By Michelle Lottering

Stress could result in locked up muscles and tendons, and a disruption in the communication between your body and your brain. Is this something you ever considered? Good news is that Body Stress Release is available to help you unlock damaging body stress.

Stress is something we all experience in varying degrees, and we have all been stressed out by work deadlines, family conflict, money concerns or those long traffic jams that you sit in for hours at a time. And in these changing times of dealing with the concerns of COVID19, how our lives are currently under a perceived “threat” as we go about our daily routine. Or it could be stress of another form that you put on your body, after months of sitting hunched over your desk while working at your computer. It could also be the stress that accumulates, as you stand all day, in high heels, or the stress you put on your body with those heavy weights you use at the gym?

Or perhaps the stress of not rehabilitating properly after an injury due to the big race or event you committed to? These are all different types of stress, but they have one thing in common, your central nervous system. Stress affects your body in sneaky ways, as most of the stress related consequences on your body cannot be felt or seen as you manage your day to day life. But deep within your body, your central nervous system is absorbing all this stress , which over time turns into locked-in muscular tension and possible compression of spinal nerves. This could result in a myriad of symptoms like, back pain, headaches, anxiety, IBS, constipation, infertility issues ( bearing in mind how the spinal nerves have a direct effect on our vital organs)

This is where Body Stress Release ( BSR) comes in. A health technique that was founded in South Africa. By founding members Gail and Ewald Meggersee. Pick up a copy of Self- Healing With Body Stress Release by Gail Meggersee, as she writes about the origins of the technique.

Many issues in the body can be linked back to stress overload. Defined as the overriding of the body’s inner restive powers by an outer invasive force, stress overload leaves the body unable to release the tension and stress placed on it , so tension becomes locked in the physical structures (muscles, tendons and ligaments) As these muscles, tendons and ligaments tighten around the central nervous system, imagine what the consequences of that pressure could be. The central nervous system is made up of the spinal cord and the brain. From the spinal cord , nerve bundles branch out between the vertebrae until they reach every cell in your body, which is how your brain communicates with your body. Now these communication pathways become compressed and impaired as a result of tension build up, so communication is blocked to and from the brain. The result? The body’s ability to function normally is impaired. Early warning signs of stress overload could be pain, numbness, pins and needles, fatigue, joint issues and recurring illnesses. The body’s natural defense mechanism cannot work properly , and might be less able to cope with any added stress. This is why a person with long term body stress may feel tense, have constant pain, feel tired and possibly even develop indigestion eventually. People come to accept that this is a normal way to feel.

This brings to mind my story, as a result of years of working in the hospitality industry, long hours of standing and carrying heavy equipment, I learnt to live with regular visits to the doctor for back spasms, inflammation and needed on going treatment. However as time went by, I started to develop terrible headaches due to the build up of tension in my neck, and of course the bad posture in the work environment. I was finding no relief from the various health modalities that I explored, at the time. I was disheartened as I felt no progress had been made.

That’s when I tried Body Stress Release, I was desperate and it was my last resort. I was very skeptical initially, as the technique was not what I was used to, and on top of which it was very gentle. How could it be effective, was my response? The technique is a series of finger touches or muscle tests, using muscular responses as the “biofeedback mechanism” which in turn enables the Practitioner to know where tension is stored. The Practitioner then applies precise, directional prods or impulses to those areas, using thumbs and fingers, exactly where the targeted test had highlighted the tension areas. This serves to stimulate the brain, alerting it to areas of locked in tension, and the brain responds by sending messages back to the muscles telling them to relax and release tension. My BSR Practitioner explained that the technique helps to release any stored muscular tension and stress which enables the body with healing, naturally and gently. As a result of the reduced compression, nerve communication improves, so the functioning of the body systems improve with time. My practitioner explained how my muscles had built tension up over time, like an onion, layer by layer and with the releasing of this tension, muscles can resume their supporting role, mobility improves, and pain reduces. Made sense to me, so I committed to the recommended number of sessions, and implemented some of the tips I was given to help myself in the work environment to reduce opportunities to build up tension. And with utter amazement and delight I was soon no longer suffering from the debilitating headaches. The technique changed the quality of my life to such an extent that I chose to leave the corporate catering industry after 24 years to study Body Stress Release, and to open my own practice, based in Krugersdorp Gauteng. www.michellelbsr.co.za

There are a number of testimonials, much like mine of the impact that Body Stress Release has had on clients’ lives, which is why I feel privileged to be part of an association that has practitioners in over 20 countries around the world, helping to improve the health and wellbeing of many people all over the globe.’

To find a practitioner in your area , visit www.bodystressrelease.com