Stress is a part of our daily lives, a fact-of-life that has never been faced on such a wide scale as it is faced now. However, the body is an amazing machine that can control itself and even heal itself. You can improve the quality of your life and your health by following a few basic



Breathing Exercises

Any athlete, dancer, or martial arts expert can accomplish extraordinary feats. Everything they can do filters down to breathing and diet. Without proper breathing, their muscles will lack oxygen and tear.

Breathing is the ultimate stress buster, when done right. Fear causes people to breathe erratically. People hold their breath and then repair oxygen deprivation with quick, shallow gasps for air.

Research proves that heart rate shallow breathing increases feelings of anxiety, something you don't need when facing danger, a job interview, or a date.

All it takes to lower your heart rate and create a state of calm is to practice slow, rhythmic belly breathing. Blow out all the breath in your lungs in a big sigh. Then put your finger on the point 2 inches below your navel.

Inhale, as if you are filling up a bottle with liquid, letting the air fill the bottom and then slowly move up to the lungs. When your bottle is full, breathe out slowly starting at the navel and moving up. When done right, your belly will flatten. Ten breaths will relax your body.

This takes practice. You are not only relaxing your body, and learning how to relax, but you are training your body to take control and force itself to relax whenever you start to breath.

This way, as soon as your boss says ?I need to talk to you, come to my office? you can restore your calm within ten breaths.

Loosen Muscles

Many people have experienced one time in their lives where they were so tense that their muscles tightened uncontrollably. Most of those people can remember one time in their life when they woke up with their heads completely off the pillow, suspended in air, held there by tense muscles.

Many people hunch their shoulders, frown, tighten the muscles in the back of their necks, and tighten their jaw. Most do not know they are reacting this way until they hear a ringing in their ears, feel pain, develop a headache, or even have muscle spasms.

Worse than the pain, tension increases our feelings of stress and negative thinking. This creates a vicious cycle that can eventually lead to depression.

If this is a chronic problem in your life then you need to practice tightening and releasing muscles until you regain control over your own body. The problem is that it is hard to get started. It hurts to release the knots. If you touch parts on the back of your head or back and feel a sharp pain, then you should have Shiatsu treatments. Better ? you should learn to treat yourself.

Start learning to control your muscles with three to five shoulder shrugs, Inhale while you tense your shoulders, using the above breathing method. Lift your shoulders toward your ears and exhale as they relax and move down.

Then lower your chin slowly to your chest for five breaths, letting your head relax and droop a little bit more with each exhalation.

If these cause pain, you need a Shiatsu treatment.

Exercise

Exercise relieves stress. It gives you a safe way to vent unhealthy emotions and teaches you to control your body. It improves your health and wellbeing, improves your digestive and cardiovascular system, and last, improves your self-esteem. All of these things decrease stress.

Be fair. Give yourself at least four months before you give up. These three things have the power to change your life forever.