Just watch a cat: he is ready and waiting to pounce on that bird he’s watching. But too much tension has a negative physiological effect.

Tension can act like a set of dominos. If our body is tense then our voice is tense and even our mind gets into it. Tense your toes and feel how that hinders your breath. What are you thinking about?

There are many things you can do which can help alleviate tension. You can work out, take a yoga class, get a massage. But what can you do right now when you are reading this? Take a scan through your body and find out where you hold the tension. Let’s say it is your toes. Try to think of releasing or freeing the tension in your toes. I say “release” or “free” rather than “relax”.  To me the image of relaxing denotes sitting on the couch watching T.V. Remember the cat: he’s not relaxed, he’s energized.

Releasing this tension comes with practice and we need to train our brains to remember to do it. Think of the times your body feels tense during the day. It could be when you’re driving, waiting in line to pay for groceries, or giving a presentation.

Allow your body to release and see what happens.