Your Body Needs Balance And Harmony: Why Relaxation Is So Necessary

There is balance and harmony in nature. The seasons come and go, when leaves are shed and renewed. Day follows night, rest follows activity. This is the law of nature. We human beings are probably the only ones who ignore these laws. As a consequence, our balance is disturbed and there is disharmony, leading to stress and illness. The lack of relaxation gives rise to fatigue. The metabolic waste products, that have broken down from nutrients (like lactic acid and other waste materials), accumulate in the muscles and give rise to feelings of heaviness and discomfort. These toxic products need to be removed. A fresh supply of oxygen and glucose need to be brought to the muscles. The blood supply corrects all this when the muscle relaxes or rests. This was an example of the result of muscles performing action.

Our body’s in-built relaxation technique

The internal organs like the heart, lungs, intestines, kidneys, etc., are all working constantly. Nature has devised a way for the heart to rest, even while it is working. The period of contraction, when the heart pumps blood, is called systole. The period of rest or relaxation, when the heart muscle recovers to its normal size, is called diastole. The heart never stops pumping blood during our lifetime, yet it can continue to do so, because of the in-built periods of rest or relaxation.

Sleep and recover

Sleep is the means of rest and recovery for the body. During sleep, our respiratory rate slows down, the heart and blood pressure slow down, our muscles relax and we are ready to face the next day, renewed and refreshed. Normally, an adult requires 6 to 8 hours of sleep. Our body organs relax and so does the mind. In fact, relaxation is very necessary for both body and mind. In order to work hard and perform well, we must have proper periods of relaxation and adequate rest.

Stress is the root cause of many diseases

Recently, the effects of stress have been highlighted as being the contributory cause of various diseases. Not only has stress increased in modern life, but so has research on stress and stress-related diseases. Therefore, we now have much information about how to cope with stress and relaxation is one of the most important fields in stress management.

Be realistic to keep stress at bay

We tend to expect a great deal from ourselves and others. Sometimes, the goals that we set for ourselves and others are not realistic. In fact, this can even affect our children, who are put through much stress to meet up to the goals set by the parents. In the home situation, a new entrant in the family, like a new ‘daughter-in-law’ can go through anxiety and stress in trying to meet the expectations of her new family. So how do you deal with this? A few tips:

A sharing of tasks and a sympathetic attitude can help to build a better atmosphere and better relationships.
We need to increase awareness about the way we behave and put in some effort to bring about changes consciously.
There is also a need for better communication. In many cases, there is expectation without articulating what these expectations are. The other person may not be aware of the expectations and naturally, may not meet them. Once the expectations are known, the other person can at least try to meet them, or convey the inability to do so. In other words, relationships are on a better footing if there is communication.
It is much better to adopt a forgiving, sympathetic and understanding approach towards other people’s faults. This not only builds better relationships but benefits you too. It leaves you feeling good about yourself, and this goes a long way in coping with stress.

(This article is contributed by Shahnaz Husain, a Padma Shri Award recipient and pioneer of the Ayurvedic beauty movement and the head of a global network of franchise ventures and 375 formulations)