Preksha Dhyana Self Awareness by Relaxation

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 18

rhythmic cycles of action and rest. When the equilibrium breaks down, we have dangerous tension. Since the modern life styles keep us always on the go, the restoring appratusthe parasympathetic seldom gets a chance to operate fully. That is, our muscles and nerves hardly ever return to its natural condition.
Disorders of Tension
All animals including human beings possess this innate mechanism and its response which prepares one for fight or flight is involuntary. When stressful situation regularly recurs, the stress-mechanism is repeatedly activated. If the physiological conditions described above presist over a long time or frequently recur, serious disorder would occur. Thus, if bloodpressure remains high and blood-vessels constricted it will result in heart-attacks or strokes; if the impoverished bloodsupply to stomach is prolonged, there will be digestive disorders; if the breathing is prolonged at a high rate, it may result in asthama etc., sustained muscle-tensions will bring aches and pains in the head, back, neck and shoulders. Besides these, chronic tension may also bring feelings of panic which is irrational fear and which can be not only frightening but also crippling. Tense, nervous and anxious modern man is driven inexorably into stress, because his constant state of anxiety prevents him from coping up with the relentless demands of modern life. There is plenty of evidence now to show that tension may play a significant part in promoting or triggering off a great many illnesses. If we are to solve successfully the problem of stress, we have to find a way of allowing the parasympathetic to function efficiently, so that it can establish the equilibrium and harmony which has been destroyed.
Causes of Tension
From the above, one must not conclude that tension is entirely evil. A certain amount of tension is essential for achievement. It is the continuity and the high degree of