FIVE MINUTES A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY

                                                  

By Patricia Ezechie                                           

21st Century life is fast – fast, demanding and sometimes unrelenting. The advances we have made in science and technology have provided us with a quality of life that would have been unimaginable just a century ago – life expectancy has almost doubled, we have seen the world shrink to the point where we are able to communicate with and from every area on its surface and beyond almost instantaneously, and diseases once destroyers of whole communities have been completely eradicated. But as incredible as these advances are and continue to be, we have had to keep pace with them, which has in turn increased the physical and mental demands placed upon us. The result is Stress – a word also synonymous with 21st Century life.

In 2000, stress accounted for 80% of modern disease and at least 75% of GP consultations in the UK. Stress has been proved to increase immune related illnesses through its suppression of the immune system, and has also been demonstrated to play a causative role in diseases like cancer, ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Stress has been linked to mental illness, including schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and depression, sleep disorders, eating disorders, and one of the greatest challenges facing society at this current time, obesity; which in the last 20 years has quadrupled in the UK and currently estimated to affect over 20% of the UK population.

Stress is the epidemic of the 21st century but unlike so many diseases in the past the cure is within each of our grasps, is simple, inexpensive and takes as little as five minutes a day. We just need to LEARN TO RELAX and make active relaxation a part of our daily lives. Please note, that by relaxation I do not mean relaxing with cup of tea or glass of wine, or lounging in front of the telly – I am referring to the deep relaxation that can only be achieved by releasing tension from the body on a physical level while calming and quieting the mind -  relaxation synonymous with practices like yoga. As yogis we are well aware of the positive benefits of yoga and relaxation on the both the mind and the body, and now scientific research has finally borne out what we yoga addicts have known for some time - relaxation is good for you!

Harvard  Medical School recently published a study showing that deep relaxation  causes physical changes to the body on a genetic level, and that established practitioners of yoga and other relaxation techniques have far more active 'disease fighting genes' when compared to individuals who do not practice relaxation techniques. Genes responsible for protecting us from pain and disorders like infertility, high blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis were 'switched on' in yogis. The ‘switching on’ of these genes  - 'The Relaxation Effect'  is speculated to be as powerful as medical drugs (without the side effects), and more importantly everyone can benefit by taking up these practices at any time, as the genes can be switched on by practicing relaxation methods regularly. The even more exciting news is that effects are cumulative - the more regular and sustained your practice, the stronger the effect and the stronger the immune system. So the cure for 21st centuryitis more commonly known as ‘Stress’ is simple -  LEARN TO RELAX, and make relaxation a part of your everyday life. It doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive or time consuming, just start with 5 minutes a day and begin to relax your way to perfect health.

Downlaod a FREE Re-energising sequence here www.yogastickmen.com

COPYRIGHT: PATRICIA EZECHIE. All rights reserved.