"No matter how well you tend to cope with the difficulties that each day presents, you can still benefit from a bit of relaxation. Some people still have prejudices against relaxation methods; the image of people sitting on the floor, with their legs in a knot, chanting words they don’t even understand can come to mind…But this is simply not true. There are hundreds of ways to relax in today’s world--and hardly any of them expect you to be double-jointed!
Meditation, one of the most beneficial relaxation methods, has been around for thousands of years. The Buddhist monks of Tibet have practiced meditation for centuries, implying that there’s probably something to the method. But there’s a drawback: Buddhist techniques for reaching a state of deep relaxation can take years of study and discipline to master.
Meditation, when done properly, takes your mind into what is called the Theta state, a brain wave pattern associated with trances or deep meditation. The Theta rhythm represents a lower level of consciousness than the normal Beta state, which is associated with the waking mind. It is in the Theta state that your mind becomes susceptible to suggestion, which means that in this state you can more effectively look at your problems and worries in a more positive light. For those who like affirmations, chanting positive affirmations while in a Theta state will help your mind uncritically accept the ideas. The result? Your views regarding the most stressful aspects of your life can change dramatically.
Unfortunately, as was mentioned earlier, it can take many years to master the skill of true meditation. However, Tibetan Buddhist monks have a second way of beating stress, especially stress caused by a physical illness. The monks believe that the cause of all disease is ignorance of reality. The act of holding on to the ‘personal self’ can cause the appearance of the three mental poisons--desire, hatred and stupidity--and it is these poisons, according to the monks, that cause long-term illnesses.
By focusing the mind on positive beliefs and learning to relax the physical body, the Tibetans believe that the three mental poisons can be overpowered so that physical illnesses can not develop. The Tibetans have three positive beliefs that make up one of the main components of their medical practices, and that they believe have a major effect on physical illness. These beliefs are:
• A belief in the doctor.
• A belief in the patient.
• A belief that when the individual forces of doctor and patient are released, their interacting beliefs will produce a positive, healing karma.
Tibetan monks do use herbs and other physical remedies, but beyond these, this strong belief in the power of self-healing is an integral part of Tibetan medicine.
The Tibetans believe in the existence of mental poisons; here in the West we believe in the existence of stress and anxiety. Could it be that we and the Tibetans ultimately have the same belief?
Stress and anxiety often cause sufferers to feel desire, hatred and stupidity, along with a multitude of other demoralizing feelings. But if we use the same concepts the Tibetans have been using for centuries, we may be able to overpower the negative feelings of stress, which leaves only positive feelings and thoughts in our minds.
Deep relaxation techniques have been used to combat the physical symptoms of stress for years, but it is a relatively new idea in the West to focus the mind on deep-seated beliefs that are important to you in order to forget your problems and worries. And there are several important benefits to that relatively new idea. How many times have you tried to find the answer to an important problem, but have failed to see a way out? But then, as soon as you start thinking about something else, the answer presents itself. This is one of the huge benefits of combining deep relaxation with mental concentration on a particular positive belief: you often find the answers to your biggest problems when you think about them the least.
A second benefit is that relaxation techniques reduce the physical symptoms of stress, including muscle tension, high blood pressure, insomnia and an increased pulse rate. By improving both your physical health and the health of your mind, you will almost guarantee long-term well being and happiness.
Unfortunately, we can’t all go to Tibet for a few years to learn the intricacies of spiritual meditation. We can, however, all learn some simple relaxation methods that combine the mind and the body in order to produce a better state of personal health both in the body and the mind. After all, with a positive state of mind we can beat any complications that the world throws at us--and if a good state of mind has a good effect on our personal health, well, so much the better."
Source: The 4th R - is a resource and training center for learning how to relax based in South West London. It was founded by Charles Moore, whose health flourished under his own innovative application of relaxation techniques based upon the MythoSelf® Process.
15.11.2007