What is your body holding on to...and how to let that sh*t go.

I caught myself doing this the other day and wondered, "What is going on in my body?" I was driving home from vacation. My feet were kicked up, groovy tunes surrounding me. Even though I was at the end of a great trip, I was content. It had been an adventurous and fun week. All of the sudden, I noticed my buns were rock hard. I felt like I was chillin in the seat but really I was all clenched up. When I consciously relaxed my cheeks, I felt myself fully release down onto the car seat. Ah. A real release. This made me do a little scan to see what other muscles were tensed: my core, my shoulders, my jaw. How often do I do this? Quite a bit, it seems. I've checked frequently since then. (I literally checked just now.) It's clear that, unconsciously, any tension I'm experiencing in my mind goes right into my body. I meditate, exercise and practice self-care regularly but there are always things to worry about. I can't hide it from my body. Looking at where our society is today, it's likely you find yourself in the same boat. The American Psychological Association says, "Muscle tension is almost a reflex reaction to stress—the body’s way of guarding against injury and pain. With sudden onset stress, the muscles tense up all at once, and then release their tension when the stress passes. Chronic stress causes the muscles in the body to be in a more or less constant state of guardedness. When muscles are taut and tense for long periods of time, this may trigger other reactions of the body and even promote stress-related disorders." From https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body Stress can affect all parts of your body. Increased muscle tension in your neck and shoulders can be painful and even cause migraine headaches. It can cause shallow breathing, which prevents oxygen from adequately reaching all of your cells. It can change the bacteria in your gut, creating an imbalance that sparks digestive issues and stomach upset. We all know that stress can raise your blood pressure, which increases your risk for heart disease and stroke. On a hormonal level, excessive release of stress chemicals like adrenaline and cortisol can exhaust your adrenal glands and, if prolonged, endanger your organs. Chronic stress is no bueno for your health. There are countless other mind-body connections we see with stress at the epicenter. But just as your mind can muck up your physiology, it can also help it heal. And this is a two-way street: your body can help heal your mind, too. Each time you find yourself all tensed and knotted up, try these 5 steps and see if they improve the way you experience stress in your body over the long haul. 1) Notice what's happening. Recognizing you're tense is more than half the battle. In the scenario above, it was my body that told me I was holding onto stress, not the other way around. Practice listening to your body more. Pick moments in your day to check-in with your body--maybe every time you sit at your desk or before you eat a meal. This will help make noticing a regular practice.

2) Physically release your muscles. If you catch yourself tensed up, let go. Allow your body to melt into your chair or, if standing, into your feet. Imagine your bones, muscles and connective tissues becoming soft and pliable. Let your body become heavy and feel its weight working with gravity, grounding you down. It sometimes helps me to picture myself in a place where I'm totally relaxed, like at the beach, with my toes buried in the sand, my gaze out over the horizon, and my ears attuned to the crashing surf.

3) Consciously breathe. Right in that moment--when you've noticed that you're tense--slow your breathing and be very deliberate with your inhales and exhales. There are many breathing techniques that alleviate stress. A good one for beginners is the 4-7-8 method. Start by exhaling all of the air in your lungs. Then, inhale for a full 4-second count. Hold the air for 7 seconds, and, finally, exhale for 8 seconds. Do this for 5-10 breath cycles at least once each day. Breathwork not only helps your body down-regulate from fight-or-flight mode but also resets your mental state and changes your perception of stressful situations. Measure your progress after a month of practice.

4) Acknowledge your stress. Label it. Say to yourself, "I feel anxious or angry or xyz." A huge part of our human experience is feeling. When we try to squash our feelings or subvert them, they come out in other, unproductive, ways. So don't judge your feelings or emotions as good or bad, just acknowledge them, experience them, and let them live through their natural lifecycle.

5) Laugh! Go ahead, laugh out loud-- LOL! You can even fake laugh yourself into a real laughing fit, partially because it's so ridiculous. Don't hesitate to find the humor in what's going on in your life--even the downs. We can sometimes take ourselves so seriously but we don't have to. Laughing releases endorphins and just makes you feel lighter and happier. So go ahead, call your funniest friend or replay a hilarious scene in your head--whatever it takes to get your giggle on--because you deserve a few moments of light-heartedness and so does your body.

Using your body to help enlighten you about your mind and your mind to help enlighten you about your body are great skills to hone. You don't have to become a yogi to experience the mind-body connection (though that would be awesome!). Start by practicing the steps above. Become attuned. Make subtle adjustments and see what happens. I'm betting you'll gain great insight and release some tension along the way.