# For Mike - muscle tension



## Guest (Feb 17, 2001)

Hi Mike.I've posted about this before on the main forum, but would be interested to hear your views on it (I'm on day 38 ish of your tapes, by the way).I've tried every diet under the sun with only limited success and am now finding that the tapes do provide a little relief. They have made me realise how tense my body, in particular my stomach, usually is. I was wondering if there was anything specific I can do to help relieve tension in the stomach area? Thanks,ukgeezer


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2001)

I have to say that I have this problem too where my stomach feels like its tied up in knots and I can't seem to relieve the tension. Mike's tapes are helpful but they take time to work. Whenever my stomach gets really tense I take peppermint oil and that releases the tension. My hope is one day to be able to relieve the tension naturally without taking anything because I feel like I rely on peppermint oil right now.


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2001)

HI UK,ust to clarifyIs this tension there generally or just while your on a diet ?Mike


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

I just want to add that when you are not having any problems an excerise you can use is to gently tighten your abdomen and then relax it, doing this about five times a day with a rest day. Then trying to remember the relax feeling and incorporate that feeling when you have a problem.Hang in there also it gets better as you are still early into it.Mike will have some good strategies for you here, being the expert on this.------------------I work with Mike and the audio 100 program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2001)

Mike - the tension is basically always there in my stomach, but it's only since I started the tapes and have managed to get it properly relaxed on a few occassions that I've remembered what my stomach should feel like. I think it may be the cause of all my IBS problems - it would certainly explain why I have not been able to find significant relief from any of the (numerous) diets I've tried.If you'd like more of a 'case history' then I'd be happy to supply it.Eric, thanks for the tip - I'll try that.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2001)

Hi UK,I will get back to you on this shortly.I will post a few things, and if more info is needed then let me have it then.Back soon - Patients call







Best RegardsMike


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2001)

Hi UK,I'm not sure I should post this here or not, Eric will move it if not.Firstly you have identified that your stomach is not relaxing. However you knwo it can, becuase you have done it in the past. OK so just take a few mo's and study your breathing..If your chest rises when you breathe in then you are taking big breaths, not deep breaths which you should be







A deep breathe is when you chest stays still, and your tummy moves out.To get it as it as it should:First lie down. Put a book on your tummy, and breathe your breathe into your tummy and feel the book begining to rise. (Don't force your tummy muscles out - let the breath fill your tummy )You will have to concentrate a little to start with. Do this with your eyes open.Once you are doing that comfortably, put the book on your chest. breathe into your tummy and keep the book still. Your tummy should move, not your chest. This happens quite naturally at night when we sleep - (assuming you don't have any breathing health problems)Do this with your eyes open too.When you have mastered that, put the book back onto your tummy, take gentle breaths and breathe into your tummy under the book again. This time with your eyes closed.Then after 6 successful deep breathes, open your eyes, put the book back on your chest, close your eyes and let the breathe go into the tummy again, chest remaining still.OK, When you can do this, do it without the book. You will notice a difference in the calming, and your stomach relaxing. To help think of each breathe having a relaxing colour, and the colour relaxes your stomach even more.Try this a few times a day and let me know how you go on. This is just gentle control of breathing patterns. So easy, we do it in our sleep anyway







Let me know how you go on Best RegardsMike


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Mike, thanks for the tip. I will even add this to the dicussion forum. Its things like this that can help us and we don't here enough of if you know what I mean.Thanks------------------I work with Mike and the audio 100 program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

This is super info..as a speech therapist,(back in the day!) this was the very method I used with my patients. For singers, we would put a gentle fist on the diaphragm and make the patient push it out while standing..no shoulders moving up or down..that is clavicular breathing and you soon become over inflated!!! Mike's exercise is wonderful and works great!!!! Thanks for sharing this!!!







------------------Marilyn


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2001)

Thanks Mike et al for the advice. I'll be trying it out over the next few weeks. I actually had the best flying experience I've ever had a couple of days ago, and I'm putting that down to the tapes (felt nowhere near as anxious about it as I usually would - and it's the flight to end all flights, UK to Australia; 22 hours in total). I'm sitting in one of those internet cafes at the moment in Sydney, sipping an iced coffee and chilling in the 30 degrees plus heat. Sheer bliss.I've also decided to forget worrying about my diet too, which has helped alot psychologically. The only concession I'm making is little / no dairy and small meals but often. Roll on a healthy tum...Cheers,OzzieCobber (aka ukgeezer)


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

bump


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