Psychological Stress - Is It The Bane of Your Health?

Psychological stress is the collective emotional and physiological reactions experienced when an individual confronts a situation in which the demands go beyond their coping resources. The body responds by releasing stress hormones such as norepinephrine, epinephrine and cortisol. These stress hormones cause an increase in blood sugar levels, heart rate and blood pressure to help the individual increase strength and speed of reaction to an impending danger...perceived or real. In small doses, this sympathetic nervous system reaction in considered healthy. When this response is chronic, as in the case of someone in a demanding job or someone going through a divorce, it takes a toll on the body's health. Scientists know that psychological stress can affect the immune system, the body’s defense against infection and disease (including cancer). However, it is not yet known whether stress increases a person’s susceptibility to disease. One study was conducted over a 10-year period by psychologist Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, and immunologist Ronald Glaser, PhD, of the Ohio State University College of Medicine. From 1982 through 1992, these pioneer researchers studied medical students. Among other things, they found that the students' immunity went down every year under the simple stress of the three-day exam period. Test takers had fewer natural killer cells, which fight tumors and viral infections. They almost stopped producing immunity-boosting gamma interferon and infection-fighting T-cells responded only weakly to test-tube stimulation. Studies done over the past 30 years that have examined the relationship between psychological factors, including stress, and cancer risk have produced conflicting results. Although the results of some studies have indicated a link between various psychological factors and an increased risk of developing cancer, a direct cause-and-effect relationship has not been proven.

So then what is the take home from this information? Stress management techniques are important...for everyone. The exposure to toxicity in our environment and the way people opt, for better or for worse, to interact with you can only be controlled to an extent. The psychological stage you set for health and healing is a choice you make, however difficult it may be. The benefits of choosing a stress management practice are inumerable and may be one of many avenues for you to find growth and enlightenment during this period of challenge. As with any exercise, the technique that works best is the one you practice with due diligence. It may take some trial and error to discover the one that suits you. Among the list are yoga, tai chi, guided imagery, autogenic training, biofeedback therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and qigong.

The following is a simple yet affective way to start using the basics of the chinese practice of qigong. Starting here will be easy if you are not accustomed to this kind of internally focused exercise. Try it on for size and see how your body responds. Enlist the help of professionals who can guide you through the techniques or invest in books or audio recordings to take it to the next level. Remember this is a gift to yourself that you deserve with all the benefits and blessings it brings.

Qigong (pronounced "chee gung" or "chee koong") centers on slow meditative poses that involve stretching and breathing. It has been practiced for centuries in China to treat chronic diseases, including cancer. The standing pose, which entails standing in one spot and doing nothing, is simple but effective.

The complete list of postural requirements for the pose is extensive, but beginners can feel the effects of the pose if they practice its basic elements.

To practice a simple standing posture:
Stand with feet apart evenly weighting the balls and the heel
Bend the knees slightly
Pull in the stomach
Relax the shoulders
Relax arms at sides
Tuck the chin
Close the eyes
Close the mouth
Turn your hearing inward
Touch the tongue lightly to the upper palate
Breath slowly with expansion of the rib cage
Hold position for 15 minutes