Relaxation and Meditation Techniques: A Complete Stress-proofing System. Leon Chaitow
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the individual is prepared to accept responsibility for his life and action, or not.
Stress is cumulative. Whilst, in early life, most people can cope with a great deal of emotional and physical trauma, this facility diminishes as life progresses. There are, of course, inherited characteristics which will influence every individual’s particular capacity for coping. There are other factors which will also, to varying degrees, determine to what extent stress can influence the individual’s physical and mental health. Among these are nutritional considerations, structural factors, exercise patterns, general fatigue, and the sum total – long-term and in the recent past – of stress. These influences will become clearer in later chapters. At this stage, it is worth noting that stress is the spur that moves man to action, and that, if responses are not appropriate, it can also become the boulder that crushes him.
There is indeed a point at which the body’s capacity for adjusting to and adapting in the face of stress becomes inadequate. When this occurs, health begins to break down in obvious ways. This will be dealt with in the next chapter, in greater detail, but it is important to note that this very noticeable deterioration in health is itself a potent stressor. Anxiety in the face of changes in function, the onset of pain etc., quickens the downward spiral. If the individual waits for this stage before undertaking reforms, he may have waited too long. It is still often possible to regain health at this stage, but only with great effort.
There are extrinsic factors which are outside the individual’s control, but there are also many aspects of the picture which are controllable. There are, of course, states of mind which generate stress, which are outside the conscious control of the individual. There are many deep-seated anxiety states and depressions, in which only skilled psychotherapy and counselling will enable the individual to achieve insights and understanding and ultimately, a resolution of his problem. Such forms of treatment lie outside the scope of this book, but it is suggested that the general principles outlined here and the techniques described can only be of help, even in such cases. However, no-one who is receiving psychotherapy should attempt self-treatment without first consulting his practitioner.
The Physical Effects of Stress
Stress is an essential and constant part of life. It is the spur that drives man to all achievement. When excessive, it can also destroy him. All the ages and stages of life are transitional; from baby to toddler, from schoolchild to young adult, from active worker to retired pensioner and so on. Likewise, all change has potential stress implications which, overlayed upon the external and internal stresses of living, are constantly affecting the mind and body of the individual.
One definition of stress, given by the great researcher into this ubiquitous phenomenon, Dr Hans Selye, is simply ‘the rate of wear and tear on the body’. All change requires adaptation on the part of the organism. If we go from a warm room into the freezing cold outdoors, adaptive mechanisms immediately become operative to help the body to maintain its equilibrium. Adaptive processes take place in response to all changes and stressors, whether these are physical, such as heat and cold, chemical, such as polluted water and air, drugs, or self-generated emotions such as anger, grief or joy. Anything that is perceived as threatening the mind or body, arouses a response of an adaptive or defensive nature instantly. This ability to attempt to maintain the safe equilibrium of the body is known as homeostasis. It is, for a variety of reasons, not always successful. The biochemistry of the body may be inadequate for the task, perhaps through faulty nutrition, and this and other possible factors, including structural integrity, will be considered later. If the response is inadequate, or if perception of threats is inaccurate, then unbalanced and faulty body adjustments may occur with harmful consequences.
The normal stress reaction is seldom the result of the outside agency, but rather it is the system’s reaction to it. Whether the stressor is physical, such as sudden exposure to cold, or psychological, such as a sudden crisis or a change of responsibility at work, unpleasant news, etc., the body begins to make biochemical changes in response to its perceived needs. Such changes take place almost constantly throughout life to a greater or lesser degree. If a stressor is prolonged, continuous or extreme in its nature, then the defensive mechanisms of the body become even more active. In response to intense heat, changes take place in the blood chemistry and circulatory system in order to cool the body by means, for example, of extra fluid loss and evaporation through the skin. Should this fail to achieve the desired effect, then an even greater defensive effort might involve fainting and temporary unconsciousness, in order to reduce all bodily functions to a minimum. Such homeostatic efforts, though, fall short of being actual stress reactions, unless prolonged.
In response to any stress or extreme, the body undergoes a series of changes which Selye has grouped under the heading of the ‘fìght or flight’ reaction. Quite logically, the response to being confronted with real physical danger, such as the appearance of a man-eating animal, would be to attack it or to escape from it. Whichever was the choice, the body would require instantly available energy, strength, concentration, etc. There would be no time for slow deliberation or stages of progressive arousal, for by that time the adversary would be commencing its meal! If an appropriate response (fight or flight) to the stressor were forthcoming, then the biochemical and other changes triggered by the initial shock, would be utilized, and no ill effects would be felt.
Today, people are seldom faced, on a daily basis, with such life and death stress situations. However, the mind and body may be felt to be threatened in many other ways than by a man-eating tiger. Any perceived (accurately or not) threat or danger to the mind or body will produce a similar ‘fight or flight’ reaction, and there may be ways of producing an appropriate response to these. For instance, someone might say something which is perceived as being insulting, hurtful etc. The stress reaction, which includes a tensing of the muscles as well as biochemical (hormonal and other) changes, could simply be ‘bottled up’ and remain as an extra degree of muscular tension. If a suitable verbal and/or physical response were to be found, however, then again the preparation for action would have been expressed and used, and no ill effects would result. The degree of stress imposed on the body will vary with the individual’s perception of what constitutes a threat-one man would laugh and shrug off an insult, another would reach for his gun! It will also vary with the individual’s ability to respond appropriately. One man would calmly but firmly state his views and inform the villain of the piece of his feelings. Another would bluster and fluster and add fuel to the fire, and not obtain psychological release from the hurt and anger within. The stress factor, therefore, cannot be seen as the main determinant of the degree of ‘fight or flight’ reaction, but only as its potential trigger. The harm done to the body by prolonged, repeated arousal, is largely an outcome of the individual’s beliefs, attitudes, personality and ability to see objectively what constitutes real, and what constitutes imagined danger, physically or mentally.
The actual processes that take place during arousal and ‘fight or flight’ reactions are quite amazing to contemplate. It is possible to extrapolate these immediate changes and to see their potential for major physical damage if they are repeated or prolonged. The following process occurs instantly within the body in response to stress: the muscles tense in preparation for activity; the hypothalamus (part of the brain) co-ordinates a number of hormonal changes; the pituitary gland is activated, and among other results of this is the production by the adrenal glands of the hormones, adrenaline and noradrenaline. As a result, a vast number of bodily changes occur; the pupils of the eye dilate – no doubt to see more clearly; the heart pumps more rapidly to service the extra requirements of the tense muscles and this increases the blood pressure; the extra blood for the muscles requires extra oxygen, and the respiratory rate therefore quickens to cope with this, as well as to help expel additional waste products resulting from increased activity. Blood being diverted to potential muscular activity requires the shut-down of some other functions, including reduction in blood through the kidneys, as well as the ceasing of digestive functions. To this end, saliva dries up and the intestines and stomach stop working. The body’s need for additional energy is met by the liver releasing