"Though not scientific, this exercise was representative of the body's fight response: In a tightened, constricted pose, we tend to feel boxed into our discomfort, like a suitcase packed too tightly or a cup filled to the very brim. When we experience anxiety, our body's natural, automatic response is to shift immediately into a tightened, constricted state, much like an animal bearing down to protect itself from an attack by a predator."
"When we experience anxiety, our body's natural, automatic response is to shift immediately into a tightened, constricted state, much like an animal bearing down to protect itself from an attack by a predator. This mammalian response, though instinctual, can in fact be altered through cultivating mindful attention to the actual level of danger or threat rather than to the perceived threat."
A simple body-tension exercise can reveal how posture and muscle tightening produce intense physical discomfort and fatigue. A tightened, constricted pose triggers the mammalian fight response, causing increased heart rate, constriction, and a boxed-in sensation. Anxiety commonly elicits that automatic bodily tightening even when external danger is absent. Cultivating mindful attention to the actual level of danger allows modulation of these automatic responses. The brain can be retrained to respond to perceived threats more accurately, reducing unnecessary physical anxiety reactions. Focusing on cognitive evaluation becomes more relevant for modern survival than purely physical defensive responses.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]