Why Is It So Hard To Relax Fully?

Have you ever been anxious or upset, and someone has told you "Oh, just calm down!"? Was it even remotely helpful, and did you feel instantly calmer?

I'm going to bet that the answer is "NO!". You may even have felt more agitated.

The reason behind your perfectly natural reaction is the powerful mind-body connection. Understanding this is the key to releasing your body from chronic pain.

The brain, nervous system and body can create muscular tension. But physical tension can also lead to anxiety, worry and fear in the mind. 

What appears physical (tense, sore muscles) can be initiated by the brain and nervous system.
What appears to be psychological (depression, anxiety, anger etc) can be driven by the muscles.

There are many ways to explore the mind-body connection. Personally, I love practicing a combination of:

• somatic movements,
• simple breathwork 
• meditation
• Yoga.

It's no surprise that this is what I teach in my classes.

Let's dive deeper into how the brain, nervous system and body influence each other, and how this knowledge will help you get lasting relief from chronic pain and muscle tension.

How You Respond To Stress

We all have 3x instinctive reflexes that our body automatically goes into: when we meet something stressful

• Green Light Reflex = Fight or Flight (action)
• Red Light Reflex = Freeze (Stop / deep protection)
• Side Reflex = Avoidance (Compensation / fear)

Stress can come from an external source (a person / home environment / work / traffic etc), or internal (a sensation like hunger or cold, thoughts, emotions, inflammation etc).

In this article, we'll look at the first 2 reflexes.

1) Green Light Reflex

Do any of these resonate with you?

• "I'd love to chat, but can't stop....Must dash!"
• Always busy, busy, busy
• Feeling wired, on edge, tense, anxious, nervous
• Find it hard to sleep, rest or be still

If you've nodded your head to any of the above, you're in the Green Light reflex, commonly known as "Fight or Flight".

The Green Light reflex drives your body forward into action - either to run away or to engage with whatever is bothering you - hence why you find it hard to rest.

When you encounter something stressful, external or internal, the sympathetic nervous system gets activated. Almost instantly, adrenaline and noradrenaline are deployed with immediate effect. A short time later, the hormone cortisol is then released into the bloodstream, keeping the brain and body on high alert for any remaining danger.

This is how your body looks when in the Green Light reflex:

The muscles that produce the Green Light reflex are located at the back and to the outside of your body, including:

• Hamstrings
• Gluteal muscles
• Spine extensors
• Trapezius
• Rhomboids
• Posterior deltoids

If you get stuck in the Green Light reflex, you'll feel continuous tension or soreness in these muscles. You may suffer from persistent lower back ache, sciatica, tight hips, shoulder, upper back and neck pain.

Because the Green Light reflex pushes your body into taking action, trying to relax and meditate whilst in this state will feel extremely hard and frustrating. 

Therefore, doing somatic movements which releases your body from this posture helps your nervous system to settle down, feel safe, and deactivates the sympathetic 'fight or flight;' response. 

Result = Your muscles feel less tense, and you'll feel calmer. 

2) Red Light Reflex

If the Green Light reflex is all about 'Go, Go, Go', the Red Light reflex is the "STOP!" signal for the body.

If you can't do anything about whatever is stressing you, the body reacts by freezing.

This reflex is one of deep protection - "Thou shalt not pass!".

It's initiated by the dorsal vagal branch of the parasympathetic nervous system.

When you're in the Red Light reflex, you may feel overwhelmed, apathetic, unmotivated, worried, anxious and disconnected.

Procrastinators are often stuck in this dorsal vagal state, unable to take action despite their best intentions. 

The muscles of the Red Light reflex are located at the front and inside of the body, including:

• Adductors (inner thigh muscles)
• Hip flexors
• Abdominal muscles
• Chest (pectorals, serratus anterior)
• Front shoulder muscles (Anterior deltoids, Biceps)

You may think this picture looks familiar - yes, it's also called "desk worker's posture". Certain car seats will force your body into this position, hence why even the most mild people get road rage.

If you're stuck in the Red Light reflex of protection, you may suffer from persistent lower back ache, sciatica, tight hips, shoulder, upper back and neck pain.

By releasing the muscles that pull the body into a Red Light posture, you'll move out of the dorsal vagal response.

Result = Your muscles feel less tense, you'll feel less overwhelmed and more energised.

Takeaway

• The super highway of the body is the vagus nerve. You may be surprised that 80% of the this nerve's fibres run from body to brain, and only 20% travel from brain to body. Therefore, the state of your muscles is HUGELY influential on the signals the brain sends back to them.
• Releasing muscle tension and bringing your body back to balance helps to regulate your nervous system, emotional state, and sleep quality.
• Bringing conscious awareness to how your muscles feel and how you move puts your brain and nervous system back in control of your body. This helps you to release muscles from tension and relieve pain.

WAYS TO WORK WITH ME

The Befriend Your Body Method for Pain Management & Relaxation community class

Next date: Sunday 18th August, 1.30pm to 3pm (just 3x spaces left). Book HERE

A small group, tranquil mindful movement class for pain management and relaxation, with a deeply soothing sound bath meditation.

During the class, you'll learn how to use small movements to successfully rebalance your body, release muscle tension and reduce pain. 

Then immerse yourself in the calming sounds and healing vibrations of the crystal singing bowls, ocean drum and rain stick. You'll leave feeling fully rested, deeply relaxed and rejuvenated. 

This class is for you whether you're looking for a natural way to manage pain with a mindful movement practice, or simply to quietly rest in a peaceful sanctuary.

Click HERE for all the details, including how to book. Numbers are limited to a small group to nurture a friendly, inclusive and supportive community for all members.

Other ways you can find help with managing pain or an injury are:

• Book into a Stretch or Pilates class with me - these are a good introduction to the movement explorations of The Befriend Your Body (BYB) Method  for pain management and relaxation.
• Apply HERE for an Unlock Your Body breakthrough session. This is a powerful 1:1 session designed to help you find the root drivers behind a persistent pain or injury. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of what's triggering pain in your body, and a clear action plan to get lasting relief. 
• Get your copy of my free E-guide "How to Get Relief From Back Pain and Muscle Tension in just 10 mins a Day". This introduces the 3x universal stress responses that can keep you stuck in pain, and explains the 4x pillars of The BYB Method. There's also 2x 10 mins video tutorials showing you how to release muscle tension from the front and back of your body in the comfort of your without expensive equipment. Download for instant access HERE
• Subscribe HERE to receive "The Movement Chronicle", a weekly e-newsletter delivering mobility and pain reduction tips directly into your inbox every Monday morning,

You can connect with me through any of these channels:

• Email at norma@unicornhealthandfitness.com
• Follow me on Facebook and DM me on Messenger https://www.facebook.com/norma.pearsonfitness
• WhatsApp message to 07801 867361.