Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress has become a way of life. Stress isn't always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you're constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.

Healthy eating habits can be difficult to maintain when you are under stress. Whether eating to fill an emotional need or grabbing fast food simply because there's no time to prepare something healthy, a stressed-out lifestyle is rarely a healthy one. Weight gain when under stress is also partly due to the body's system of hormonal checks and balances.

When under stress, your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. Your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rouse the body for emergency action.

Cortisol is important for the maintenance of blood pressure as well as the provision of energy for the body. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy, and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. High stress levels increase your body's production of the hormone cortisol, which in turn makes you accumulate excess fat. The end result of these actions can be an increase in appetite and ultimately weight gain.

Among different methods of weight reduction, acupuncture is found to be very effective as it works in a natural way. In this therapy, long, thin, sterilized needles are inserted into the body, which stimulates release of endorphins offering a relaxing and calming effect. It can control binge eating, which may originate from stress.

Excessive eating results from excesive stress, anxiety and frustration, which may be a major cause of obesity. Acupuncture can control stress and anxiety and keep you relaxed so that your tendency of overeating is reduced.

Besides the physical burden your neck has to support, you may also be "carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Emotional stresses can create tension in the neck & shoulders, which can become chronic if left unchecked.

Relaxation is a free state of mind, body, and spirit. It is a moment in time that all three realms of our lives find a common status of united harmony, without challenges of anxiety, pain, or despair. Such moments have always existed and will always exist but there are many times that we are not able to let go of our desperate attempts for survival. Our relaxed moments are only possible when we are not listening to the chatterings in our heads and act with full trust in our ability to overcome every given situation. Of course, we can always find a relative degree of ease and relaxation once we are able to turn off the negative internal voices and pay attention to the outside elements that induce a break in our activities.

Relaxation is a fundamental requirement for joy. As joy is eternally flowing like water and swiftly moving like wind, we are the containers that can hold such great pleasure - only if we are flexible in every twist and turn. Like the fish or the willow tree, we can experience the joy of the water or the wind - only if we can easily move with the currents. Our relaxed positioning in life turns on when we can move along without rigidity and restrictions. But how can we relax when so many problems are surrounding us? What do we do about the realities of life?  How do we pay bills, handle heart-breaking relationships, or deal with losing a loved one? For sure money can buy some flexibility, but what about the painful emotional ups and downs? We need a certain strength to withstand the crushing waves or a special ability to endure the wind-storms.

The scientific study of the strengths and virtues enabling individuals and communities to thrive has been studied by Martin Seligman (2002) in his theory of Positive Psychology.  He offers three central concerns:

Positive Emotions:  Understanding positive emotion entails the study of contentment with the past, happiness in the present, and hope for the future. If you can look back in your life without regrets or self-defeating judgments, then you are functioning in contentment. When you appreciate your stage of life and feel valuable in your relationships, you can experience happiness. And, if you hold a positive outlook towards the future you are acting with hope.

Positive Individual Traits: Understanding positive individual traits consists of the study of the strengths and virtues. There are many attributes that make up the building blocks of one's existence. Our capacity for love and work is the degree of our self-other respect; courage is the degree of our internal freedom; compassion is the measure of our willingness to accept others' shortcomings; resilience is the measure of mental ability to withstand pressures; creativity is our ability to think out-side of our pre-conceived mental box; curiosity is the willingness to experience new conditions; integrity is our belief in our learned principals; self-knowledge is our ability to monitor our way of being a member of the community; moderation is our understanding the concept of balance; self-control is the practice of adjusting to new environments; and, wisdom is our ability to use all of our strengths and virtues in useful harmony.

Positive Institutions: Understanding positive institutions entails the study of meaning and purpose as well as the strengths that foster better communities. Among these communal underpinnings we can name justice, responsibility, civility, parenting, nurturance, work ethic, leadership, teamwork, purpose, and tolerance. Without any one of these humane necessities our societies become frail and stressed. The weaving of many communities fall apart as its members are not able to hold on to these positive values. Relaxing in such an environment is virtually impossible.  

Adhering to positive emotions, individual traits, and institutions lead to a pleasant life that allows for relaxing states. With such fertile grounds for flexibility and freedom we can cultivate a deep joy. When we function with positive strengths and virtues many practical exercises and techniques such as yoga, meditation, breathing, massage, music, painting, and other invigorating methods can become most effective in achieving total relaxation. Using one's strengths in a challenging task leads to experiencing of flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) and the engaged life-style that amid all difficulties is deeply peaceful. Deploying one's strengths in the service of something larger than oneself can also lead to a meaningful and fulfilling life. Belonging to charitable organizations and serving institutions such as education, free press,  democracy, and family are helpful in establishing a solid base for the unity of mind, body, and spirit.

Our model of relaxation at Wheel of Wellbeing has established its foundation based on transforming life experiences to a relaxed state of mind. The psychological, physical, and emotional spectrum of wellbeing, which can be considered synonymous with relaxation, includes education and experience in the positive emotions, positive individual traits, and positive institutions. The successful transformation to such state of mind is through the many practices that bring about a peaceful state of being. Among those holistic approaches breathing is an essential tool.

The integration of sciences focusing on choices that foster personal growth enhances the quality of life on the personal, interpersonal, and organizational level. The components of a relaxed life-style can be considered, evaluated, and modified through unlearning the past unsuccessful patterns; educating and experiencing the current needs of the person, and preventing future relapses to the old patterns. By focusing on the different fields of occupational activities we are able to design specific programs while considering the sensitivities of such a field. By expanding the capacity to manage feelings and related behaviors including the realistic assessment of limitations, development of autonomy and ability to cope effectively with stress, becomes possible to relax and attain joy.

Daniel Sadigh, the Founder of Wheel of Wellbeing, is a Clinical Psychologist and a Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor. Dr. Sadigh specializes in the effects of earlier life events on the current relational issues. He utilizes EMDR, Guided Imagery, and Somatic Psychotherapy among other integrative modalities.
 
Dr. Sadigh has helped hundreds of individuals and families face their challenges and overcome difficulties to lead a more positive, fulfilling, and joyful life.
 
If you feel  recurring stress that is affecting the quality of your life, contact Dr. Sadigh for a confidential initial consultation: 323-997-9001.
 

Most of us take one look at our budgets, and cross therapeutic massage treatments off our list. What we don't realize is how important therapeutic massage is to our overall health. When we take care of ourselves, we function better  as mothers, fathers, partners, friends, and individuals.  When we feel better and healthy- that positive and healthy demeanor projects out to all people around us. 

Some people may think massage is a luxury or even a self indulgent behavior, but is it?

One of the biggest challenges to our health is stress. Even though our lifestyle has become easier in some ways, it has become more challenging in others. The speed at which we move and the challenges that we face every day, put stress on our bodies in ways that they were not engineered to handle. Our bodies are wonderful because they compensate for all of our activities, but sometimes they need help.

Stress is the leading factor in many health ailments and diseases. One of the best ways to handle it is to have  balance between rest and activity in our lives. Studies from the Touch Institute have shown that massage therapy effectively reduces stress and anxiety by lowering the stress hormone Cortisol by up to 53 percent and also increasing the levels of Serotonin and
Dopamine, which has been scientifically found to decrease clinical depression.

There are many benefits to therapeutic massage therapy: emotional, occupational and physical.
 
Statistics have shown that massage can improve concentration and energy. Feeling good and peaceful makes you more productive at work, in your relationships and in your creative pursuits. Feeling balanced helps you to be more aware in directing your life. Feeling relaxed gives you an entire new foundation from which to approach your life.

Massage has a variety of physical benefits.  Massage stimulates the lymphatic system, which increases immunity, so you don't get sick as often. It improves your ability to tolerate pain and stress. It may stop a cold or flu before getting sick by detoxifying the body.  Massage introduces oxygen to places that might not have been receiving an adequate supply and thus brings healing to that area. Massage increases flexibility, giving one the ability to move with much more ease and fluidity.  There is also an anti aging component- it increases the elasticity in the muscle, decreases muscle atrophy, and brings healthy nutrients to the muscle and skin - leaving a healthy glow. 

One in three Americans are overtired because they're not sleeping enough according to the National Sleep Foundation. Sleep experts say being overworked or over-stressed can lead to sleep disorders. Massage helps with lack of sleep as well.  An hour massage equates to 7 to 8 hours of sleep for the body.

It has been  proven that massage improves your outlook on life and your mood.

Make time in your life for massage. Your investment will return to you many times over.

Hypnosis eliminates most traces of stress, anxiety and depression from your system... it can bring a lasting, deep state of relaxation and peace!"