Remove Obstacles to Relaxation
Caffeine and other stimulant drugs activate the sympathetic nervous system, which prepares us for emergencies, for "flight or fight" responses. These drugs make us more jumpy, anxious, and fearful and thus often interfere with relaxation, rest, and sleep. Coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate are used so unconsciously in our culture that most users have no idea they are mind-altering drugs. Caffeine is an ingredient of many over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
If you want to lower your level of internal stress and develop your ability to relax and let go of external annoyances, a good place to begin is to eliminate caffeine and its relatives from your life. Cocaine and amphetamines (speed) are illegal stimulants with similar effects. A legal stimulant to watch out for is phenylpropanolamine (PPA), the chief ingredient of over-the-counter diet pills and a common drug in over-the-counter cold remedies.
Another is pseudoephedrine, usually sold as a decongestant (as in Sudafed). Some products sold in health food stores as tonics, energizers, and diet aids contain stimulant plants, especially guarana (a caffeine source from South America), yerba mate (ditto), and ma huang or Chinese ephedra (source of ephedrine). Because of their action on the sympathetic nervous system, all stimulants, whether natural or synthetic, in the form of teas or pills, are obstacles to relaxation.
Sound has a profound influence on the nervous system. Some kinds of sound increase our level of arousal and make us tense and anxious. Consider the noise of sirens outside your window or the sounds of people arguing. How do they make you feel?
Music has special power to affect consciousness. It is often the soundtrack of a scary movie more than the images on the screen that gives you chills and goosebumps.
Many cultures around the world recognize this power of music. Some forbid it (Islamic fundamenalists), others use it in rituals designed to alter consciousness (voodooists). The essential tool of the shaman is a drum. By using the right rhythms, he or she can leave the physical body and journey to the spirit realm.
In Bali ensembles of gong players and drummers (have roused warriers to frenzied violence.
In African religions drum-fining is a highly developed art, capable of inducing spectacular changes in awareness, including sexual excitement, trance, spirit possession, and even complete loss of consciousness.
It is well documented that some of these African rhythms have found their way into our popular music through the development of jazz and rock'n'roll.
There is no objection to this music as entertainment , but what about its effect on the human nervous system when it is background noise, taken in unconsciously. For example, while stopped in city traffic a car next to to you has music with an exciting beat blaring from the tape deck. Drivers and passengers act as if nothing is amiss, just some music to make the drive more interesting. City driving is usually stressful enough without having the nervous system roused further by stimulating rhythms. Not only rock music has this effect, when flipping through the bands of you car radio, a great deal of the music promotes internal tension that interferes with relaxation.
In a way, choosing which sounds to let into your consciousness and which to exclude is like making choices about foods. It is a question of nutrition in a broader sense, of mental nutrition, if you will. If you want to be excited, stimulated, sexually aroused, or prepared for physical violence, by all means listen to the readily available sounds that move you toward those states. If you want to relax and dissipate the tension resulting from external stress, do not make it harder for yourself by receiving those influences.
News can also affect our mental state profoundly, Most news reports increase anxiety, give us new possibilities for worry, and play on our desire for emotional stimulation. Many people are addicted to reading newspapers and news magazines and to listening to news on radio and television. Like caffeine addiction, news addiction is a major roadblock to learning to relax.
Is it really necessary to know about murders in a distant city or about the latest oil spill or the hideous acts of terrorists? A great deal of the most upsetting news is of no relevance to our daily lives and that when an event is important enough to concern us, we find out about it soon enough.
Be aware that news producers select and edit events for "journalistic value." Stories that excite and titillate, that cause anxiety and concern over developments to come have greater journalistic value than those that do not. Do not absorb this information unconsciously and habitually. Notice the effect it has on your mental equilibrium. Experiment with breaking the news habit, then use your power of choice to tune into news selectively and consciously.
Agitated minds of other people will agitate your mind. A kind of resonance takes place in the realm of consciousness. If you are in the presence of calm, centered persons, your internal tension diminishes, and you let go of some of your stress without making any effort to do so. If you are in the presence of people who are excited, angry, and anxious, you will naturally move toward those states. Pay attention to your internal responses to the people you associate with. As much as possible, avoid the company of agitated minds.