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The man who invented relaxation



People suffering from stress can tackle it in various ways - from counselling sessions to yoga classes or listening to mindfulness CDs. But it's only recently that sleeping and doing very little - the ways human beings have always rested - have come to be seen as an insufficient response to life's difficulties.
In 1929, Jacobson had published a forbiddingly technical book called Progressive Relaxation, which detailed a procedure for removing muscular tension. But since the exercises in the book were designed to relieve pressure that was as much psychological as physical, Jacobson's work led to a surge in the use of the word "relax", in the sense of "to become less tense, anxious or stressed, to calm down". Jacobson's book asks patients to tighten their muscles and then release them slowly, paying close attention to the sensations of tiny amounts of residual tension. The idea is that after much practice, they become able to detect any tension and then work on eliminating it. Oct.4 http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34714591







To understand this news we go back to the chart for the last quarter Moon which we analysed extensively in the previous post [1]. The chart for the Moon phase at London is shown here and is essentially the same as that for York in the last post where we looked at the  Saturn [4sa] in  hard aspect to Uranus [17ar]. This is a combination linked to irritability, tension and stresses [2]. We also saw that Saturn is conjunct the stars of Ophiuchus which is linked to healing. Saturn-Uranus contacts often mark a time when old things (Saturn) resurface in a new way (Uranus). Apparently,we are seeing a comeback of the technique pioneered by Jacobson in 1929. Now to this if we add the Sabian symbol for Uranus we begin to the see the subject matter of the news quite clearly.

18ยบ Aries (18): AN EMPTY HAMMOCK STRETCHED BETWEEN TWO TREES.
This symbol refers to the ability to balance outer vitalistic  activity and withdrawal from such activity and relaxation.  The owner of the hammock is active , but in his consciousness he can hold the image of rest in the midst of reenergizing nature. The concept of following the rat race of business therefore has no hold. Potency is preserved and extremes avoided. Time is found for recuperation.



[2] The Combination of Stellar Influences; Reinhold Ebertin (p.184)

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