Your body is an intricate collection of cells, organs, systems, and energies working in harmony. And each and every part of you is connected. Literally.
You have a system of connective tissue called fascia that runs throughout your entire body, gently enveloping muscles, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, organs and tendons.
Actually, if you took away everything in the body but the fascia, you’d still be able to see all the structures of the body. You’d have a 3D mesh-like rendering of your body, from the skin to deep within. Your bones, organs, endocrines, and systems would all appear, delicately traced out with lines of connective tissue.
This connection is part of what supports you in every moment of every day.
And that brings me to the effects of tension on your body…
I’ll start with the bad news.
Because of this beautiful interconnection in your body, when you have tension in one area, it affects your entire body. Your tight hip affects your digestive system, your stiff neck pulls on your heart.
Take a look at this image of a tense area in a sheet (representing a sheet of connective tissue) to give you an idea of what I mean.
As you can see, one area of tension pulls in all directions and affects the entire fabric. In just the same way, tension in your body in one place, pulls on everything.
And because emotions also cause physical stress, your state of mind pulls on your body this way too.
The good news.
On the plus side, this also means that when you release tension in any part of your body, your whole body relaxes. Taking some deep breaths into your chest will help your tight knee release a bit. Doing some gentle forward bends will relax your neck and shoulders and help your brain settle.
What to do about body tension…
I invite you to take a moment right now to take some deep releasing breaths. Breathe in fully, and allow tension to melt from your body on exhale. Relax your face, jaw, neck, and shoulders. Breathe deeply into your belly, and let go of any anxiety. Let tension in your legs flow into the earth.
Anytime you’re feeling tense or stressed, take these breaths. Imagine all the tension in your body melting into the ground, and feel your ENTIRE body and mind thank you.
Getting in the habit of relaxing the body through deep breathing this way will help your accumulated tension begin to release, and each part of your body will carry less stress.
If you need help letting go of deeper tension in your body and mind, come explore how you can work with me to go further in letting go of subconscious stressors and persistent tight spots.
Have a beautiful day!
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