer, etc.) causes our bodies to be ineffective at releasing built up stress which manifests in our thoughts as fear or anxiety.

 

Lizard brain refers to the oldest part of the brain, the brain stem, responsible for primitive survival instincts such as aggression and fear (flight or fight) – Joseph Troncale M.D., Psychology Today

 

The effects of stress on the body

 

Where is a majority of the stress stored?

 

It is often stored in one of the largest muscles in our body, the psoas. This muscle stretches from our lower trunk through our hips into the top of our thighs, it is used for core stability and the fight flight reflex. Every time we see something that startles us (real or perceived threat) like an animal crossing the road while we drive, or a violent scene in a movie, our brain sends signals our body to respond by releasing epinephrine (adrenaline).

 

The muscle that is most central to our fight/flight response is the psoas. When we don’t respond, these stress hormones go unspent and become stored in the body. This can bring many health problems including insomnia, lowered immune system, anxiety, eating disorders, depression, and living in a constant state of fear or alert.

 

Because the psoas is so intimately involved in such basic physical and emotional reactions, a chronically tightened psoas continually signals your body that you’re in danger, eventually exhausting the adrenal glands and depleting the immune system. As you learn to approach the world without this chronic tension, psoas awareness can open the door to a more sensitive attunement to your body’s inner signals about safety and danger, and to a greater sense of inner peace. – Liz Koch, Author of The Psoas Book

 

There are many yoga poses to stretch the psoas muscle

 

Therapeutic Approach

 

Since stress accumulates on an unconscious level, healing our bodies is a process that must happen consciously. There is no single way to do this, it requires gradual lifestyle changes and a daily practice. Craniosacral Therapy is powerful because it helps teach our body how to relax into a parasympathetic state which relaxes the nervous system. This gentle and non-invasive approach helps us bring awareness to and melt away the stress stored within us.

 

To work with the psoas is not to try to control the muscle, but to cultivate the awareness necessary for sensing its messages. This involves making a conscious choice to become somatically aware. – Liz Koch, Author of The Psoas Book

 

Yoga and Personal Practice

 

The best doctor is already within you. There is no replacement for cultivating a practice that heals, replenishes, and relaxes you from the in-side, out. There are numerous yoga poses that can help you on your journey of releasing this stress, anxiety, and fear stored within your psoas. Yoga calls this “the muscle of the soul” so any focus here is sure to give great results to your overall well-being. Yoga International seems to have a comprehensive list of photos and descriptions of poses that can start you on your journey.

 

A 5-minute routine to stretch the Psoas

 

If you spend as much time stretching your psoas muscle every day as you just did reading this article, you will notice some big changes in your life. First you may begin catching a lot of attention on the dance floor, but more importantly you will loosen your mind from the grips of fear and anxiety. It comes down to a conscious choice to live in trust and love instead of fear and anxiety, and that choice has to be followed by real-world action. It all starts within!

 

Source: http://www.the-open-mind.com/how-to-release-the-stress-stored-in-our-bodies/

[Che -Guevara]

Informative, danke.

[Bluelicious]

Che, sharing is caring you know. Everyone deals with stress others more then another and not everyone knows how to deal with it.

 

Yoga lovers know that it's relaxing

[Alpha Blondy]

@Bluelicious

said:

Che, sharing is caring you know.

 

clearly you dont care about Alpha, i see.

 

in your previous health-related thread, i specifically asked you 'how can i increase my dopomine levels' but you didn't answer my question. if you didn't know the answer, fair enough, lakinse preferential treatment wa laga fiicanyahay, inabti. this is health we're talking about and personality issues shouldnt cloud your judgement. anyways, its not like you're a medically qualified doctor, so stop posting this pseudo-science and new-age zen nonsense.

 

Che, get that the cholesterol down, sxb. wa iga talo.

[xabad]

@Bluelicious

said:

Che, sharing is caring you know. Everyone deals with stress others more then another and not everyone knows how to deal with it.

 

Yoga lovers know that it's relaxing

 

But, I can't do yoga. I am a man.

 

 

[Bluelicious]

@Alpha Blondy

said:

clearly you dont care about Alpha, i see.

 

in your previous health-related thread, i specifically asked you 'how can i increase my dopomine levels' but you didn't answer my question. if you didn't know the answer, fair enough, lakinse preferential treatment wa laga fiicanyahay, inabti. this is health we're talking about and personality issues shouldnt cloud your judgement. anyways, its not like you're a medically qualified doctor, so stop posting this pseudo-science and new-age zen nonsense.

 

Che, get that the cholesterol down, sxb. wa iga talo.

 

Alpha i'm sorry I gave you that impression. I've got nothing against you and I do care about you aswell. It's just yesterday after work I had a work meeting that I had to wait 1,5 hours for so I decided to be productive and get some things out of the way and in doing so I came online to answer some pm's wich is quickly done. But your question required an detailed answer and at that time I couldn't give you so I postponed to later in the night. After I posted this thread at night I started on your reply but then soon felt sleepy so I discontinued and went to bed with the intention to give you a proper reply today on saturday.

 

On another note you really need to stop getting bitter and belittle when things don't go your way I can see straight through that kulaha doctor and zen nonsense yet you're here and there. Since when do you need to be medically qualified to forward information and create awareness. Seems what I post makes you feel a certain way because you're not comfortable with yourself. Caadi iska dhig and don't take things personal everything a person does isn't always because of you that's why it's good to ask a person instead of immediately shooting your insults and belittle.

 

Next time be more patient it hasn't even been fully 2 days lol. Che got his response after a day

 

@xabad

said:

But, I can't do yoga. I am a man.

 

Lol I chuckled imagining how stiff men can be (except dancers) and knowing you probably have no problem watching a woman in bikini doing all those yoga poses

 

Xabad yoga is basically stretching your muscles and in doing so you're relaxing and releasing the tension in the muscles all while you're strengthening the muscles, increasing flexibility, balance and coordination at the same time.

 

Stretching is essential for the human body and it's a important part of top athletes and dancers workouts. It doesn't discriminate between genders lol.

[xabad]

Blue, I am quiet flexible actually.

 

knowing you probably have no problem watching a woman in bikini doing all those yoga poses

 

Wow! We are taking low digs at each other now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bluelicious]

Xabad I was talking about the video in the article where the woman was doing yoga poses in bikini. What do you mean by low digs?

[xabad]

My bad I thought you were referring to me.

 

 

 

 

[Mooge]

blue you are very helpful informative and kind. to me you found your true love with health and happiness related information. well done blue. much love.

 

 

[Holac]

Thanks @Bluelicious

 

 

[Bluelicious]

@Mooge

said:

blue you are very helpful informative and kind. to me you found your true love with health and happiness related information. well done blue. much love.

 

Thanks dear Mooge

 

You always amaze me with your insightfulness. Indeed I do know alot about food, health, mindfulness and psychology. I know it's my true love, great that you see it aswell

 

Much love back.

 

@Holac

said:

Thanks @Bluelicious

 

You're welcome Holac.

[Dhagax-Tuur]

Eeyaahee, good stress is sometimes beneficial. It's the bad stress that one should be weary. Example, the type that kicks in when that assignment is due in a week's time, I am not saying one should make a habit of last minute work, however. This kind of stuff, healthy psyche (psychology) would be incredibly helpful back home where people have suffered a lot, specially kids. We're generally resilient, but that doesn't mean we couldn't do with a bit of help now and then.

 

What do you think of 'mindfulness'? Since this sounds to be your thing. And it's a wonderful concept but takes I think quits bit of training to practice, me thinks.

 

Sorry if I'm ruining your thread, I know you don't like it when members mess with your topics.

[Bluelicious]

@Dhagax-Tuur

said:

Eeyaahee, good stress is sometimes beneficial. It's the bad stress that one should be weary. Example, the type that kicks in when that assignment is due in a week's time, I am not saying one should make a habit of last minute work, however. This kind of stuff, healthy psyche (psychology) would be incredibly helpful back home where people have suffered a lot, specially kids. We're generally resilient, but that doesn't mean we couldn't do with a bit of help now and then.

 

What do you think of 'mindfulness'? Since this sounds to be your thing. And it's a wonderful concept but takes I think quits bit of training to practice, me thinks.

 

Sorry if I'm ruining your thread, I know you don't like it when members mess with your topics.

 

What's eeyaahee?

 

Dagax Tuur prolonged stress is the bad one which is detrimental to the body. Did you know that when you're stressed little oxygen is going to your brain and that causes you to not think clearly, general decreased brain function and get memory problems such as getting forgetful.

 

What I learned from a communication/mindfulness trainer is that as soon as you start getting forgetful and can't think clearly in a stressful situation that's your warning sign from your body and you need to take a step back. Our body can't talk to us so it communicate to us through symptoms it's up to us to either listen or ignore.

 

Yes indeed people back home need these information. People are more interested in the politics/government then contributing to the progression of the health and wellbeing of the citizens especially the mental wellbeing. The citizens don't know any better, once they know better they will do better. Good thing you care enough about that subject to also want the information be shared with them.

 

Mindfulness is about becoming concious and aware about your thoughts. Learning to cope with stress and busy/chaotic/hectic situations. It's about living in the present instead of the past or future.

 

Yes you need to be a qualified trainer to practice mindfulness. Last month a communication/mindfulness trainer was invited by my boss to give us lessons about stress and communication after a colleague got a burn out.

 

I enjoyed the lessons and got to chat with the trainer and that made me want to be also a mindfulness trainer since i 've always been interested in that field. Inshallah I want to follow a course later this year or begin next year.

[Dhagax-Tuur]

Eeyaahee = abaayo macaan