Many people live in a state of tension in their bodies that they are not  aware of and hardly ever notice. This tension in the body produces all  kinds of trouble and disease from the stresses of life and holding onto  feelings and attitudes that have a definite effect on the physical body.  That is not news to anyone. But how to decipher what you are feeling in  your body is kind of a mystery for most people. When things get really  hard or really bad, it is easy to understand that something is wrong.  But what about the slow, long-term state of tension in our thinking and  feeling that goes on for months and years? We often only realize too  late the state of things when the effects of such low-burn, long-term  tension, fear and worry has compromised our health. When there is a lull  of activity or a vacation or an illness that puts us out of action for a  while, we slowly realize in contrast how we have been living and what  pressure we felt inside for so long. One example is a person who  divorces someone without doing any work around all the feelings and  hurts involved. They move on and make new relationships and seem happy  and resolved. But they never processed the negative feelings created in  the former relationship and when they moved on, they felt that it was  over. Nothing further to feel or think about. But years later when an  illness or cancer comes, the old bitterness or hurt feelings show up for  review. They carried those negative feelings in their body and it took a  long time to manifest in an illness. Had there been some work in  therapy with the feelings and more forgiveness work done with that  person, those bitter feelings would not have had time to fester and turn  into something like an illness. Most people tolerate and cope with such  long-term circumstances and do not register they are suffering under  its weight. Take a few moments and breathe deeply and center your  attention and consciousness on your belly below your heart. Breathe in  full breaths and relax your belly and your mind. Notice the energy of  your flesh body, how thick it is and how sluggish it is and see if you  can tell how it feels separate from your feelings. Then feel your body  and notice how it is of a different energy and substance from your mind.  See if you have been carrying it around like a large trunk of clothes.  Then feel your emotions and feelings and see if they are relaxed or  peaceful or radiant. If they are not feeling really light and warm and  peaceful, then change them with your breathing so they move towards  being more peaceful, light and airy and relaxed. Then ask yourself if  your life is going the way you want it to go. Ask yourself if you are  tense in heart, mind or body and if you live that way most of the time.  If you do, then you need to make some major changes so that things don’t  deteriorate and become a real problem. It is up to you.