Recession. War. Swine flu. Big stressors for sure. Daily stressors are out there too. Children. Relationships. Caring for aging parents. Jobs. You have your own unique set of day to day stressors. 

Let's see a show of hands. If you are not tense, raise your hand!  It's okay, I'll admit I could not raise my hand either. Do you have an aching feeling in the neck, bilateral shoulders and back area? That's the dreaded tension triangle. Tension loves this space and often makes its presence known when you least expect it.    

Obviously the body can deal with short-term anxiety and stress, but over time your body recognizes a threat lurking in the background and tries to give you a wake-up call. Common warning symptoms - headaches, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain - appear. Your muscles tighten and are severely fatigued.  Flexibility decreases and your muscles become stiffer. Having tight, stiff, painful muscles becomes increasingly difficult to deal with on a daily basis. Eventually you decide that enough is enough and seek help for what has become for you a serious problem.  So what can you do at this point when you feel your quality of life is just not optimal?

I recommend you schedule a massage. It is a very effective way to manage that tension triangle. Remember endorphins, those "feel good" hormones? Endorphins are released during massage and help reduce that nagging discomfort in your muscles. You become more relaxed as pain and stiffness ease. I think a good combination for reducing tension is Swedish massage with heat and gentle stretches. If you get a massage on a regular basis you will have increased circulation, as well as an intensified feeling of well-being.    

Combining massage therapy with healthy lifestyle habits to fight stress is something you may want to try. Choose regular moderate exercise that you enjoy. Get plenty of sleep. Eat a healthy diet. Have fun and laugh every day.

Yoga is also an excellent way to combat your stress as it calms the mind and the body. Remember my February blog note - "I can't touch my toes"? Another benefit of yoga is that it helps to increase your flexibility.  Did you know there's a new yoga studio in town (Richmond, VA)?  Practical Yoga Life in the West End is open for business. Juan Diossa, the owner, has classes to meet your specific needs whether you are a yoga newbie, an advanced student, or somewhere in-between. Juan invites you to come and take unlimited yoga classes for a week without any commitment. Take some time and visit his web site at www.practicalyogalife.com. Make sure you check out his pictures - they are awesome! 

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