More about the Functional Relaxation System

Once upon a time... 

You were born into the world with a level of health dependent upon many factors. During the formative years of your growth into adulthood, your beliefs, thoughts and actions were being formed by the environment in which you were raised and your primary care-givers.   This foundation formed the basis of how you live your life today.  Another way of putting this is that this foundation formed the personal mythology (life story) that you are now living.

Later in life other factors began to influence your personal mythology...such as the media, your peer group and what you're taught that society expects of you.  Your own personal aspirations also played a part.  Some things to know about the personal mythology that you are living your life by is that it  influences every thought and decision that you have ever, and will ever make throughout your life.  Another thing is that your structure and posture has developed in accordance with the personal mythology that you're living.  (Your structure is your physical being - your skeletal and muscular system.  Your posture is how you hold yourself in your structure - how you think about yourself and the world around you).

The good news is that although the personal mythology that you are living is most likely outside of your conscious awareness (i.e. it is "running you" while you're on auto-pilot), it is never totally fixed.  There is always the possibility of updating and evolving!  This is encouraging, especially because your health is a direct reflection of your personal mythology.

Recognising your rituals

A ritual (something that you think and do repeatedly in your life) is the external manifestation of the personal mythology that you're living your life by.  What rituals do you recognise in your own life??? 

Do your rituals...

• Move you toward becoming the kind of person that you want to be?
  
  
• Support the growth of your mind, body, spirit?
  
  
• Lead you to surround yourself with people that are a match for who you are and wish to become?

!!! HEALTH WARNING !!!

If the answers to these questions were "No" then it's likely that the  anxiety and the stress response in you will be triggered.

This is because your body is a dynamic entity that changes in accordance with the myths you are living - you have a a direct physical response to every thought you have! But remember the good news from above? You are a dynamic entity so your personal mythology is not fixed.  In fact, both your posture and structure are about choice.  You are choosing how you live in our body by the stories that you create.

Reality check:  Do you suffer with any of these?

• Headache?
• Neck ache?
• Back ache?
• Immobility of certain muscles?
• Joint pain?
• Muscle pain?
• Respiratory problems?
• Digestive problems?

Tell-tale behavioural signs of stress and anxiety

If you're experiencing the stress response or anxiety, then your body/mind will be in what's referred to as FLIGHT, FIGHT or FREEZE mode.  Here are some of the tell tale signs...Busy mind, Tiredness, Lack of energy, Moodiness,  Agressiveness, Seeking isolation, Stuck (can't make up your mind), Addictions

All these things are indicators that you're probably not using your structure and posture well, and they are often by-products of the stress response and anxiety.  See them as a call to action for you to do something before the symptoms escalate and crisis occurs.

SCENARIO A - Ill-health leading to the stress response and anxiety 1.  Person diagnosed with medical condition / health issue 2.  Stress response triggered and anxiety felt because of concerns about health 3.  Their Sympathetic Nervous System activated 4.  The effects of the Sympathetic Nervous System (which are brought about through an overabundance of certain hormones) are related to the development of the following illnesses: Anxiety,      Hypertension, Cardiac Rhythm Disturbances, Backaches, Tension headaches, Insomnia, Muscle aches 5.  Emotional & physical symptoms of stress and anxiety worsens 6.  Health worsens and/or return to health is hampered

The Relaxation Training

SCENARIO B - Stress response and anxiety leading to ill-health 1.  Person is experiencing stress and anxiety 2.  Their Sympathetic Nervous System activated 3.  Stress response and anxiety causes ill-health 4.  Emotional & physical symptoms of stress and anxiety worsens 5. Person's overall health worsens

Learn to Relax Tele-Class Series

Functional Relaxation: Making relaxed an everyday way of being...

The relaxation training system that we teach at The 4th R breaks the vicious cycle outlined in the scenarios A and B above, by blocking the action of the hormones of the Sympathetic Nervous System. This blockage prevents the stress response, anxiety and their harmful effects.

Drugs are available (beta-blocking drugs) to do this also. Our method achieves the same result but without the undesirable side effects of drugs

Deciding if The 4th R is right for you:

1) If you are suffering with something that requires specific treatment, such as a drug or surgery, your cure may be hastened if you use our method in conjunction with other processes/therapies.

2) If your doctor is giving you drugs or procedures that are intended to relieve the worries about symptoms rather than treat the cause of your ailment, then our method may be all you need.

Read more about the Functional Relaxation System or find out about the relaxation training services that we provide.

DEFINITIONS

Startle: A temporary state of physical brace against a real or perceived danger in the world.

Stress: Stress is the word used to describe this state of physical brace when it is on-going (rather than temporary).

Anxiety: Concerns about your own health and limitations. Fear driven. A desire to "move away from..."