Stress. We re reveal d to it and undergo it to some degree e grossly day of our lives. Sometimes we handle it fine, we recognise the token s and we put our foot on the brakes and stop to do something with regards to’concerning’with respect to it. More often we soldier on, ignoring those warning token s, naively believing that if we just carry on as normal those little niggles will go away. But they don t. They acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure worse. Building up until eventually we reach breaking point. Suddenly we no longer possess’own’nurse any choice in the matter. We are in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ced to stop.

The human body is a diary of eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully knock, bump, injury, trauma that it has ever been through; a blueprint if you like. And despite being an incredibly clever organism, detoken ed to heal itself of these knocks , the tension and lay stress on’emphasize’highlight each one causes doesn t necessarily always heal, even with time. In fact, as we slip back into wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile habits and carry on ignoring the symptoms we make matters worse.

Where Does Stress Come From?

A small amount of lay stress on’emphasize’highlight is rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent in/with regard to’concerning’regarding us. It keeps us on our toes, it makes us alert, it energises us, acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s the job done. But the body can merely’barely handle so much bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e it has no choice but to step in and try to conserve’preserve itself.

There are three different types of lay stress on’emphasize’highlight that we undergo :

Mental/Emotional Stress Anxiety, misgiving’fret , feeling over worked and financial/health/work/family/body image worries etc.

Physical Stress Injuries, aches, pains, incorrect posture etc.

Chemical Stress Additives in food, viruses/bacteria, atmospheric pollutants, pollen, chemicals in cleaning products and make up etc.

And if we undergo lay stress on’emphasize’highlight in one of these zone’district’region s it is highly likely, if left untreated, that we will embark on develop lay stress on’emphasize’highlight in the other ones too, as they are all connected to one another. For example, if you re marathon training to excess not merely’barely do you risk injury, but you may also develop cold sores from where you ve become run down, cramp because you re not acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting abundant’ample’plentiful salt back into your diet, and you may become moody as your energy levels are zapped.

What is Body Stress Release?

As we grow older we almost come to expect that our health will deteriorate and that aches and pains are just part and parcel of the aging process. However that needn t be the case. If we look after our bodies and are more mindful at paying attention to what they re telling us, then we can continue to live our lives the way we want to. This is teamwork despite’in spite of’albeit folks, we need to act in harmony with our bodies rather than against it. After all, we ve merely’barely got one body, it s our home, our functioning being, our ultimate gift to ourselves. Perhaps it s time we started looking after it a bit better, hey!?!

Body Stress Release (BSR) was developed in the early 1980s by Ewald and Gail Meggersee, a South African couple who as qualified chiropractors were desperate to find a treatment in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the constant pain Ewald had been suffering from after he had fallen out of a tree as a child. It is a grossly tender technique that in all honesty is one of those things that you possess’own’nurse to undergo yourself in an attempt to understand how it works and what it feels like. It is perhaps easier to explain how it doesn t work than how it does there s no massage, no manipulation, no machines, no medication.

So what is there then?

Well, initially’originally you possess’own’nurse it done to you while you are fully clothed you don t even need to take your shoes off. So there s none of the misgiving’fret with regards to’concerning’with respect to having to wear paper paints or risking a towel slipping off as you turn over. And secondly you barely know you re even having anything done to you while it s going on, it s that subtle.  Just a few little taps and maybe some kneading in places, but it s certainly not the crunch and pop you d acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure from say a chiropractor. It s with regards to’concerning’with respect to spotting the zone’district’region s of tensions and releasing that lay stress on’emphasize’highlight and tightness.

But once this lay stress on’emphasize’highlight has been released, what then? Does that mean you re fixed?

Well it will in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a bit yes, but you can t stop lay stress on’emphasize’highlight creeping into your life no matter how Zen you are. And so body lay stress on’emphasize’highlight release is I guess another one of those tools that you should possess’own’nurse tucked away in your wellness toolkit. A bit like eating well and exercising regularly, BSR is a kind of body self care if you like.

Experiencing Body Stress Release

I was lucky abundant’ample’plentiful to undergo BSR first hand with a local Body Stress Release practitioner, Annabel Boys, who invited both myself and my husband (who has more body niggles than me) to possess’own’nurse some sessions. She advised that I would need a minimum of 2-3 sessions, as once the lay stress on’emphasize’highlight has been released it starts a process that needs to be carried through.

The first session is mostly spent talking with regards to’concerning’with respect to body history, whether I d had any injuries, if I currently ache in any peculiar zone’district’region s, am I under any lay stress on’emphasize’highlight , what exercise I do, the job I do etc. I ll be honest in that I don t possess’own’nurse that many body niggles (not that I know of anyway!) and so I was mildly’faintly dubious as to how this would help me. But then, prevention is grossly much better than cure, right?

After going through the in/with regard to’concerning’regarding malities, I was taken over to .. THE BED! Now this isn t your bog standard therapist bed, oh no this is a bed that allows you to stand on the end and then be lowered gently down into a horizontal position great in/with regard to’concerning’regarding individual with restricted movement. I was offered the chance to just climb on, but come on this is me we re talking with regards to’concerning’with respect to of course I picked the fun option 😉

Annabel proceeded to do a series of tests to see if there is a recoil action. It s a intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully subtle jump or flinch or shift in position that tells her that something s not quite right. If this happens it means there is something there that needs to be released. As predicted Annabel picked up on my tight shoulders, but also found a enormous’vast’massive’tremendous old knot in my lower back. She perin/with regard to’concerning’regarding med her magic a closely guarded secret by the way and then I was slowly tilted back up to standing.

I felt a little lightheaded when I first got up, but then I do possess’own’nurse low blood pressure and am a bit prone to dizziness anyway.  I did however feel lighter in myself, like when you ve had a lovely massage and you re kind of left feeling as if you re floating on air. And I sort of felt more convert’transform ed on, a bit more sensitive to my body, taller, more elongated, like I was holding myself better.

Annabel s advice to sit better. I work from home on a laptop, my posture is appalling. And this goes back to what I mentioned earlier with regards to’concerning’with respect to teamwork, because unless I do something to correct the way I sit, to stop myself hunching over the keyboard, then of course I m going to possess’own’nurse problems in the future.

The next day my neck and head ached. Annabel had warned me with regards to’concerning’with respect to this. A bit like when you detox, BSR brings out the problem. The lay stress on’emphasize’highlight had been released and it was my body reacting. I felt intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully tired and it had bought a lingering cold out. Not going to lie, I felt terrible in/with regard to’concerning’regarding 2 days after the first sesh. I wanted to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure to the bottom of why this was the case, was this normal, why was I not noticing the benefits. The thing is when you possess’own’nurse n t got that many niggles, the benefits are less noticeable. For individual like me it is more with regards to’concerning’with respect to equipping our bodies with the ability to cope with day to day lay stress on’emphasize’highlight es and handle them without letting them acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure on top of us and therein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e seizing up. BSR allows us to release, to become more fluid, it adds a flexible nature to lay stress on’emphasize’highlight so that it washes over us rather than encases us. And most significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative ly it is a way of helping to prevent future problems. We re all guilty of merely’barely seeking help when a problem emerges. Why wait until there s a problem?

Interview With Body Stress Release Practitioner Annabel Boys

Let me now pass you onto the expert and ask Annabel to explain a few things in more detail.

How would you describe BSR to someone who s never heard of it bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e?

It is a tender , intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully relaxing, hands-on technique that focuses on locating and releasing tension from your muscles. You lie down fully clothed on a specially detoken ed couch while your practitioner works on you. It is hard to describe how it feels it really has to be undergo d to understand!

Is it suited to anybody in peculiar ?

BSR is suitable in/with regard to’concerning’regarding all ages from babies to the elderly. My clients possess’own’nurse ranged from a few weeks old to ninety-something years! I claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate older individual are often peculiar ly drawn to BSR because they like the fact that they don’t need to undress and also because it is so tender .

How did you acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure into BSR?

I first heard with regards to’concerning’with respect to BSR approximately 15 years ago from a South African friend who had found it intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully helpful in/with regard to’concerning’regarding her chronic lower back pain and headaches. I tried it, and after years of daily lower backaches I found it hugely helpful. I was fascinated by how such a tender , non-invasive technique could possess’own’nurse such a profound effect and so I decided to train to become a practitioner. At the time the merely’barely place in the world to train was in South Africa. I was in/with regard to’concerning’regarding tunate to be one of the last practitioners to train with the original founders of BSR.

On returning to the UK I set up Hampshire’s first BSR practice in 2007. I currently work from Petersfield in Hampshire and from my home in Compton, near Chichester.

Clients often seem to come in/with regard to’concerning’regarding BSR as a last resort, having tried the usual paths of physio, osteopathy, chiropractic and massage etc., with limited success. It is usually a kindly friend or family member who has tried and benefitted from the technique themselves who motivate’fuel s them to come and give BSR a go.

I love how BSR can transin/with regard to’concerning’regarding m someone’s self-identity from someone with a wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile back to someone who feels confident that they know how to take care of their back and minimise any lay stress on’emphasize’highlight and discomin/with regard to’concerning’regarding t. Someone who feels back in control rather than victim to their aches and pains. The work I do with clients is intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully much ‘team work’ – my job is to motivate’fuel their muscles to let go of tension and to then offer them simple tips in/with regard to’concerning’regarding what they can do on a daily basis to decrease’lessen’cut’allay the lay stress on’emphasize’highlight that their bodies endure. I believe that rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent health isn’t with regards to’concerning’with respect to finding a magic bullet it is with regards to’concerning’with respect to listening to your body and practising consistent rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent habits around food, movement, rest and lay stress on’emphasize’highlight management.  Body lay stress on’emphasize’highlight release can play a valuable part in this.

Once you start having BSR sessions do you need to keep it up regularly?

Many of my clients see BSR as part of a range of rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent habits they possess’own’nurse built up to take care of themselves physically and mentally. In the same way that they might commit to regular exercise and nutritious food, they will make sure that they manage their lay stress on’emphasize’highlight through techniques that might include several BSR maintenance sessions a year. They say they can feel in their bodies when it is time in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a session and that they feel better in themselves when they possess’own’nurse regular checks.

Some individual who rely on their bodies in/with regard to’concerning’regarding their livelihoods will come in/with regard to’concerning’regarding BSR as part of a taking care of their ‘work kit’, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding example painters and decorators, gardeners, massage therapists, cleaners to name a few. Other individual merely’barely come to see me when something hurts. They will come in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a batch of sessions over a couple of months until they are comin/with regard to’concerning’regarding table again and then I don’t see them until it hurts again.

Can you tell just by looking at someone whether they re holding lay stress on’emphasize’highlight in their body?

Life is lay stress on’emphasize’highlight ful! Most individual will possess’own’nurse some sort of lay stress on’emphasize’highlight locked into their physical structures, but it might not be bothering them …. yet! Stress can establish up in layers over many years we are often blissfully unaware until the final straw and then suddenly we find ourselves on the floor with a back in spasm, or a frozen shoulder.

I definitely notice stuff in individual . If I’m sat in a cafe mindlessly individual -watching, I’ll often find myself acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting curious with regards to’concerning’with respect to someone who is cover’budge ing stiffly (lower back lay stress on’emphasize’highlight ), or unevenly or holds their shoulders in a tight way. I went to an awards dinner in/with regard to’concerning’regarding professional footballers recently and was struck by how many ex-footballers cover’budge unevenly and just look uncomin/with regard to’concerning’regarding table knees and hips in peculiar ! I’ve yet to actually be brazen abundant’ample’plentiful to go up to someone who looks like they are in pain/discomin/with regard to’concerning’regarding t and suggest they try BSR … aldespite’in spite of’albeit I believe I do possess’own’nurse clients who possess’own’nurse done so on BSR s behalf!!

How will I know if it has worked’?

You’ll know! You’ll begin to notice enhance’promote’polish up ments in posture, energy, stiffness, muscle flexibility and strength/stamina. You might sleep better or feel that your mood is brighter. Others might comment too! One 76 yr old lady with a stooped posture straightened up by 2 inches (according to her physio) when she’d been having BSR in/with regard to’concerning’regarding just a few weeks.

What will I feel like after a session?

When muscles possess’own’nurse been tight in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a long period of time the nerves that run through them can possess’own’nurse become a little numb. Once the muscles embark on relax and pressure eases from the nerves, they are able to communicate better with the brain which can bring about’result in’contribute to’account for’make for’trigger an multiply in discomin/with regard to’concerning’regarding t until the irritation on the nerves subsides.  It is usually merely’barely short-lived (a few days). It is a little bit like when you’ve trapped a finger in a door it doesn’t hurt while trapped (under pressure), but really throbs once the pressure is released. It then settles down after a little time has passed.

Some also feel intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully tired and sleep peculiar ly heavily after a session. One lady who came to see me a few years ago reported that she had slept in/with regard to’concerning’regarding 14 hours straight after her first session. Others report acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting a bit of an energy surge and suddenly wanting to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure lots of jobs on their to do list done! Eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullyone is different!

Do you receive BSR on yourself?

Absolutely! I’d love to possess’own’nurse more, but the closest practitioner to me is in Romsey so it takes a chunk out of the working day to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure there and back. I try to make sure that I organise a ‘swap’ with a colleague at least once a month my work puts a strain on my back and my thumbs in peculiar , and so if I don’t look after myself I know that they will begin to grumble. I know I feel so much better when I possess’own’nurse regular BSR sessions I am calmer as a parent (my teen is mid-exams and so plenty of lay stress on’emphasize’highlight at home!), I am also better able to run comin/with regard to’concerning’regarding tably and intense’fierce’exquisite er and more flexible in my yoga practice. I’m a bit of a sporadic gardener, and BSR helps my back to cope better with the digging too. I can’t afin/with regard to’concerning’regarding d not to look after my body, because if my back ‘goes’ I won’t be able to work.

What are your top tips in/with regard to’concerning’regarding easing the lay stress on’emphasize’highlight in our lives?

A little lay stress on’emphasize’highlight is in fact rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent in/with regard to’concerning’regarding us, it helps us to grow and strengthen. When we go to the gym essentially what we are doing is putting our muscles under physical ‘lay stress on’emphasize’highlight ’ by lifting weights etc. This moderate lay stress on’emphasize’highlight motivate’fuel s those muscles to adapt and strengthen, but if we push it too hard by trying to lift something too heavy and we reach our point of overload, then our brains will stop us in our tracks by tightening muscles to conserve’preserve ourselves from damaging our bodies. This is fundamental ally what is happening when we ‘put our back out’ the muscles go into spasm and we are in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ced to stop and rest. It is our body’s natural conserve’preserve ive mechanism, stopping us from really over-doing it.

Similarly moderate mental/emotional lay stress on’emphasize’highlight can be positive. It can help focus the mind on revision, or help to motivate us to meet a deadline. Same with chemical lay stress on’emphasize’highlight we need to reveal our immune systems to pathogens in/with regard to’concerning’regarding them to develop properly a child raised in a intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully sterile environment will struggle to cope with normal levels of dust/grubbiness/animal hair etc.

To find out more with regards to’concerning’with respect to what Annabel can offer you visit her Facereserve pages @BodyStressReleaseAnnabelBoys or go to her website http://www.unlockmyback.com/

*collaborative post (article commissioned in extransform’alter in/with regard to’concerning’regarding BSR sessions)