our bodies with dealing with today's stressors. Everyday people use rest flotation, visualization and imagery techniques, yoga, time management strategies, oiging, and several other methods too rid their bodies of stress. I am going to focus on three techniques that are a little more popular then the ones I mentioned above. Massage, meditation, and simply having fun are easy and readily available to everyone. We see people everyday using these methods at home, in the work place, and even in public. They are very effective ways to relax.Massage affects the body as a whole. It is known to increase the circulation of blood and flow of lymph. The direct mechanical effect of rhythmically applied manual pressure and movement used in massage can dramatically increase the rate of blood flow. Also the stimulation of nerve receptors causes the blood vessels to dilate, which also facilitates blood flow.Massage has a definite psychological effect. Since massage animates the tactile sense, the body's primary sense, it brings people into the here and away from tension generated by constant preoccupation with problems. Also, loosening of muscle tension or armoring--the physical counterpart of how we defend and protect our selves from psychological pain--can lead to freeing of repressed emotions. "Users of massage therapy as a healing tool quickly realize that they have found a form of drugless therapy. Headaches, insomnia, digestive disorders, arthritis, asthma, minor aches and pains are some of the problems that can respond to massage therapy. It can even have an excellent effect on nervous people who have been dependent on their pharmacy for rest and relaxation"( Greene,1997). Most of us have dabbled in meditation by participating in conscious relaxation. Maybe during an exercise class or to manage pain or anxiety. We start by paying attention to our breathing. "The practical effort to focus completely on our breathing takes our minds away from ...
