The Paradox of Discipline and Stress

Our society imposes a certain rhythm on us; any society does. We tend to work hard all day and get pretty tense, whether we're at work or school, and then we come home and "relax". The problem is that we don't know how to relax... Physically, we've been taught to maintain a "good posture" that is in fact unnatural and itself a cause of anxiety, according to Oriental medicine. Our posture and our mental habits combine to reinforce each other in plunging us straight into the anxiety-stress dynamic. Our "relaxation" posture is no better. We slouch into chairs or lie around in postures we can't maintain for more than a few minutes. So even when we're relaxing, we're actually compromising our nervous and energy circulation systems. The Chinese word "song" is usually translated as "relaxation". But its real meaning is a little different. It describes a state in which you "relax into your physical structure". We tend to equate relaxation with the collapse of our physical structure. And we foolishly think that this collapse will lead to true relaxation and the absence of stress - but it doesn't. We need to pursue a posture that optimizes our physical and mental functions whether we're standing, walking or sitting. To my knowledge, the HARA method in the Rock Solid Tranquility Course is one of the only (perhaps the only) coherent "how-to" presentations on this in English. The question is, how can you begin TODAY, not having seen the HARA course yet. First, don't let yourself slouch in your chair. Try to maintain a relaxed but upright feeling - upright but not uptight! Then start to examine your posture as you walk around or stand. Notice any areas of muscular tension and try to relax them. All this may seem like a more disciplined approach than you're used to. Many people make the mistake of assuming that more discipline will cause more stress. In fact, the opposite is true. The more disciplined we are about how we carry ourselves, about what we do and what we think, the LESS stress we'll have to deal with. Examining your posture will also help you "move back into your body". Western people live in their heads to a great degree, and that causes much of the anxiety and stress that they face. To defeat anxiety and stress you have to learn to relax into your physical structure. 
Dr. Symeon Rodger
.ByeByeStress.com