There is a Chinese proverb that says, “A stressed man walks a stressed mile. A relaxed man walks a relaxed mile.” How we choose to react to situations determines our experience of them and the effect they have on us that day and the next. How we feel in response to a situation is determined by a decision, conscious or unconscious, we have taken as to how that situation will make us feel.
Running a mile in under 4 minutes was considered impossible. Experts said it was physically impossible and psychologically dangerous. That was until 1957 when Roger Bannister ran a mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. Within forty-six days, John Landy ran a mile in 3 minutes 57.9 seconds. By the end of that year, another sixteen runners ran a mile in under four minutes. How did Bannister achieve the impossible? Why were sixteen other runners able to accomplish the same impossible feat?
Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes because he chose to and believed he could? He managed his state of mind, his physiology, and directed his outcome. By choosing the impossible he proved to the rest of the world that the impossible is possible.
Many people feel that not reacting to their stress-filled environment with anything other than charged emotions, feeling helpless and hopeless and that happiness, health, and a productive, successful life are completely impossible. Are you one of these? Right now you have a choice. How you consciously or unconsciously choose to react to your frenetic, demanding, fast-paced life is completely up to you. You can completely change how you think and feel if you want to.
To help you learn how to respond differently to your present situation I present a technique called, “Imagine a Stress Free Life.” You will use the fundamentals of this very simple yet powerful tool to completely change how you respond to your environment. You may not be able to change your circumstances, but you have the power to change how you react to it. Scientific research and anecdotal evidence prove that the subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between a real event and one that is vividly imagined.
Before we start this exercise I want you to think about a stressful event in your life. How does it make you feel? Does your body get tense? Does your mind race with all the potential disastrous outcomes or pain that you experience. On a piece of paper, diary, or notebook write down as much information about the event as possible. You will use this information to help you change your reaction to it through the visualization process which appears below. Please read completely through all directions before attempting the entire routine.
· Find a time when you will be uninterrupted for at least fifteen to thirty minutes.
· Either sit in a chair - back straight, chin in, neck elongated,
hands on legs, feet flat on the floor or lie flat on your back in bed or on a sofa, legs stretched
out and your arms lying at your sides.
· Close your eyes.
· Now imagine the event that you just wrote down. Allow yourself to be completely
overwhelmed by the situation, just as you normally experience while stressed out. Feel the
same feelings. Think the same thoughts.
· Once you are completely reliving the experience take 2-3 Breaths of Life or more until you
once again are calm.
· Now, imagine that you are breathing in a white mist, as much as is comfortable.
· Visualize the mist circling in and around your head. The mist symbolizes the mental stress
you experience.
· Breathe slowly and deeply.
· As you release the breath slowly through your mouth, allow all the tension to flow out of
your body with that breath.
· Let your shoulders droop and feel your body go limp.
· Take in a deep breath and this time as you exhale see the mist expelled through your
mouth along with all the things that caused you to stress out in the first place.
· Breathe in deeply again, and then expel more of the mist and stress with your next
exhalation.
· Continue deep breathing the mist and stress out until all the stress has left your body.
· Smile. Your body is calm and relaxed. Your mind is refreshed. You can face any situation
with strength and resolve. You are the master of your life.
· Rehearse this exercise daily for a month and then weekly to maintain your skill.
You can use this exercise to confront any situation. Once you can do it through the visualization exercise you will be able to do it on command during even the most stress-filled encounter. Once you have conquered one situation, use this exercise to conquer all hopeless, helpless, stressed-filled situations that confront you.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Birth of a Tiger
If you’ve followed my blogs over the last couple of months you know that the theme is getting rid of acute episodes of stress through simple, yet extremely powerful tools, including The Attitude Adjustment Routine, the Breath of Life, and exercise. However, The Peak is more than just surviving stress. It’s about flourishing regardless of the situation so that you can experience the fullness and bounty of Life.
When I was a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the Sport Psychology department I was presented with what I was told Sport Scientists considered the most powerful tool available to athletes. Sometime later I realized that this tool not only served athletes, it served anyone who chose to use it. However I didn’t understand the impact that this simple tool could have until a metaphysical experience during a round of golf in Myrtle Beach a short time after my graduation in 1993. As an introduction to this amazing gift available to us all I would like to share that experience with you here. It’s also from the prologue of my book, Kingdom of the Tiger: A Golfer’s Guide to Playing in The Zone. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I did.
Myrtle Beach was unusually warm that December morning. I woke with great anticipation, eagerly waiting to play golf. Besides the pleasant weather, I had played exceptionally well the day before and so was looking forward to playing Tiger’s Eye for the first time. I practiced at the range and putting green before proceeding to the first tee about five minutes before my tee time – where I found four groups waiting to tee off.
My heart sank! It was going to be a l-o-n-g, s-l-o-w day. I hate slow play! I never play well when I have to wait between shots. My tempo, rhythm, and concentration are severely affected. As I waited, I heard the groups ahead also grumble about the delay. Their grumbling grew to a fevered pitch as each golfer hit poor tee shots to start their rounds. Listening to this, my agitation continued to grow; my body became tense. I expected to play poorly.
Not only was the slow play cause for concern, but the extra time between shots also gave me time to think. I don’t normally play well on unfamiliar courses. I struggle with each hole, indecisive about how to play them which leads to more indecision and poor club selection. This indecision affects my attention. My mind wanders to many things having nothing to do with good play.
All the positive energy I felt earlier vanished, replaced with anger and frustration. My body felt tense and weak. My once positive mood had turned sour. My mind was cluttered with negative and extraneous thoughts. It was going to be a lousy day.
Finally the group directly ahead of us teed off and headed down the fairway. Since I would tee off first, I walked to the tee box and teed my ball. I then began pacing back and forth across the tee box. With each pass my eyes glared at the ball and then darted to the golfers in the fairway. Without realizing it I picked out a target in the middle of the fairway where I wanted my ball to land. As I continued pacing, the image of a big cat stalking its prey entered my consciousness. The scene became more vivid. I saw a tiger stalking its prey. After all, this was Tiger’s Eye. I was also born in the Year of the Tiger as per Chinese Astrology and my family and friends referred to me as “Tony the Tiger” growing up because I liked eating Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes so much.
The tiger in my mind was deaf and blind to everything but the animal it hunted. Its eyes never left its prey even though chaos and confusion abounded as a stampeding heard of animals tried to elude what would come next. Instinctively the tiger knew that if it did not maintain visual contact with its prey the hunt would be lost. The tiger was also oblivious to the threat and fear that surround any dangerous activity. You see, hunting can be dangerous, even for the hunter.
My “mental movie” of a hunting tiger continued. As it prepared to strike I could see the tiger’s strong supple body move gracefully, its movements powerful and quick, yet somehow controlled. The time was right. The tiger sprang into action, instinctively responding to every move of the animal it hunted – darting left, right, stopping, starting. No matter what the animal did the tiger moved in unison. It was more like a dance of the wild.
It was my turn to tee off. My predator instincts took over. I now saw myself as that tiger. I stood behind the ball, my eyes glued to my distant target – my prey. The rest of the golf course with its many hazards disappeared. As I moved into address, my body felt strong and agile, yet somehow relaxed. My mind’s eye was focused on the distant target even though my eyes remain fixed on the ball. My swing was powerful, swift not hard, controlled yet effortless. My actions were instinctive. An unconscious force guided the club through the ball, launching it toward my target.
Success!!! The ball flew straight and long, landing in the middle of the fairway right where I intended. Exhilarated, I forgot about the anger of having to wait, the frustration of slow play, the indecision created by playing a new course for the first time. I now had a goal, a single-mindedness to attack the golf course using the same predator-like ritual on each and every shot. While I desperately wanted to play well, score became unimportant. I was not threatened by poor play or distracted by things that normally challenge my performance. I wanted to see what would happen if I were to play golf the way a tiger hunts. My confidence soared as each shot found its target, making it easier and easier to sink deep into the role of the tiger. I was the tiger! It turned out to be one of the best rounds in my life.
That day “The Power of the Tiger” was born in me. Finally I learned what it was like to play in The Zone. The Zone is just a term used for being in the moment and focused on the task at hand so that there is nothing else but now. The account you just read was real: it was a life-transforming event. Even though I had been trained in visualization/imagery techniques and had used them extensively in my work, that experience helped me fully understand the incredible power of these simple natural techniques. I literally saw, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted the experience.
Could you taste the salty Myrtle Beach air and feel its warmth? Could you hear the golfers grumble ahead of me about the unexpected delay and their poor tee shots? Could you feel my frustration, disappointment, confusion, and anger as I suddenly came upon four groups of golfers still waiting to tee off? Could you sense how I took on the focus of a tiger just before it sprang into action? Could you feel my exhilaration when I successfully hit my tee shot down the middle of the fairway? Could you smell the prey as the tiger closed in for the attack? If so, you are well on your way to harnessing what many would consider the most powerful psychological tool available to humankind.
You can use your imagination to get out of stress. You can use it to realize all of your goals and dreams. You can use it to put you in touch with a world unseen by our physical eyes and connect you with the source of all that is. You can use it for anything you want.
When I was a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the Sport Psychology department I was presented with what I was told Sport Scientists considered the most powerful tool available to athletes. Sometime later I realized that this tool not only served athletes, it served anyone who chose to use it. However I didn’t understand the impact that this simple tool could have until a metaphysical experience during a round of golf in Myrtle Beach a short time after my graduation in 1993. As an introduction to this amazing gift available to us all I would like to share that experience with you here. It’s also from the prologue of my book, Kingdom of the Tiger: A Golfer’s Guide to Playing in The Zone. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I did.
Myrtle Beach was unusually warm that December morning. I woke with great anticipation, eagerly waiting to play golf. Besides the pleasant weather, I had played exceptionally well the day before and so was looking forward to playing Tiger’s Eye for the first time. I practiced at the range and putting green before proceeding to the first tee about five minutes before my tee time – where I found four groups waiting to tee off.
My heart sank! It was going to be a l-o-n-g, s-l-o-w day. I hate slow play! I never play well when I have to wait between shots. My tempo, rhythm, and concentration are severely affected. As I waited, I heard the groups ahead also grumble about the delay. Their grumbling grew to a fevered pitch as each golfer hit poor tee shots to start their rounds. Listening to this, my agitation continued to grow; my body became tense. I expected to play poorly.
Not only was the slow play cause for concern, but the extra time between shots also gave me time to think. I don’t normally play well on unfamiliar courses. I struggle with each hole, indecisive about how to play them which leads to more indecision and poor club selection. This indecision affects my attention. My mind wanders to many things having nothing to do with good play.
All the positive energy I felt earlier vanished, replaced with anger and frustration. My body felt tense and weak. My once positive mood had turned sour. My mind was cluttered with negative and extraneous thoughts. It was going to be a lousy day.
Finally the group directly ahead of us teed off and headed down the fairway. Since I would tee off first, I walked to the tee box and teed my ball. I then began pacing back and forth across the tee box. With each pass my eyes glared at the ball and then darted to the golfers in the fairway. Without realizing it I picked out a target in the middle of the fairway where I wanted my ball to land. As I continued pacing, the image of a big cat stalking its prey entered my consciousness. The scene became more vivid. I saw a tiger stalking its prey. After all, this was Tiger’s Eye. I was also born in the Year of the Tiger as per Chinese Astrology and my family and friends referred to me as “Tony the Tiger” growing up because I liked eating Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes so much.
The tiger in my mind was deaf and blind to everything but the animal it hunted. Its eyes never left its prey even though chaos and confusion abounded as a stampeding heard of animals tried to elude what would come next. Instinctively the tiger knew that if it did not maintain visual contact with its prey the hunt would be lost. The tiger was also oblivious to the threat and fear that surround any dangerous activity. You see, hunting can be dangerous, even for the hunter.
My “mental movie” of a hunting tiger continued. As it prepared to strike I could see the tiger’s strong supple body move gracefully, its movements powerful and quick, yet somehow controlled. The time was right. The tiger sprang into action, instinctively responding to every move of the animal it hunted – darting left, right, stopping, starting. No matter what the animal did the tiger moved in unison. It was more like a dance of the wild.
It was my turn to tee off. My predator instincts took over. I now saw myself as that tiger. I stood behind the ball, my eyes glued to my distant target – my prey. The rest of the golf course with its many hazards disappeared. As I moved into address, my body felt strong and agile, yet somehow relaxed. My mind’s eye was focused on the distant target even though my eyes remain fixed on the ball. My swing was powerful, swift not hard, controlled yet effortless. My actions were instinctive. An unconscious force guided the club through the ball, launching it toward my target.
Success!!! The ball flew straight and long, landing in the middle of the fairway right where I intended. Exhilarated, I forgot about the anger of having to wait, the frustration of slow play, the indecision created by playing a new course for the first time. I now had a goal, a single-mindedness to attack the golf course using the same predator-like ritual on each and every shot. While I desperately wanted to play well, score became unimportant. I was not threatened by poor play or distracted by things that normally challenge my performance. I wanted to see what would happen if I were to play golf the way a tiger hunts. My confidence soared as each shot found its target, making it easier and easier to sink deep into the role of the tiger. I was the tiger! It turned out to be one of the best rounds in my life.
That day “The Power of the Tiger” was born in me. Finally I learned what it was like to play in The Zone. The Zone is just a term used for being in the moment and focused on the task at hand so that there is nothing else but now. The account you just read was real: it was a life-transforming event. Even though I had been trained in visualization/imagery techniques and had used them extensively in my work, that experience helped me fully understand the incredible power of these simple natural techniques. I literally saw, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted the experience.
Could you taste the salty Myrtle Beach air and feel its warmth? Could you hear the golfers grumble ahead of me about the unexpected delay and their poor tee shots? Could you feel my frustration, disappointment, confusion, and anger as I suddenly came upon four groups of golfers still waiting to tee off? Could you sense how I took on the focus of a tiger just before it sprang into action? Could you feel my exhilaration when I successfully hit my tee shot down the middle of the fairway? Could you smell the prey as the tiger closed in for the attack? If so, you are well on your way to harnessing what many would consider the most powerful psychological tool available to humankind.
You can use your imagination to get out of stress. You can use it to realize all of your goals and dreams. You can use it to put you in touch with a world unseen by our physical eyes and connect you with the source of all that is. You can use it for anything you want.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My (Part 2)
While the human intellect has managed to keep pace with the ever-advancing faster paced world with its increasingly sophisticated scientific and technological improvements, our nervous systems have been much slower to change. Unfortunately, we have been conditioned to disregard and disparage our primitive ancestry and have become separate from our natural, more instinctive healing processes, but we still need access to those primitive processing centers to eliminate traumatic energy trapped inside our bodies.
The neocortex, also referred to as the human or rational mind, does not have direct access to the outside world, but interprets information received from other parts of the brain through images, language, and ideas. Because information processed in the neocortex is based on past beliefs, expectations, and attitudes, its conclusions about the meaning of present events tend to be relatively inaccurate. For example, just because you failed in the past doesn’t mean that you will fail this time. But sometimes our rational mind can’t draw that conclusion and proceeds as if failure were certain.
The brain also consists of two other processing centers, the limbic brain (Mammalian Brain), which processes emotional and social behaviors and the reptilian brain, also known as the instinctual brain. It has direct access to the outside world through the five senses. The reptilian brain processes vast amounts of information directly related to survival. Instinctively, the reptilian brain knows what is necessary for survival and is built on rhythms of charge and discharge. All mammals, including humans, snap into the reptilian brain mode of behaviors when they perceive a threat. It doesn’t make any difference whether the threat is to life or limb or related to the need to protect the ego. The reptilian brain discharges traumatic energy from the body.
Trauma resolution in healthy humans relies on instinct, emotions, and intellect working together to create the widest range of choices possible in any given situation. People more aligned with their natural systems tend to resolve trauma more easily. Being in touch with these natural processes allows them to discharge energy and restore health. Those who cannot discharge traumatic energy trapped inside their bodies freeze. They remain traumatized and engage in dysfunctional behaviors that do nothing to solve their problems because the only solution available to them is to protect the ego. People’s level of intelligence doesn’t matter; highly intelligent individuals are just as susceptible to physical and emotional trauma as those less intellectually talented, if the need to protect their ego outweighs all other choices.
Most coaches, counselors, and therapists work only with the conscious mind and make connections with the emotional-processing part of the brain, helping their clients think their way through their problems. Using such techniques as Reality Therapy and Cognitive Reconstruction, individuals experience relief from their problems by learning to look at their problems with new “eyes”. These approaches are also used to help people overcome irrational beliefs, fears, and expectations that impede performance in a variety of intellectual and physical venues.
Many times, uncovering cognitive blocks helps people perform all daily life tasks better. But what happens when we get stuck or “freeze” and these approaches don’t work? Does it mean that the problem is unsolvable or that we don’t possess the physical or intellectual attributes necessary for success, at least in that situation? No, what it means is that energy blocks in your body must be released.
Without the inclusion of bodily sensations and uncensored memories disconnects occur between the brain and the body making problems appear unsolvable, giving the illusion that one doesn’t possess the physical or intellectual talent necessary for success. That is when most people get stuck or “freeze.” In working with clients, I check for physical sensations, emotional feelings, thoughts, and memories triggered in difficult situations.
Many people are able to adequately describe the emotions, thoughts, triggered memories, and physical sensations they’ve experienced in past adverse or stressful situations. Some are not. If you are one of the latter, consider that physical sensations usually show up as tension, pain, stiffness, jitteriness, a racing heart, headaches, or labored breathing. Are there situations in which you feel helpless or hopeless? Do you get angry, frustrated, or sad when you feel like this? Do you remember times when nothing you did worked? If so, it’s a good bet that you have energy from these past situations trapped inside your body. If so, refer to “Lions and Tigers and bear, Oh My (Part 1) for suggestions to help remove these energies so you can begin anew, as if the past trauma never occurred. Here’s a list of therapies that help rid your body of unwanted energies.
1. Massage
2. Chiropractic
3. Reflexology
4. Reiki
5. Ascension Reiki
6. Sound Therapy
7. Osteopathy
8. Acupressure
9. Acupuncture
10. Relaxation Therapy
If you know of others, please let me know. Also, if you experienced PTSD or unresolved stress for an extended period of time one session isn’t sufficient. Weekly or monthly sessions over an extended period of time will have the energy in your body running freely and smoothly and you will not even know that your life is filled with stress.
The neocortex, also referred to as the human or rational mind, does not have direct access to the outside world, but interprets information received from other parts of the brain through images, language, and ideas. Because information processed in the neocortex is based on past beliefs, expectations, and attitudes, its conclusions about the meaning of present events tend to be relatively inaccurate. For example, just because you failed in the past doesn’t mean that you will fail this time. But sometimes our rational mind can’t draw that conclusion and proceeds as if failure were certain.
The brain also consists of two other processing centers, the limbic brain (Mammalian Brain), which processes emotional and social behaviors and the reptilian brain, also known as the instinctual brain. It has direct access to the outside world through the five senses. The reptilian brain processes vast amounts of information directly related to survival. Instinctively, the reptilian brain knows what is necessary for survival and is built on rhythms of charge and discharge. All mammals, including humans, snap into the reptilian brain mode of behaviors when they perceive a threat. It doesn’t make any difference whether the threat is to life or limb or related to the need to protect the ego. The reptilian brain discharges traumatic energy from the body.
Trauma resolution in healthy humans relies on instinct, emotions, and intellect working together to create the widest range of choices possible in any given situation. People more aligned with their natural systems tend to resolve trauma more easily. Being in touch with these natural processes allows them to discharge energy and restore health. Those who cannot discharge traumatic energy trapped inside their bodies freeze. They remain traumatized and engage in dysfunctional behaviors that do nothing to solve their problems because the only solution available to them is to protect the ego. People’s level of intelligence doesn’t matter; highly intelligent individuals are just as susceptible to physical and emotional trauma as those less intellectually talented, if the need to protect their ego outweighs all other choices.
Most coaches, counselors, and therapists work only with the conscious mind and make connections with the emotional-processing part of the brain, helping their clients think their way through their problems. Using such techniques as Reality Therapy and Cognitive Reconstruction, individuals experience relief from their problems by learning to look at their problems with new “eyes”. These approaches are also used to help people overcome irrational beliefs, fears, and expectations that impede performance in a variety of intellectual and physical venues.
Many times, uncovering cognitive blocks helps people perform all daily life tasks better. But what happens when we get stuck or “freeze” and these approaches don’t work? Does it mean that the problem is unsolvable or that we don’t possess the physical or intellectual attributes necessary for success, at least in that situation? No, what it means is that energy blocks in your body must be released.
Without the inclusion of bodily sensations and uncensored memories disconnects occur between the brain and the body making problems appear unsolvable, giving the illusion that one doesn’t possess the physical or intellectual talent necessary for success. That is when most people get stuck or “freeze.” In working with clients, I check for physical sensations, emotional feelings, thoughts, and memories triggered in difficult situations.
Many people are able to adequately describe the emotions, thoughts, triggered memories, and physical sensations they’ve experienced in past adverse or stressful situations. Some are not. If you are one of the latter, consider that physical sensations usually show up as tension, pain, stiffness, jitteriness, a racing heart, headaches, or labored breathing. Are there situations in which you feel helpless or hopeless? Do you get angry, frustrated, or sad when you feel like this? Do you remember times when nothing you did worked? If so, it’s a good bet that you have energy from these past situations trapped inside your body. If so, refer to “Lions and Tigers and bear, Oh My (Part 1) for suggestions to help remove these energies so you can begin anew, as if the past trauma never occurred. Here’s a list of therapies that help rid your body of unwanted energies.
1. Massage
2. Chiropractic
3. Reflexology
4. Reiki
5. Ascension Reiki
6. Sound Therapy
7. Osteopathy
8. Acupressure
9. Acupuncture
10. Relaxation Therapy
If you know of others, please let me know. Also, if you experienced PTSD or unresolved stress for an extended period of time one session isn’t sufficient. Weekly or monthly sessions over an extended period of time will have the energy in your body running freely and smoothly and you will not even know that your life is filled with stress.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My (Part 1)
You are probably familiar with the fight-or-flight reflex, that instinctual response to real or imagined threat. Another response available to both reptiles and mammals (including humans) is referred to by psychologists as the “immobility” or “freezing” response. While less is known about thins instinctual behavior, Dr. Peter Levine, author of Waking the Tiger, believes that, “It is the single most important factor in uncovering the mystery of human trauma.”
Human trauma occurs as the result of past experienced events or when the need to protect one’s ego overwhelms the rational mind. For example, your boss verbally abuses you in front of your co-workers. The event is traumatic enough, but every time you recall the event your subconscious mind relives the event all over again as if it was happening all over again. The more severe the incident and the more your recall the event the more you re-traumatize your body. Remember, the subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between a real event and one that is vividly imagined. That is why we can become frightened watching a scary movie. The movie is not real, yet the subconscious mind processes it as though it were and we become scared.
Many times hunted animals become “immobile” or “frozen” in the last instant before contact with their predator. The frozen animal is not pretending to be dead and may not even be hurt; instead, it instinctually enters an altered state that serves one of two purposes. It can be a last-ditch survival strategy: the frozen animal can quickly unfreeze and escape it its attacker looks the other way, or is spared incredible pain when it is torn apart by its attacker because the animal does not feel pain in this state.
Externally an immobilized animal appears to be dead, yet internally the animal remains supercharged with the energy of the chase. If the animal survives the hunt, it instinctively discharges all the compressed energy trapped inside its body, suffering no long-term ill effects. It merely goes back to being what it is – an animal. Have you ever seen a cat shake its hind legs after a fight?
Humans also freeze when faced with overwhelming or inescapable threat. While most modern societies consider this response a sign of weakness, tantamount to cowardice, realize that it is an involuntary reflex governed by the instinctual parts of the human brain and nervous system.
Unfortunately, humans are not adept at discharging pent up energy after becoming immobilized. A wide array of debilitating physical, psychosomatic, and behavioral problems, including anxiety, fear, anger, rage, sorrow, and depression occur if residual energy persists in the body. In effect, without being able to discharge the pent up energy, veterans and victims of war, rape, and abuse remain physically traumatized and become victims of the trauma itself. The same is true for individuals who suffer long-term unresolved stress from everyday issues. The present economic situation is one such scenario with so many people unemployed who have or fear losing their home or way of life.
The result, sadly, is that many of us become riddled with fear and anxiety and are never fully able to feel at home with ourselves in the world. According to Dr. Levine, effects of trauma also are not caused by the “triggering” event itself, but by the un-discharged energy that remains lodged in the body. Un-discharged energy wreaks havoc on our nervous system, body, mind, and spirit,
If you suffer from PTSD or experience long-term unresolved stress your body is contaminated with this pent up energy. You can take any number of steps to dislodge the energy from your body. Massage, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Reflexology, acupressure, acupuncture, Reiki, Ascension Reiki, Sound Therapy, Relaxation Therapy are all great strategies that remove unwanted pent up energy from your body. However, the longer and more severe your symptoms the longer it will take to return your nervous system back to a state of normalcy. I suggest weekly (or more) sessions with qualified professionals in any of these disciplines for at least several months. Then you can begin to space out your therapies to monthly (or when needed). Next time, more about the “freezing” response and other strategies for eliminating unwanted energy from your body.
Human trauma occurs as the result of past experienced events or when the need to protect one’s ego overwhelms the rational mind. For example, your boss verbally abuses you in front of your co-workers. The event is traumatic enough, but every time you recall the event your subconscious mind relives the event all over again as if it was happening all over again. The more severe the incident and the more your recall the event the more you re-traumatize your body. Remember, the subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between a real event and one that is vividly imagined. That is why we can become frightened watching a scary movie. The movie is not real, yet the subconscious mind processes it as though it were and we become scared.
Many times hunted animals become “immobile” or “frozen” in the last instant before contact with their predator. The frozen animal is not pretending to be dead and may not even be hurt; instead, it instinctually enters an altered state that serves one of two purposes. It can be a last-ditch survival strategy: the frozen animal can quickly unfreeze and escape it its attacker looks the other way, or is spared incredible pain when it is torn apart by its attacker because the animal does not feel pain in this state.
Externally an immobilized animal appears to be dead, yet internally the animal remains supercharged with the energy of the chase. If the animal survives the hunt, it instinctively discharges all the compressed energy trapped inside its body, suffering no long-term ill effects. It merely goes back to being what it is – an animal. Have you ever seen a cat shake its hind legs after a fight?
Humans also freeze when faced with overwhelming or inescapable threat. While most modern societies consider this response a sign of weakness, tantamount to cowardice, realize that it is an involuntary reflex governed by the instinctual parts of the human brain and nervous system.
Unfortunately, humans are not adept at discharging pent up energy after becoming immobilized. A wide array of debilitating physical, psychosomatic, and behavioral problems, including anxiety, fear, anger, rage, sorrow, and depression occur if residual energy persists in the body. In effect, without being able to discharge the pent up energy, veterans and victims of war, rape, and abuse remain physically traumatized and become victims of the trauma itself. The same is true for individuals who suffer long-term unresolved stress from everyday issues. The present economic situation is one such scenario with so many people unemployed who have or fear losing their home or way of life.
The result, sadly, is that many of us become riddled with fear and anxiety and are never fully able to feel at home with ourselves in the world. According to Dr. Levine, effects of trauma also are not caused by the “triggering” event itself, but by the un-discharged energy that remains lodged in the body. Un-discharged energy wreaks havoc on our nervous system, body, mind, and spirit,
If you suffer from PTSD or experience long-term unresolved stress your body is contaminated with this pent up energy. You can take any number of steps to dislodge the energy from your body. Massage, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Reflexology, acupressure, acupuncture, Reiki, Ascension Reiki, Sound Therapy, Relaxation Therapy are all great strategies that remove unwanted pent up energy from your body. However, the longer and more severe your symptoms the longer it will take to return your nervous system back to a state of normalcy. I suggest weekly (or more) sessions with qualified professionals in any of these disciplines for at least several months. Then you can begin to space out your therapies to monthly (or when needed). Next time, more about the “freezing” response and other strategies for eliminating unwanted energy from your body.
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