How Our Body Holds Stress
By Kim Moffett
Chronic stress has been called “the silent killer.” It compromises our immune system, and it’s increasingly recognized by Western medicine as a major contributor to some of the most persistent and chronic diseases of our time, like heart disease, cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s, depression and more.
It’s also a fact that it’s increasingly more difficult to avoid excess and constant stress. Too many of us live our lives in a constant white-knuckled, jaw-clenched state with our adrenals working overtime, which results in stored toxins and blocked energy, or chi. We become physically, mentally and emotionally stagnated, and our systems slow down.
Important to understand is that stress is a reaction, and we can choose how to react to stressful situations. Lugging emotions, trauma, guilt, resentment and memories with us can compound day-to-day stress to further age us, wreak havoc on our bodies and health, and result in serious long-term consequences, such as excess weight, anxiety and even physical pain and poor posture.
Chronic stress generally shows up in five specific areas of the body: the jaw/neck/face, the shoulders/heart, the diaphragm/lungs, the stomach/gut and the pelvic floor/hips. These “stress containers” are where stress gets stuck, congests and intensifies, and where it gets literally contained within the body. Stuck stress manifests itself in blockages, pain, tension and rigidity in the fascia or connective tissue. It can actually be felt as a bodyworker focuses on these parts of the body.
Fortunately, we can not only build an awareness of how we react or respond to stress, we can also take steps to eliminate the stress currently stored in our bodies’ containers. Our bodies and spirits are made up of energy, and energy must be in motion and flowing to stay vital and clear. This is “e-motion”. The physical body is always trying to release emotion; if we don’t express it, that energy gets stuck in our joints, tissues, and organs—and stagnates within the body.
Letting go and being in the moment are the keys to reducing stress, and professionals in many fields are available to help uncover and work through any problem areas.
