When we exert our body, including our mental capacities, the stress hormone cortisol is released. We end up feeling sore, stiff and depleted. 

Use Your Mind to Restore Your Body

To remedy the situation, we need to find a way to decrease the levels of cortisol quickly. Induce the production of hormones that have a relaxing effect on us. Believe it or not, there are ways of releasing tension from our muscles and stiff neck that don’t involve massage and cold ice. They can be done using our mind alone.

Here is how:

Be amazed by nature

New studies have found that being out in the nature has a positive effect on our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing since it affects us on a molecular level. Namely, when we experience beauty, vastness, a sense of self-diminishment and greater perspective in pleasant natural settings, we are usually awed. This feeling of awe is directly connected to the decrease of a molecule called IL-6. It creates inflammation in our body. When we run, jog or hike in beautiful nature, we are less likely to be sore and more likely to feel energized and refreshed.

Be informed, be equipped

Your body can be your best friend or your worst enemy, depending on how well you can use it to your advantage. Get well informed and do everything properly, including running, nutrition, hydration, injury prevention and recuperation. Prevention is the best medicine, so be well advised not to exert yourself in extreme weather conditions.

In the summer, you can avoid the heat by running in the evening or at night, just make sure you wear high quality reflective gear in order to stay safe. Stay well hydrated, which means taking in sufficient amounts of water and having a bottle of water with you at all times. Bring fruit and a salty snack to make up for lost electrolytes. When you are a friend to your body, it will be a friend in return.

Use meditation techniques

Our minds are so powerful that they can produce serotonin and dopamine, two hormones that make us happy and relaxed. The most effective techniques for releasing tension and pain from our bodies are visualizations and breathing exercises.

A good place to start are yoga nidra, pranayama, and especially a yoga exercise called Shavasana which helps you relax all of your body and release all the tension from the body, energetic, emotional and physical. Another simple method is to just lie down flat on the bed. Imagine being washed with bright white light for a few minutes, until you feel your energy is recharged.

Recharge by focusing on the positive

After you have cleansed your energy and your body feels lighter, you can also infuse it with fresh new energy. Just close your eyes and focus on imagining your body feeling comfortable and energized. Imagine your cells sparkling with bright nourishing light and rejoicing to be alive. Think of things that make you happy. Remember the feeling this produces in your body, try to memorize it and come back to it often. Praise yourself for your achievement, talk to your body and your cells and thank them, send them love and gratitude, our cells have their own form of consciousness and you will feel the effects immediately.

We are powerful beings and our minds are the driving force behind our lives. If you respect your body’s limits and try to learn and consistently apply some of the above mentioned skills, you will soon see the changes in the way your body responds to exertion and the way it aids rejuvenation. Remember, practice makes perfect! 

This is a guest post by Emma Lawson.

Emma Lawson is a passionate writer, online article editor and a health enthusiast. In her spare time, she likes to do research, and write articles to create awareness regarding healthy lifestyle. She also strives to suggest innovative home remedies that can help you to lead a quality and long life.

Photos from Pexels.