Stress And Body Aches and Pains

Over the past couple of weeks, life has been pretty stressful.  For some people, my stress is pretty small and insignificant to what they are dealing with in their own lives.  Unfortunately, stress is stress and how it impacts each one of us is so dependent upon many factors.

Many of us go through our lives thinking that we really don't have that much stress in our bodies.  We many feel it ever now and then, but for the most part, we don't notice the pain.  Does that mean we don't have stress residing in our body or pain for that fact?  No, it does not.

We all have pain and stress, but unfortunately it has gone on for so long that we have become so numb to it, that we don't notice it.  You can try to convince me that this is not true, but I've been around the block a few times.  I not only have seen evidence of it in my own body, but in many others.  You see, the more we are numb, the less we feel.  Our life has to undergo a tremendous amount of stressful experiences and build up of daily stress before we begin to see these things show up.


For each of us, stress shows up in different ways.  For some, it may be body aches and pains.  For others, it could be a tight muscles, a stiff neck or a headache.  In other people, it may show up as illness like a cold or flu.  If the stress has gone on long enough, it could even show up as a major illness or disease such as heart disease, anxiety, Fibromyalgia, Conversion Disorder or many other health conditions.

Now, I know that some may be saying, well I really don't have stress.  I just let things roll off my back.  I practice meditation or I think thoughts of happiness and love.  Great, I'm glad you do these things, but again, it is hard to convince me that you have no stress.  This isn't how our world works.  This isn't how it is to live in a human body.  Stress is everywhere whether you want to believe it, accept it, or realize it.

Stress is not just a boss telling you how bad of a job you did.  Stress is not just dealing with cranky kids or spouses or partners.  Stress is not just having more to do in a day than you have time for.  In fact, stress can be so many things and most of the stresses we encounter seem insignificant.  Yet, when they build up day after day, moment by moment, they become much more major stress.

In addition, if you're body has already been overwhelmed with moments in your life that were too much to bear, this provides an ongoing source of stress.  It weighs hard on the mind and body and nervous system.  So, adding some minor little stressful moments just adds insult to injury.  Its like adding a little salt on an open wound (and if you're ever done that, you know what that does).

So, now do you think you've got any stress?  Do you think there is a chance that the stress could be showing up in body aches and pains or tight muscles or back pain or you name it?  Much of the pain we experience or don't always connect to has a source in stressful and difficult moments of life.

We all need to work on ways that we release these long stored difficult and stressful moments in our life.  Whether it is through relaxation exercises, massage, Yoga or some other body centered practice, we need to release these things.

Releasing stress in the body is not only a mental exercise.  It is a mental plus body centered practice.  The stress and difficulties in life rest inside the cells and muscles of the body.  In order to release them, you need to connect through the felt sense of your body by stopping, sensing, and feeling and then allow these things to come out.

Often you need a skilled therapist or a very nonjudgmental friend to help walk through the fire of releasing these things.  It often takes courage to rise above through the fears that will show up when you go to release these things.  If you can allow yourself to be the observer and walk into these moments, feeling every little nuance of stress, aches and pains, you will go along way towards letting them go.

As you let them go, you will see that you reclaim so much of the potential energy that has been stored within these places.  Your body will change physically from the inside-out.  It is not just about releasing emotions, but connecting with the physical body and exploring as an observer through movement to reclaim all that you are.

It is important to note, that this is an ongoing process and the more you do this, the more you will begin doing it with much more ease.  In the beginning, it can be rough, but as you progress, it becomes a way of life.

We all have stress and body aches and pains.  It is a fact of life.  The important point is that you don't have to numb yourself our from it and there is a way to let it go!  Avoiding it and hiding from it will do absolutely nothing good for you.

You may run away from stress and the daily build up of stress, but at some point it will catch up with you.  If you don't deal with it, I can assure you that it will deal with you.  It will bring you to your knees!

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Blog Post And Images (c) 10/1/14 by Don Shetterly

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