In part 2 we will:

•   Be curious about stress

•   Discover a new stress response

•  Learn how to use stress / tension as fuel for Healing

So what has your investigation uncovered so far?

You may have noticed where and when your tension builds up, typically. You may also have witnessed your own stress response and the consequences of it. If, as I suspect, your current stress response is one of little use or comfort to you, you may be interested to learn a new one. Is the tension you are experiencing getting your attention? What is your behaviour in response (e.g. being irritable, frustrated, anxious or angry)?

When you believe there is no time to respond differently to stress you may hear yourself say, “I don’t have time for this… I don’t have time for you… I don’t have time to think… I don’t have time to stop…” When you are desperate to get out of the experience of tension in the body (because you fear stress and its unwanted effects) you do not allow the time to generate a new response. This desire to escape stress generates more tension in the body instead of allowing that tension to be released easily.

Stress and its related dis-ease is the result of a resistance to the natural flow of energy in our lives. Fight or flight is the most common response to stress but it is not the only one. When you are curious in response to stress you can identify its source by asking, “What is this tension about? / Where does this tension come from?” Often it may be related to a previous experience or to an expectation of some kind. Acknowledging the source of tension inside you gives you a choice about what to do with it – amplify it as a negative stress in the mind-body or else use the energy it provides to find resolution at its source. This process will trigger a Healing response within the body.

An example of this put into practice is seen in a Japanese martial art called Aikido. Here, the mind relearns the nature of attack with the realization that there is no such thing – only energy to be used. When faced with the threat of attack (or tension in the body) the desirable response is to maintain your centre whilst allowing yourself to flow with the energy that is coming your way. When skillfully done, conflict in the mind and body (or stress) is avoided. Such a response requires flexibility of mind and body.

What ways do you know of being flexible in your mind and body?

As you notice tension in your body, consider how you would like to use it:

Where in you is the centre from which you will generate an effective response to stress?

What needs to happen to achieve resolution?

How will you recognise the natural flow of energy that follows?

What changes in your life will result from using your new stress response?

 "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade - add a shot of Pimms and garnish with a sprig of mint and cucumber if you have the means...."

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