Bodywork treats stress and helps clear the effects out of the body and mind. Stress tightens our muscles, makes it hard to concentrate, and can impact our sleep. Bodywork helps bring us back into balance. Stress begins as a nervous system response that gets us ready to fight for our lives. When the fight never comes, our bodies can get stuck in that mode, waiting for imaginary lions. Bodywork cues the body to shift away from stress. When we make that shift, our bodies begin to rest, heal, and repair themselves more effectively. Bodywork also relieves the tight muscles that are a direct response to stress. Common stress-related muscle tension is felt in the neck and shoulders, but it can also affect the stomach and low back. Bodywork works directly with the muscles to remind them to release and reset. Stress is also a biochemical event in the body, releasing cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones. Bodywork helps lower these hormone levels and shift the body away from constant preparedness. With fewer stress hormones in our systems, we tend to sleep better, digest better, and even have happier thoughts. Bodywork treats stress by resetting the alarms of the nervous system. It releases muscle tension, lowers adrenaline and cortisol, and reminds the body to shift toward rest and wellbeing.
