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The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that humans are motivated largely by the need to resolve tension within our bodies. It is *the* ultimate physiological manifestation and learning to tap into and sit with tension might be a most valuable skill. 1/
Releasing tension provides endorphins which correlate with how quickly tension is released. To be more specific, the acceleration of tension release is important. Think about the satisfaction from a back crack vs say the satisfaction from a good stretch. Quite different. 2/
Why do massages feel so good? It’s a forced physical release of our muscles, as tension ebbs, so do worries and anxiety. 3/
It works the other way too. Anxiety and stress almost always directly lead to tighter muscles. I find myself with the compulsion to crack my back way more often when I have impending deadlines, for example. Potentially why exercise/yoga is so helpful for mental health issues. 4/
Even sexual desire manifests itself as a form of tension. It permeates the body, refusing to let go, until there is release. Sexual tension between parties: Emotional tension, followed by physical release. The more tension, the more we are driven to actions that ease it. 5/
Crescendo build-ups and beat drops in music are uniquely satisfying because of how tension slowly increases before a sudden release. Again, it is about the rapidity in which tension drops within the situation. 6/
In a conflict, the one who acts first to resolve tension loses. Negotiations where one party stays silent just to have the other back themselves into a corner. Sexually charged conversations where one party finds themselves making a move because they can no longer stand it. 7/
It is evidence that the current tension level is beyond what they are able to handle, a button to be pushed. Sometimes in acting to release tension, we build it up. That’s how arguments spiral into shouting matches, when neither parties can figure out how to open the valve. 8/
Gendlin’s Focusing fundamentally understands all of this. That’s why when we are Focusing we look out for the easing of tension within the body. The fact that a large weight has lifted so quickly implies that the body approves of the direction in which the mind is moving. 9/9
