Tension and relaxation are two words that appear very intertwined, above all as antagonistic concepts; more specifically, if we research them together, we find above all relaxation techniques for the brain to combat stress and accumulated tension. The reason for this to happen is that most people feel more often in the tense phase than in the relaxed phase, or have frequent acute episodes of stress.
Note 2 things: tension can also be accumulated energy, which is necessary to live and act; relaxation is also helpful in helping to reflect and regulate. A regulated (or homeostatic) system works with both components. Let's think about breathing, the heartbeat, jumping, music or the act of knitting, for example: there are moments of tension/compression followed by distension/decompression. Do they cancel or complement each other?
Two small cases to visualize better (you can include the music that best suits you):
Case 1 - Imagine yourselfstopped at a traffic light, in the 1st row. You can choose to be behind the wheel of a car or on the sidewalk waiting to pass). If you are attentive (some positive tension) you will react faster; if you are more distracted (more relaxed) you will not react, or will only react after a few honks (or voices) that will provoke in you some tension to act. This can help demonstrate how a little tension helps us to be more aware of what's going on around us, as long as we channel these impulses towards a concrete goal. But you don't have to stand at the traffic light with bated breath. Just be aware. There may always be a pedestrian or a car that is late and less zealous for your safety. Complementary traffic lights also give you a few seconds of rest that you can take advantage of to relax.
Case 2 - Imagine that you are sitting on the sofa watching your favorite series, legs crossed. Feel relaxed and rested. The series ends and he remembers that he is thirsty (here it is already a physiological reaction of the body -then unconscious). When you get up, you notice a pain in your lower back. Despite all the rest, tension accumulated in this zone, which due to lack of movement turned into discomfort and pain. If all goes well, it will pass with the movement; but has the brain learned that next time it should release some tension in the middle of the episode? Rest (like food) serves to restore energy and regulate the body, assuming the need for normal movement. Although it is not always easy to find the balance between these 2 concepts, being aware of the state and intensity of what we are feeling is important for us to be able to regulate ourselves. Mainly because this balance is somewhat subjective, that is, despite the signs being similar, each of us feels in our own way and has different needs. You hear things like: "a little stress is good for making decisions", or that "some people deal with stress better than others, sohave a more suitable profile to manage others", or "since your blood pressure is low, you should drink coffee or eat salt, to see if you get high". Physical predisposition, expectations, experience or training are variables that must be analyzed And as I mentioned above, this balance of forces can be seen in both psychological and physical contexts, in very similar ways. The way we interpret the stimuli, and here some practice and health literacy (whether physical or mental) comes into play, can help to define the limits and serve as a safety net, allowing the person to feel more in control to achieve Deal with situations more quickly. In summary, having more capacity to use the available resources (whether in the form of physical activity, meditation, breathing, manual therapies, etc.), and achieving a better quality of life and harmony.
Note: Get moving and do what @feels good; free yourself, don't bind restrictive conventions, but be considerate of whosurrounds you :)
References: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Athanasios-Drigas/publication/350327514_Attention_and_Working_Memory/links/614b3000519a1a381f779cab/Attention-and-Working-Memory.pdf
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